Ex-chief named disaster manager

By Neil Vigdor
Staff Writer

August 11, 2007

For the first time in more than 30 years, a civilian will coordinate the town's response to emergencies such as hurricanes and terrorist attacks.

The Board of Selectmen decided this week to shift the duties of emergency management director, a function previously handled by police deputies or captains, to former Fire Chief Daniel Warzoha, the civilian in charge of disaster preparations.

The changes coincide with the retirement of Deputy Police Chief Pat Chila, who previously held the duties and managed the town's emergency operations center during crises.

"While the jobs are different, having one person do both minimizes the coordination we have to do," First Selectman Jim Lash said, adding that the police and fire officials gave their blessing to the new arrangement when they met with him.

Lash, who serves as both police and fire commissioner, said the police department is short two captains and a deputy chief because of an ongoing lawsuit over the order of promotion and would be better off delegating the responsibility to someone else.

Warzoha, who has been working on a contractual basis for the town since his retirement last June as fire chief, said the consolidation makes sense.

"I think it's a good move for the town from a managerial standpoint," Warzoha said. "From an operations standpoint, it fits the overall pattern of where emergency management is going in the state of Connecticut."

The town previously budgeted about $70,000 for Warzoha's position, which pays $60 an hour. Warzoha will continue to get paid the same hourly rate but could earn up to $100,000 per year for the additional time he puts in on the job, according to Lash, who said a secretary's position was previously eliminated to create some savings.

The job of emergency management director started out as a civil defense position and was under civilian control before the police department took it over in the early 1970s. The town's emergency operations center, a temporary command post opened by public safety officials during storms and other crises, is under the director's control.

Public safety officials most recently opened the emergency operations center during an April 15 nor'easter, which caused severe floods and major property damage in Pemberwick and Cos Cob, qualifying residents, small businesses and the town itself for federal disaster aid.

Warzoha said he played a supporting role during the storm, helping with communications and coordinating with building inspectors to check damaged structures.

"The objective (was) to make sure that stuff doesn't fall through the cracks," said Warzoha, a 31-year town employee who lives in Glenville.

As emergency management operations coordinator, Warzoha said it has been his job to review the town's emergency plan and coordinate the training of first responders. The town created that position in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at the urging of police and fire officials.

"The town has come a very long way," Warzoha said. "We still have a ways to go."

Warzoha said the town still has work to do in the areas of training, complying with national standards for incident management, providing shelter to people with special needs and rescuing animals during emergencies.

Although Warzoha will be responsible for coordinating the town's emergency management response, the first selectman will make any major decisions during a crisis, with police and fire officials in charge of crime, fire and accident scenes.

Town officials said it was important to delegate Chila's duties as emergency management director as quickly as possible because the position is responsible for coordinating with state and federal officials, as well as for putting in applications for disaster aid.

"The state and feds want someone as a point of contact," Warzoha said, warning that municipalities without an emergency management director can be penalized. "It certainly decreases your opportunity for funding. There's no doubt about it."