CHARLESTON – The former director of the Upshur County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management who resigned this year to accept a position as the director of the state Office of Emergency Medical Services has been suspended from his new post pending an investigation, a spokesperson with the West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources said Thursday.

Andrea Lannom, public information specialist with the W.Va. DHHR’s Bureau for Public Health, confirmed in an email that Brian Shreves, of Buckhannon, had been suspended from his job this week while the investigation takes place. The Bureau for Public Health would not comment on the nature of the investigation or how long it’s expected to last.

“Brian Shreves was suspended this week pending an investigation as the director of the Office of Emergency Medical Services under DHHR’s Bureau for Public Health,” Lannom wrote in an email. “We are unable to provide further details on the investigation.”

Shreves resigned from his position as the Upshur County director of DHSOEM in August to accept the state-level Office of Emergency Medical Services director position with the DHHR’s Bureau for Public in August. Shreves began working for the W.Va. DHHR in that new capacity Aug. 30, 2021.

Upshur County Commissioners honored Shreves, who served as the Upshur County DHSOEM director since 2014-2021, with a certificate of appreciation before his departure.

According to a press release issued by the DHHR in August, prior to becoming the director of Upshur DHSOEM, Shreves had logged 28 years in the emergency medical services field, in addition to having seven years of experience with homeland security and emergency management.  

Current deputy secretary of the DHHR Russ Crane has been named acting director during the investigation, the Bureau for Public Health said.