Assistant Emergency Response Coordinator Appointed

Poughkeepsie…The Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response has announced  William Beale has been named Assistant Emergency Response Coordinator for Emergency Management.

Dutchess County Emergency Response Coordinator Dana Smith said, “The Emergency Manager position is critical to our department and the county’s preparedness for emergencies.  We have worked in partnership with Bill Beale for many years through his work on our Fire Investigation Team as well as his leadership roles in the Town of Wappinger.   His experience will allow him to seamlessly transition into his new role and we welcome him as part of our team.”

As the Emergency Manager, Mr. Beale will be responsible for developing Dutchess County’s response plans for emergency disaster situations, including updates to the Dutchess County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP). The CEMP details the County’s coordinated response to disasters and large scale incidents.  Additionally, the Emergency Manager assists local governments in preparing/planning, responding, mitigating and recovering from large scale disaster. He serves as the liaison between local, county, state and federal agencies in these efforts.

William Beale has been involved in Emergency Services in Dutchess County for the past 22 years. He is an active life member and past Chief of the Hughsonville Fire Department. He has served on the Dutchess County Fire Investigation Team since 2003 and has been a Deputy Coordinator with the Team since 2012.  Mr. Beale is also a Town of Wappinger Council member since 2007 and is a liaison for Emergency Services and the town, overseeing the town’s contract for emergency medical services.  He currently serves on the Advisory Council to the New York State Division of Homeland Security - Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

Mr. Beale said, “I look forward to starting this next chapter of my career with the Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response. I am eager to use my emergency services and local government experience to work collectively toward ensuring the residents of our county remain safe during natural disasters and major emergencies.”

Mr. Beale is a resident of the Town of Wappinger.   He holds an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Dutchess Community College, a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Organizational Leadership and Communications from Marist College, and is currently completing a Master of Public Administration at Marist College. 

Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said, “Public safety will always be a top priority for county government.  Bill understands the important role of emergency response in public safety and has been involved with emergency services in a wide variety of roles for many years.   We are fortunate to have him serving the residents of Dutchess County as Emergency Manager.”

Mr. Beale’s appointment follows the recent retirement of former Emergency Manager Ken Davidson, who retired in March after more than 16 years of service with Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response Dutchess County’s Emergency Manager.  Mr. Beale begins as Emergency Manager effective today.