After serving for the past several months as the City of Bridgeport’s Emergency Services Coordinator, Laura Pysz has been named to the post of Director of Emergency Services. City Manager Kim Haws confirmed the promotion Wednesday.

 

“Laura has worked directly under (Fire Chief) Bob Seccuro who has been handling the Director of Emergency Services duties along with his fire chief duties,” said Haws. “We felt it would be better to have this position independent of the fire department, as well as the police department, and have an individual that would work in coordinating between those departments and others throughout the city. The good news with this move is those that she will be working with have confidence in her ability.”

 

According to Haws, Pysz’s new role is multi-faceted. He said the main responsibility is to coordinate and direction the preparation and the response to all city-wide emergencies that occur, whether natural or the result of human error. Pysz will also oversee Bridgeport’s Emergency Operations Center whenever it is activated and work directly with individuals at the state level and other emergency service directors and coordinators throughout West Virginia.

 

Pysz is no stranger to the duties. Although working for nearly two years with the city, she was a volunteer with Bridgeport and received training during that time as well as during her most recently employed time.

 

“When I was volunteering and being trained it was then that I realized just how much I love what I’m doing,” said Pysz. “I’m thrilled with the opportunity because I love emergency management. This is truly my passion.”

 

Pysz currently works out of the Bridgeport Fire Department office on Main Street, but will soon be moving to the substation on Jerry Dove Drive. Although she works primarily with that department and the police, she said she interacts with all city departments and other agencies as needed.

 

“This office will work with everyone. If we have a mudslide that blocks a roadway, it’s my responsibility to work with (Bridgeport’s) Public Works Department and our police and fire to get the situation handled and make sure everything is safe for the community,” said Pysz “What’s important is that this department has a good working relationship with the others and that’s important.

 

“I’m just one set of eyes and I know those I’m working with will inform me of anything I need to be aware of,” she continued. “That’s very important in the mission of public safety.”

 

Pysz said she’ll continue to work on increasing numbers in the city’s volunteer groups – the VIPS (Volunteers in Police Service) and the CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). She also said more focus will continue to be put on the ongoing Project Care.

 

“That’s our program of having the community to be able to take care of itself in the event of a serious emergency situation,” she said.

 

Haws said the move may have been made earlier, but when Pysz was initially considered and Seccuro was put in place she had only been with the city for “three or four months.”

 

“We just didn’t feel comfortable at that time, but we absolutely have the confidence now. In the last year and a half she’s been working she’s gained additional training and confidence and you can see that when she’s working with her counterparts locally, in the county and in the state,” said Haws. “We feel she’ll do just fine in this new position.”

 

Editor's Note: Laura Pysz is shown above, while one of the groups she'll work with - the CERT group - is shown below.