Duffey leads emergency management

OTHELLO – Adams County has a new emergency manager.

Sandi Duffey, 60, has been hired as Adams County Emergency Management Director. She succeeds Jay Weise who was elected county commissioner of District No. 2 in November.

The position pays $5,394 monthly.

She will be responsible for maintaining the county emergency management plan, provides preparedness and coordination among fire departments and districts, law enforcement agencies, emergency medical services and other first responders, for emergencies primarily involving hazardous materials. Those emergencies include weather disasters and transportation incidents.

Beginning in 2000, Duffey worked for Grays Harbor County in Montesano as a records clerk in insurance and risk management. In 2003, her job was changed to emergency and risk management.

She completed coursework in emergency management, and in 2007, she moved to Grant Countyto work in the Department of Emergency Management there.

In 2017, she became emergency management coordinator in the Grant County Sheriff's Office Emergency Management Division.

Asked why she wanted to make the move to Adams County, she said, "It's an opportunity to run the program."

Adams County Emergency Management is currently a department of one.

Duffey laughs and says, "I occasionally argue with myself."

There are no immediate changes coming to the department. For now Duffey is being an observer.

"I am seeing how everything else goes, and learning the history (of the department), looking through files," she said.

Duffey is married with one grown son.

Her husband is a retired Montesano police officer.