Department of Public Safety formed in Sussex County, to be led by longtime EMS director

A new Department of Public Safety is being formed in Sussex County, putting Delaware's southern-most county in line with the rest of the state.

Emergency medical services, 911 dispatch and emergency (disaster) management will now all fall under a Department of Public Safety umbrella. Robert Murray, current EMS director and 30-year county employee, will serve as the department's first director. He'll officially move into the position no later than July 1, a county news release said.

Recent developments prompted county leadership to make the change, according to the news release. The county's three public safety branches all moved in together last year, when new EMS building was added and the 911 center was expanded at the Sussex County Emergency Operations Complex in Georgetown. In addition, longtime Emergency Operations (911) Center Director Joe Thomas retired in March.

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“These agencies developed at different times and in varying phases over the years, but that created a legacy in terms of siloed management and delivery of services that we knew needed to eventually shift,” County Administrator Todd Lawson said in a statement. “These changes are the next logical step.”

Three deputy directors will be overseen by Murray. County veterans Robert Mauch and Richard Short will manage the EMS and 911 departments, respectively. A deputy director of emergency (disaster) management has yet to be named.

Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught.