Safety Committee gives nod to full-time EMA director
In tendering his resignation last week, Emergency Management Agency director Phillip Prater said the job has grown to the point where it needs to be a full-time position.
County commissioners were apparently listening. On Monday, members of the Safety Committee voted to make the EMA director a full-time job with a salary of $26,000 plus benefits.
“After talking to Phillip and getting his input, our feeling is to do this right it’s going to take a full-time person,” said Safety Committee chairperson Sally Brock.
Prater said the job required a fair amount of paperwork, citing regular clerical duties and grant writing as two of the major time-consuming duties. Prater also said the EMA director is on call 24 hours a day since a disaster can strike any time.
Prater said he firmly believes the position should be a full-time job, although he stressed he had no interest in filling the position if it was made full time.
In researching what nearby counties do with their EMA directors, county officials discovered there are full-time directors in Franklin County, Coffee County and the city of Manchester.
Brock said she wanted to get the position posted as soon as possible, but County Executive Kenneth Rogers said that would have to wait until the full Warren County Commission gives its approval. Rogers said commissioners would first have to OK the move to a full-time EMA director. Commissioners would then have to agree to the $26,000 salary. The next full meeting is Aug. 16.