EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR/FIRE SERVICES COORDINATOR
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT
FLSA: Exempt
GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB
Performs difficult and complex professional, administrative and management work in advanced protective service and administrative work overseeing and participating in the development and maintenance of emergency plans and disaster preparedness, planning, organizing and directing County Emergency Management and support functions.
Provides training and assistance to partner agencies; responding to incidents, preparing and maintaining files. This position reports directly to the County Manager. Work involves setting policies and goals under the direction of the County Manager. Departmental supervision is exercised over Emergency Management departmental personnel. Serves as the lead in disaster preparedness, response, mitigation and recovery for Wilson County.
Essential Job Functions
Plans, develops and oversees implementation of County wide plans for multiple responses to natural or person made disasters, coordinating capabilities and responsibilities of emergency communications, emergency medical services, Sheriff’s Department and volunteer fire and rescue departments; coordinates County personnel, staff and volunteers for emergency operations, acting as liaison to various governmental and non-governmental agencies to ensure understanding of proper roles and responsibilities of officials. Develops and reviews plans annually for responding to all types of emergencies; develops and implements evaluation procedures to determine quality of emergency service provided; revises emergency plans and procedures as necessary.
Prepares and maintains emergency contact lists for key personnel; plans and coordinates inter-agency disaster preparedness exercises; coordinates and attends various meetings to further enhance emergency management capabilities, as required; coordinates and approves emergency management training for local agencies.
Responds to man-made or natural emergencies or disasters, assuming management control and supervision of designated County departments and coordinating efforts between local and state governmental agencies and responders and volunteer agencies; requests resources from adjoining counties and from state agencies, as needed; prepares and maintains reports of emergency situations.
Serves as the Fire Services Coordinator, working closely with fire and rescue departments, including coordinating activities, inspecting equipment and performing administrative duties such as maintaining contracts, approving prepared dispatch procedures, assisting in preparing truck and equipment specifications, coordinating budget process, acting as liaison between departments, County Commissioners, state agencies, general public, etc.; coordinates and attends meetings related to fire service activities, as required. Thorough knowledge of principles, standard practices, procedures, and methods involved in fire inspection prevention and safety. Thorough knowledge of geographic layout of the County, including street locations, water distribution systems, and County fire codes.
Attends seminars, conferences, workshops, classes, and lectures as appropriate, to enhance and maintain knowledge of trends and developments in fields of emergency management and fire service; reviews professional journals, attends association and professional meetings, and otherwise maintains contacts with emergency management professionals to facilitate exchange of information.
Makes oral presentations before business, civic, school, church and/or other groups, as appropriate, on topics pertaining to preparing for emergency situations and what to do during an emergency; educates the public regarding first aid, general safety practices, fire safety and fire education.
Investigates fires, cooperating with local fire departments, Office of State Fire Marshal, law enforcement, State Bureau of Investigation, and federal agencies, as required; makes indictments and testifies in court, as necessary.
Assists local industry in developing in-house emergency preparedness plans and evacuation plans; review the disaster plans for companies utilizing chemicals, and reviews emergency plans for long term care facilities.
Researches and advises fire department personnel of changes in federal, state and local laws governing fire protection; assists local fire training coordinator in scheduling fire service training; establishes, interprets and enforces standard operating procedures for the various programs.
Prepares annual budget proposals in coordination with the Finance Department, including analyzing past expenditures to determine needs; administers approved budgets, approving and monitoring expenditures to ensure payments are made from proper accounts; implements policy and procedure recommendations made by outside auditors. General knowledge of the financing sources and programs available through state and federal funding for emergency management programs, and requirements and standards for obtaining and retaining state and federal funded programs. Assists with grant funding and writing, ensures available funds are applied and exhausted properly.
Utilizes the latest Microsoft software to create, edit and maintain workflow (spreadsheets, documents, etc.) and/or file maintenance programs to enter, store and/or retrieve correspondence, incidents, activities and other information as requested or otherwise necessary; summarizes data in preparation of standardized reports, including monthly activity reports, emergency management incidents reports, and fire reports. Ability to utilize multiple software programs related to local, state and federal communications.
