Everett will add director to manage emergencies

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, October 5, 2005

EVERETT – Before year’s end, the city will have a full-time emergency management director, Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson said Tuesday.

The position, provided for in the general fund of the yet-unreleased 2006 budget, was devised after city officials watched from afar as New Orleans and other Gulf Coast cities struggled in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

“We’re not susceptible to hurricanes, but we’re clearly susceptible to earthquakes, to in-sound tsunamis, terrorist attacks,” Stephanson said. “We want to make sure we’ve considered every possibility.”

The new director will report to the mayor and will assist in communication between local agencies including the American Red Cross, Naval Station Everett and city police and fire departments. The search for a highly qualified individual is under way, Stephanson said.

Everett has an existing emergency management program, but the mayor said creating a position for one person to direct the process is key.

“The idea is to build a comprehensive plan,” he said. “It’s really important that we take a comprehensive look at how we would respond to any kind of emergency.”

Reporter Krista J. Kapralos: 425-339-3422 or kkapralos@heraldnet.com.