Sussex names new emergency manager

Sussex County is looking to the past for its future in disaster preparedness.

The county has named Timothy Cooper, a former paramedic with Sussex County EMS, to become the new emergency manager this summer, taking over a role filled by longtime Emergency Operations Center Director Joe Thomas, who retired in late March.

“I am honored and humbled at the chance to lead our preparedness program, and make a difference serving the community,” said Cooper, a Harbeson resident. “It’s really like coming home again.“

Sussex County’s emergency management division, part of the newly reorganized Department of Public Safety that includes the 911 communications and paramedic divisions, prepares for, trains and responds to natural and human-caused disasters. Cooper, in his new role as deputy director of public safety-emergency management, will lead the county’s disaster preparedness efforts, while also coordinating with a variety of partners, including the Delaware Emergency Management Agency, the Delaware National Guard and other agencies. He holds dual degrees in emergency preparedness and homeland security.

Cooper, who most recently served as director of the Delaware Division of Public Health’s Office of Preparedness, brings more than 30 years of experience in public safety, including 17 years as a paramedic, shift supervisor and special operations coordinator for Sussex County EMS.

Cooper officially begins his new role Monday, July 1.