On call time required. May be required to work nights weekends holidays, and emergencies (man-made or natural) to meet the business needs of the County.
Performs other related work as required.
Bachelor’s degree with coursework in emergency management, or related field and considerable experience in a formal emergency management role, including planning experience involving disaster preparedness, response, mitigation and recovery, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Valid driver's license in the State of North Carolina. Possession of North Carolina Emergency Management certification upon hire or within three years. Wilson County residency will be a required condition of employment.
PREFERED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) preferred.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OR STANDARDS
REQUIRED TO PERFORM ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Physical Requirements: Must be physically able to operate a variety of machinery and equipment including computers, typewriters, calculators, two-way radios, fire fighter gear, etc. Must be physically able to operate motor vehicles. Requires the ability to exert up to 75 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 35 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 15 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Physical demand requirements are those for Medium to Heavy Work.
Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural or composite characteristics (whether similar or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.
Interpersonal Communication: Requires the ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving instructions, assignments or directions to subordinates or assistants.
Language Ability: Requires the ability to read a variety of correspondence, reports, forms, records, plans, codes, laws, ordinances, manuals, guides, etc. Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, reports, forms, budgets, plans, etc., using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style. Requires the ability to speak before groups of people with poise, voice control and confidence.
Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatic form; and to deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in a variety of technical or professional languages including medical and fire science terminology, and emergency response codes.
Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract; to multiply and divide; to calculate decimals and percentages; to interpret graphs; to perform calculations involving variables, formulas, square roots, and polynomials.
Form/Spatial Aptitude: Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.
Motor Coordination: Requires the ability coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using office equipment.
Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of items such as office equipment. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.
Color Discrimination: Requires the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color.
Interpersonal Temperament: Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with emergency situations.
Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk and hear: (Talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words. Hearing: perceiving nature of sounds by ear.) Must be able to communicate via a telephone and two-way radio.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Thorough knowledge of the principles, practices, procedures, standards and regulations regarding emergency management service at the local government level.
Thorough knowledge of the functions, terminology, procedures, equipment and techniques used in emergency management.
Considerable knowledge of communication center procedures.
Considerable knowledge of the principles of supervision, organization and administration.
Considerable knowledge of the standard procedures and terminology pertaining to governmental and private insurance programs.
Considerable knowledge of the current literature, trends, and developments in the field of emergency management.
General knowledge of the financing sources and programs available through state and federal funding agencies for emergency management programs, and of the requirements and standards for obtaining and retaining state and federally funded programs.
General knowledge of the laws, regulations and policies governing emergency medical care.
Considerable knowledge of the laws, regulations, and policies governing fire services.
Ability to operate common office equipment, including popular computer-driven word processing, spreadsheet and file maintenance programs.
Ability to use and maintain emergency services equipment.
Ability to operate a two-way radio.
Ability to respond quickly and calmly to emergency situations, and to adopt effective courses of action.
Ability to plan, organize and direct operations of an emergency management department.
Ability to supervise and lead subordinates and volunteers during an emergency situation.
Ability to effectively express ideas orally and in writing.
Ability to provide leadership and to supervise the planning, development and establishment of new, modified and/or improved programs, services and activities.
Ability to analyze and interpret policy and procedural guidelines, and to formulate, develop and present recommendations to resolve problems and questions.
Ability to organize disparate groups of professionals into cohesive working groups.
Ability to use independent judgment and discretion in preparing goals, setting schedules, assigning work and planning for emergency needs of the County.
Ability to establish and maintain complex records and files.
Ability to prepare and make oral presentations before large groups of people.
Ability to conduct live TV interviews.
General knowledge of OSHA regulations.
Ability to exercise tact and courtesy in frequent contact with County and other public officials of various levels of authority and influence, media representatives and the general public.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Community Partners as necessitated by work assignments.
Ability to maintain readiness to work on a 24 hour, on-call basis.
Special Note: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Last Revised: 9/10/2025
