Copyright 2006 THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
White House taps William Peterson as agency’s regional director
By JAKE BATSELL
The Dallas Morning News (Texas)
Plano Fire Chief William Peterson, who led the city’s response efforts for hurricane evacuees, is stepping down to become a regional director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The White House has tapped Chief Peterson to be the new director for FEMA’s Region VI, which is based in Denton and includes Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
Chief Peterson, Plano’s chief since 1982, said he took the FEMA job because it presents a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to improve the way governments cooperate during emergencies, such as last summer’s Hurricane Katrina.
“The relationship between local, state and federal governments has to be improved if the system is going to work more effectively than it did last year,” he said. “I feel like I can make an impact.”
The federal agency has been widely criticized for what many called a slow response to Katrina and its aftermath.
David Passey, a regional spokesman for FEMA, said Chief Peterson brings a strong background in emergency management as well as relationships with regional public safety leaders.
“He’s really got a career of experience that we’re anxious to take advantage of,” Mr. Passey said. “He’s lived in Texas. He’s worked in Texas. He’s well-respected in his community.” The previous director, Ron Castleman, left in December 2004 to take a job with an information technology firm.
Since then, deputy director Gary Jones has been serving as acting director.
The chief, 59, begins his FEMA job on Jan. 30.
He won a number of national and international accolades during his 23-plus years in Plano. He served as international president of the Institution of Fire Engineers and was voted Fire Chief of the Year by the International Association of Fire Chiefs and Fire Chief magazine.
In announcing Chief Peterson’s departure Wednesday, Mayor Pat Evans and City Manager Tom Muehlenbeck praised him for establishing the city’s paramedic Emergency Medical Services system and an affirmative action program, among other accomplishments.
Chief Peterson sometimes tangled with the Plano Firefighters Association, which in 2003 passed a vote of no confidence against him during a dispute over the department’s hiring and staffing practices.
But the association’s president, Capt. Scott Kerr, said Wednesday that the chief deserves credit for “staying ahead of the growth” during his tenure in Plano.
“We certainly have had our differences in the past, but we worked through them,” Capt. Kerr said. “He’s done a lot of good for the city. ... We’ve got premier equipment, personnel, staffing, training. We’re very pleased with the way things are going right now, and what all he’s accomplished.”
Bruce Glasscock, the city’s executive director for public safety and technology, said the city would appoint an interim chief within the next week or two before launching a national search for Chief Peterson’s successor.
Mr. Glasscock said the chief’s departure also presents an opportunity to create a new city position for coordinating emergency management and homeland security. In recent months, Chief Peterson has spent less time on fire services as he ran the city’s efforts to accommodate more than 2,000 evacuees from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
“It’s clear that it’s not fair to place those [duties] on somebody else and expect them to do the full-time job that Bill’s done because of his background and his expertise in that area,” Mr. Glasscock said.