Ken Wolfe, Okaloosa County’s emergency management coordinator, has been appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to serve on the state’s Emergency Response Commission.
Wolfe, who is a recognized expert on working with hazardous materials, joins the 23-member board as the representative of the Florida Association of Counties.
“I think it will be quite the experience,” he said of the appointment.
Wolfe was recommended for the commission after he spent time as a representative of the association on a hazardous materials response team.
“I am pleased by the appointment,” said Bryan Koon, the director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management.
“Mr. Wolfe has worked closely with the division’s Technical Hazards Unit for many years and has a great amount of knowledge and experience in the field of emergency management,” Koon said in an email. “Ken is an ideal fit for the commission and will work hard to ensure Florida’s communities are informed and prepared when dealing with hazardous materials.”
The State Emergency Response Commission was formed in 1986 “in response to a growing concern for safety around chemical facilities,” according to its website.
The commission is responsible for implementing provisions of the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act, which “has had a far-reaching influence on issues relating to hazardous materials,” according to the commission’s website.
The panel, which meets quarterly, acts on recommendations from the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Wolfe, 55, has worked for county’s Department of Public Safety for 12 years. He has helped coordinate responses to disasters such as Hurricane Ivan and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
“Ken exemplifies the knowledgeable and dedicated caliber of personnel we have in the Public Safety Department,” county Public Safety Director Dino Villani said in the news release. “He is a true asset to our community.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Tom McLaughlin at 850-315-4435 or tmclaughlin@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomMnwfdn.