Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2015 15:29:04 +0000
From: Debra Henzey
Subject: Chatham’s Emergency Management Director Retires After 27 Years
Chatham’s Emergency Management Director Retires After 27 Years
PITTSBORO, NC- Chatham County Emergency Management Director Tony Tucker retired at the end of March after nearly 27 years of service with Chatham County, including leading the department since 1994.
The Chatham County Board of Commissioners honored Tucker at their March 16, 2015 meeting, commending his exemplary service. In 2013, he received the top state award, the Colonel Nichlos Waters Award, from the NC Emergency Managers Association.
“Under his leadership, the Emergency Management Department chalked up several major achievements that have benefited the safety and health of our residents,” said County Manager Charlie Horne. “He is widely respected for his knowledge and application of sound emergency management principles.”
Assistant County Manager Renee Paschal credits Tucker for taking a critical action soon after he was named director. “Tony negotiated a new contract with First Health for emergency medical services that upgraded the county from intermediate to paramedic-level services. There is no way to estimate how many lives have been saved by this action and it also saved the county several million dollars over the life of the contract.”
Other major achievements on his watch included securing and implementing the fully operational Jack Dark 9-1-1 Backup Call Center in Siler City and using federal Homeland Security funding to obtain a mobile command post. Both of these will help Chatham be prepared if disaster strikes the Emergency Operations Center in Pittsboro.
In partnership with the school system and law enforcement, Tucker played a key role in disaster drills at all county high schools. The lessons learned can be applied to a wide array of emergency situations.
Being one of a select few counties within the 10-mile zone of the Harris Nuclear Plant, Chatham County has been actively involved in drills that are strictly graded by state and federal officials. “We have always gotten excellent marks and feedback thanks to Tony’s leadership. This also has helped us overall be prepared for other types of disasters,” said Horne.
Tucker has consistently been a strong advocate of training for all staff, including himself. He obtained a CEM certificate from the University of North Carolina in 2009.
Janet Scott, deputy director of Emergency Management, said, “Tony has been a remarkable boss and mentor. We will miss seeing him every day, but he deserves a very long and happy retirement.”
In addition to his regular duties, Tucker has served on the board of the Bonlee Fire Department and is trained in ground search and high-angle rescue. His scuba diving skills have been used several times to find drowning victims.
In keeping with the NC Public Records Law, e-mails, including attachments, may be released to others upon request for inspection and copying.
Debra Henzey
Chatham County Director of Community Relations
Cell 919-548-4662