Onslow County's emergency manager retiring

Mark Goodman said he's already stayed twice as long as he planned.

Goodman, Onslow County's director of Emergency Services and Homeland Security, is stepping down Jan. 1.

"I turned in my letter of resignation December 1 st - the day hurricane season ended, because I felt it was my professional responsibility to see that through before I gave 30-days notice," he said. "I took the job with the agreement to stay three years, and it's been six years ... We need new people in here and some fresh blood, new perspectives and new energy.

"Besides, I am way behind on my fishing and scotch drinking."

Goodman, who has Level 4 executive training in anti-terrorism, said he plans to continue to do work for Homeland Security and the Department of Defense.

"I don't intend to stop working with DoD and (Domestic Nuclear Detection Office), helping them design programs and equipment to detect and track nuclear equipment entering the United States," he said.

Goodman said he is most proud of the level of commitment of emergency services employees.

"It has been a pleasure working with my staff here - these folks are first rate professionals," he said. "I have to shut off the lights and make them go home or they would work 24-7. They give 110 percent of what they do - they wake up every morning with only one goal: to save lives and make our community better."

He is also proud the relationship between Onslow County Emergency Services and Camp Lejeune has become a national model for civilian communities surrounding Marine Corps bases.

He walks away with his share of disappointments, as well.

He said he is disappointed that he was unable to convince county commissioners to purchase three additional ambulances last year, and was not able to put in a P25-compliant 800 MHz emergency communication system countywide. And he hopes the new board of commissioners will vote to purchase additional ambulances in the upcoming budget.

"We need three additional ambulances just to keep our response times at the current level - which is poor," he said. "Thirty percent of the time our response is within nine minutes - the national standard. Than means that 70 percent of the time it's longer than nine minutes."

He said he has recommended Norman Bryson, Onslow County's assistant director of Emergency Services and Homeland Security, as his replacement.

"Bryson has all the levels of training and certification, he's got all the credentials in every area to become director," he said.

Onslow County Commissioner Lionell Midgett commended Goodman on his accomplishments.

"Mark has been instrumental in creating and making our emergency services one of the leading ones in the state and in the Southeast," Midgett said. "He will be missed, but we wish him good luck with all his future endeavors."

Contact Topsail area reporter Suzanne Ulbrich at sulbrich@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8454.