By Taylor Boyd
Cooper, 53, recently accepted the county’s Emergency Management Services (EMS) Coordinator post.
“What made me apply for the job was the opportunity to bring my knowledge, skills, and experience over the past 35 years to benefit the citizens and the county of Patrick,” he said.
“For our division, we need to make sure we’re doing the best we can for the citizens while taking care of the assets and the finances – being fiscally responsible with the money the county provides,” he said.
He believes one of the biggest obstacles he will face is tied to the county’s financial position.
“Patrick County is not a very wealthy county, so staying within budget while still providing services will be probably the biggest challenge,” he said.
Gaining the confidence of the community and its residents is another challenge that Cooper thinks he will face as an outsider.
“Patrick County is a small community. A lot of people have lived here all their lives, so they already have the familiarity of each other,” he said. As an outsider, “people might be a little hesitant or reluctant to get on board with some of the ideas I may have, or that I may bring to the table.”
“We understand the volunteers have to work during the day, so they’re not around as much, and our lowest staffing points are during the daytime during the week. That’s a big challenge right now for the county,” he said.
Cooper also thinks the county recognizes the concerns of the decreased volunteerism and is working on plans “to combat that such as recruitment and retention efforts.”
“Hopefully we can hold onto the volunteer system as long as we can. If the trend nation-wide continues of decreased volunteerism, that is something that is going to have to be addressed in the future to make sure the citizens are being taken care of,” he said.
Overall, Cooper said he believes the county is doing well with EMS, particularly with the challenges brought about by the combination system of volunteers and paid staff.
In the long-term, he cites general improvement of the whole system as among his goals.
“In my position, I have to look at it from all different sides, not just the fire and EMS side, but also emergency management,” Cooper said.
The county is well prepared for any major disasters that may occur, he said, and explained that he and his department will be proactive in planning for different potential disasters and the future of the fire and EMS systems.
Cooper has served in the public safety arena for the last 35 years, both as a volunteer and career-staff member in EMS and fire. He is a certified paramedic and certified firefighter, fire officer and chief EMS officer. He is nationally credentialed and has worked in Florida, Tennessee, Kansas, and Virginia.
Cooper holds an MA in public administration, a BA in public safety administration and three associate level degrees.
“I bring a wealth of knowledge of different ways to do things,” he said. “I’m going to do my best to make sure that everything is prepared for in the worst-case scenario and residents can remain confident in the public safety organizations that we have.”
In his spare time, Cooper likes to read, be outside, play darts, and relax. He is currently divorced and has one son living in Texas and four grandchildren.
