The recent, untimely death of Daniel “Dan” Warzoha leaves open the position of Greenwich Emergency Management Director. That position is critical to the ongoing safety of our community, and proper care and thoughtful consideration should be brought to the task of filling it.
The Emergency Management Director is expected to help coordinate emergency response plans among Town and private organizations that play key or ancillary roles in responding to an incident of mass casualty, disaster, or bioterrorism that may occur in or around Greenwich.
Those organizations include Town municipal departments, especially police and fire, Greenwich Emergency Medical Service (GEMS), Greenwich Hospital, the Red Cross and private industry and businesses. In some circumstances, the role could include coordination with state and federal homeland security groups, including the Connecticut Division of
Emergency Management and Homeland Security, the United States Department of Homeland Security and the FBI.
The position is mission critical and, done correctly, will not only save lives in the event of an emergency situation but will accurately assess risk and mitigate potential issues before an emergency arises.
Warzoha was the first to fill the position, and he was uniquely qualified for it. A former fire chief and lifetime resident and fireman, he had exceptional institutional knowledge and outstanding personal relationships that inspired confidence and trust in his judgment and encouraged effective collaboration among all parties involved. While he was in a real
sense irreplaceable, whoever fills his shoes will need to have a number of the qualities that made Dan so successful in the role.
Those qualities were highlighted in comments from all three First Selectmen Warzoha served. “We picked him,” said former First Selectman Jim Lash, who originally hired Warzoha, “because he had a broad understanding of how the most basic and the most important services functioned. He also had developed personal relationships over decades at state and regional meetings. He was taken seriously from day one. It was not a hard choice; it was an easy choice. He was not the kind of guy who was all about himself, he was the kind of guy to bring others together.” Peter Tesei, who served as First Selectman with Warzoha the longest, said, “Dan was uniquely qualified for this position because he knew the Town
infrastructure and its residents and was respected by all branches of the emergency services, Town departments, and the public.” Tesei continued, “Dan brought decades of experience, integrity, and respect which are essential in such a sensitive role as this one.” And current First Selectman, Fred Camillo, who has served most recently with Warzoha said, “Over
the past eighteen months, his steady hand at the helm in the Emergency Operations Center was a comfort to all.” To summarize: knowledgeable, understated, humble, experienced, honest, respected, calm. We would say the kind of person you naturally turn to when everyone else is panicking. Dan Warzoha set the standard – and the expectations – for the position. Our community needs, and it deserves, to find someone of similar ilk to carry on where Dan left off.
There is reason to fill this position quickly. After all, the peak months for hurricanes in Connecticut are August through October, so we are not out of the woods yet with respect to that threat. And emergencies come in many types, in all seasons, and, by definition, without warning. The threat is always there. Whatever the timing of the decision ultimately taken, we need the best person possible who is dedicated to that job and, as important, who truly
