GREAT FALLS — Cascade County recently announced the appointment of Joey Zahara to replace Brad Call as the new head of the Disaster and Emergency Services department.
Cascade County commissioners voted unanimously to make an offer for the manager position during their April 25 meeting.
With a robust background in crisis management and a commitment to community well-being, Zahara hopes to bring a fresh perspective to the county’s emergency response initiatives.
He explained, “I come from the system, I’m a product of the system and I’m very proud of it. Really working with the volunteers and rural firefighters and making sure our team can be there to support them makes me excited to take on this role.”
The appointment of Zahara signals a turning point in the county’s approach to handling emergencies and ability to coordinate response strategies.
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Glenna Sue Violette, the DES assistant, expressed her optimism for the department moving forward: “Having Joey step on board, who has vast experience with rural fire and with EMS, it adds another level of expertise to our arena here and the resources available to us.”
A proactive stride in continuing to safeguard the county includes the renewal of the Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan which is renewed every 5 years.
The State of Montana DES coordinated the creation of new Regional Hazard Mitigation Plans that encompassed all counties, municipalities, and tribal nations in Montana, supporting consistency, cost, and lightening the administrative burden on local and tribal governments.
The renewal of the plan further encompasses a new era to disaster readiness in Cascade County.
Sue Violette added, “We're changing the realm here now. We're really going into where we can implement our protection plans for Cascade County, and that should be exciting.”
