Upshur director of emergency management scaled back to part-time position as county seeks candidate

Katie Kuba
March 2, 2022

BUCKHANNON – Think you have what it takes to coordinate and oversee emergency management planning and response in Upshur County?

After several months of evaluating the requirements of the position, the Upshur County Commission is seeking a new part-time director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

At its Feb. 24 meeting, commissioners approved a revised director position, transitioning the post from a full-time gig to a part-time post, among several other changes.

Following the departure of former full-time Upshur County DHSEM director Brian Shreves, who accepted another job offer in August 2021, the commission appointed Upshur County Administrator Carrie Wallace as DHSEM director and assistant county administrator Tabatha Perry as assistant DHSEM director.

When the decision was made, officials with emergency management planning experience questioned the wisdom of the commission taking over the DHSEM office, but Wallace recently explained that had been the plan all along.

“At the end of August, we absorbed the duties of director and assistant director of DHSEM into the commission office,” Wallace said Thursday. “Now, we’ve had five months to evaluate it and make a recommendation regarding how to move forward and we are recommending a part-time DHSEM director.”

The new part-time director will take over Wallace’s current role, and once that person is hired, they will have input into who is hired as an assistant part-time director of Upshur County DHSEM director.

“The director will work up to 20 hours a week, and the part-time assistant director will work up to 10 [hours a week], but we want the new director to be involved in that decision,” Wallace said.

The director’s hours, up to 1,040 a year, will be flexible, and applications will be accepted through 4 p.m. Friday, March 4. The part-time assistant director will be expected to work up to 520 hours per year.

Wallace noted DHSEM director was a part-time role up until the county hired Shreves in 2017.

“This will take it back to the way it was up until 2017,” she said.

The DHSEM office is primarily responsible for countywide homeland security and emergency management planning, response and recovery, and the starting wage is $25 per hour. Applications should be delivered or mailed to: Upshur County Administrative Annex, c/o Carrie Wallace, 91 West Main St., Suite 101, Buckhannon, WV 26201.