By Brian Gilliland

GEORGETOWN — As the county builds out, new methods of maintaining service levels are coming online as Sussex moves away from discrete emergency services stovepipes into a unified public safety model already adopted by several communities in Delaware and Maryland.

To head that unified agency, the county has tapped Robert “Robbie” Murray Jr. as its first public safety director, effective before July 1.

“The county has been in a really good spot for a really long time under the leadership of Joe Thomas, who announced his retirement in March,” Mr. Murray said. “He has incredible institutional knowledge, and there’s not a single person in Sussex County with more experience.”

With Mr. Thomas’ retirement as the emergency operations director, the county began to decide what emergency services would look like, and how those services could be deployed, Mr. Murray said.

Previously, county emergency services consisted of three departments, each with its own director: 911 operations, emergency management and paramedic programs. These operations moved into a shared facility outside of Georgetown last year.

Mr. Murray was previously the director of emergency medical services for the county.

“We’re taking an all-hazards approach, because we are in a vulnerable position,” Mr. Murray explained, "in terms of weather-related disasters.”

Under the reorganization, the triad is no more, and all operations have been brought under the Emergency Operations Center’s roof. What were the heads of three agencies are now deputy directors to Mr. Murray’s public safety director.

Mr. Robert Mauch will serve as deputy director of Public Safety-Emergency Medical Services and Mr. Richard Short will serve as deputy director of Public Safety-Emergency Operations/911, according to a county release.

The third leg, deputy director of Public Safety-Emergency Management, is vacant. In a press release, the county states its intention to fill the role by July 1, the start of hurricane season.

“We are looking for an emergency manager who can help us maintain our incredible relationship with neighboring counties in Delaware and Maryland,” Mr. Murray said.

Mr. Murray said one of the earliest benefits he’s seen in the new structure has been bringing dispatchers more into the operations fold.

“Paramedics have strong training to help out the dispatchers, and we have a very active simulation team. At the same time, we are looking into resiliency and mental health training this fall, to include the dispatchers, because they are certainly not immune to the stresses of the job,” Mr. Murray said.

This is something Mr. Murray knows, as he joined the county as a paramedic in 1994.

He rose through the ranks as a field training officer, training coordinator, operations manager, deputy director of operations, deputy director of administration and public safety director. Mr. Murray was named Paramedic of the Year in 1999, and earned other Sussex County EMS distinctions in 2000, 2003 and 2018.

During his tenure, Mr. Murray has been a leading voice within the organization to develop continuing education curriculum that ensures paramedics are trained on the latest urgent care medical protocols and standards, and he has worked with local fire companies and police agencies to coordinate planning and training for mass casualty and active assailant incidents, according to a county press release.

Outside of his county service, Mr. Murray is a member of the Frankford Fire Co., where he has been a volunteer since 1988, serving as a chief line officer, fire chief and most recently president, according to the county.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity — I know emergency medical services really well, and I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone. Professionally, for the county to go with a dedicated public safety officer is taking the next step in positioning the county for the future,” Mr. Murray said.

Staff writer Brian Gilliland can be reached at 410-603-3737 or bg@iniusa.org.