EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County Emergency Management Agency Director Fred Patterson announced Monday that he will retire Friday, bringing to a close four years of leading the county’s emergency preparedness and response efforts.
Patterson shared the news during the Madison County Board’s Public Safety Committee meeting, where he reflected on the progress made after he joined the county and thanked board members, county leadership and agency partners for their support.
“I came in humble, and I’m leaving humble,” Patterson said. “You hired me to do a job. I believe I did it to the best of my ability.”
During his remarks, Patterson said the agency is in a strong position, noting emergency plans, standard operating procedures and state requirements are current and in place.
“As far as the readiness, as far as the programs, we’re in pretty good shape,” he said.
Patterson highlighted several accomplishments from his tenure, including expanding the county’s emergency communications capabilities and developing a mobile emergency operations center that can be deployed anywhere in Madison County during a disaster.
“We are mobile,” Patterson said. “Our communications can be transported anywhere within the county, and that’s extremely important in a situation.”
He also pointed to planning initiatives, grant-funded equipment, strengthened emergency response capabilities and partnerships with the American Red Cross to expand sheltering options throughout Madison County.
Committee members, including 911 Director Aaron Weber, Coroner Nick Novacich, Madison County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Marcos Pulido l, along with County Board members, thanked Patterson for his service and praised the work accomplished during his tenure. Board members credited Patterson with strengthening the county’s emergency preparedness through grants, upgraded equipment and expanded emergency management capabilities.
“We’ve done some serious work to get some assets,” Patterson said. “The key thing is communications is by far greater than what we had.”
Closing his remarks, Patterson expressed gratitude to everyone who supported the agency’s work over the past four years.
“I worked hard for a positive image,” Patterson said. “I want to leave EMA in a positive position.”
Following Patterson’s retirement, Emergency Management Specialist George Koranyi will serve as the department’s interim coordinator.
