SUSSEX CO., DE - The Sussex County Council has announced a significant reorganization of their public safety agencies and services under a new Department of Public Safety.
The County Council says that on Tuesday, April 9th, County officials promoted Robert W. Murray, Jr. from his current role as director of Sussex County Emergency Medical Services to the first ever Director of Public Safety for the county.
The changes are expected to take effect before July 1st, 2024, though Murray will manage in an acting capacity following the retirement of Emergency Operations Center director Joseph L Thomas.
9-1-1, dispatch, emergency management, and EMS services are set to see a new, unified management structure that will enhance collaboration, efficiency, the County Council says. All three public safety branches are currently housed at the Sussex County Emergency Operations Complex outside Georgetown, with the paramedic service recently relocated into an addition last summer.
“With the newly created public safety directorship, those three divisions will be managed by deputy directors who answer to Mr. Murray, a 30-year veteran of County government,” the County Council said in a statement. “Robert Mauch will serve as Deputy Director of Public Safety-EMS, Richard Short will serve as Deputy Director of Public Safety-Emergency Operations/9-1-1, and a yet-to-be-named candidate will serve as Deputy Director of Public Safety-Emergency Management. County officials hope to advertise, interview for, and fill that role by early summer, in time for hurricane season.”
Murray says the new Deputy Director of Public Safety-Emergency will be a huge help to managing responses,
“There’s an opportunity to do more training, to be better prepared, to form stronger relationships. We’re gonna have one person whose sole purpose is that emergency management piece," he said.
While the Departments will each still carry out the same job, Murray says this new Deputy will help respond to population growth and manage resources accordingly,
“The county is gonna continue to grow with services to meet the needs of the public, both the year round public and the visitors. And we’re gonna find out how Sussex county can be better fit to deal with that next storm or next event taking place," he said.
County Council President Michael H. Vincent says that the transition of these branches into the new Department of Public Safety under Murray will be fairly seamless.
“It is an honor to be appointed as the director of the newly formed Department of Public Safety. I look forward to learning more about the EOC and emergency management and working with leadership to create a department that will position Sussex County for the future,” Murray said. “I believe this is a monumental step in advancing the delivery of public safety services in Sussex County, one that will allow us to draw on each individual and division’s strengths and coordinate our efforts, from dispatchers and emergency managers to paramedics, to provide the best service and care possible.”
