Interim EMA director asks for staff pay increases and radio equipment; committee to review director duties

Wade Evans, who said he was moved to interim director in December, presented the Emergency Management Agency's budget request on May 14. Evans said the EMA office has fallen from four staff to two (one full-time, one part-time) and asked to raise the part-time responder pay from $12.60 toward $15 an hour and to create a separate administrator role at about $13 an hour. He said the staffing change has increased overtime during activations and that restoring capacity would reduce overtime pressure.

Evans requested $10,500 for an EOC radio so the EOC can be staffed during an activation and added approximately $5,000 to the hazmat line to begin replacing meters and other equipment after consolidating hazmat trailers returned by city fire departments. He said those trailers are now housed at EMA and that slow equipment replacement would risk response capability.

County leadership told Evans they would review the scope of EMA duties with CTAS attorneys to ensure the office performs only required EMA functions; the chair said he and Evans would meet before any permanent director appointment is announced. No formal action was taken; the presentation concluded with the committee thanking Evans.