From crisis medicine to crisis management, Jamie Parrish is gearing up to choose about George McKinney’s position as Greenwood County Crisis Administration Coordinator.
Parrish has worked for Greenwood County EMS considering the fact that 2004, just before that doing work for an EMS section in Tennessee. Up till Friday, she was answering 911 phone calls as a crew chief, but since Monday she’s been taken beneath McKinney’s wing as he can help her transition into her new job.
The county’s unexpected emergency administration coordinator acts as the nerve center when disaster strikes. The coordinator has to be common with the county’s unexpected emergency reaction designs and retain them up to day, along with creating interactions with the people who respond to and help out during public emergencies.
Parrish, 40, interned some underneath McKinney and with Self Regional Medical Center’s crisis coordinator, Trieste Underhill.
“I’ve been eyeballing this profession path for pretty a whilst,” Parrish reported. “When I read that George was looking at his retirement, I commenced concentrating on remaining in the county for this specific task.”
Her first perform of this sort all through her internship with McKinney was helping shore up supply chains early in the coronavirus pandemic. She and McKinney reached out to nursing houses and professional medical amenities to assure they experienced the protective machines they needed.
“In EMS, it is sort of just one-sided. You are only there for folks on their worst days,” Parrish said. “I just wished to grow my horizons some and get out to assistance the local community as a entire.”
When jogging phone calls in an ambulance, Parrish explained EMS staff have to find out to leave their emotions at the doorway sometimes in buy to take care of calls. Emergency administration isn’t about initial-response, it’s about preparing and logistics.
“It’s gratifying to be ready to changeover and share my awareness and my experiences,” McKinney stated. “Establishing all those interactions, which is the major issue. Exactly where can you find means? Who can you contact to get those sources?”
Obtaining worked for 17 a long time in Greenwood County, Parrish claimed she is aware the county’s structure very well and is common with a lot of of the people today who work out of the courthouse. In the coming times, McKinney said he’ll introduce her to much more group leaders and heads of nonprofits he’s worked with through his 9 many years in the career.
McKinney, 59, reported he ideas to retire in February, whilst he’ll hand his county cell phone around to Parrish just before then to get her used to answering phone calls directly. He’ll even now be on hand to lend some assist and clean factors out as she learns, as well.
McKinney strategies to retire to the farmland his family owns and tend to it himself.
“I’m not leaving the area, I’m continue to going to be in this article,” he said. “I tell most people now, they check with me ‘What are you likely to do?’ I explain to them I’m going to cease performing for the person and I’m heading to come to be the person as an alternative.”
As for Parrish, she reported she understood there would b a great deal to study coming in. She’s continually inquiring questions — she said she goes house, experiments and comes back again to McKinney the upcoming day with even far more issues.
“I understood I was likely to have to hit the floor working and take up as significantly info as I can, for the reason that my time with George is going to be shorter,” she mentioned. “We previously have these emergency strategies in put and men and women now know their roles, so the citizens of Greenwood County are taken care of extensive right after he is long gone.”
With approximately 20 several years in public company and a enthusiasm for company, McKinney explained he’s happy to have Parrish right here and keen to consider over the purpose.
“She’ll do a excellent position in it, and I’m on the lookout forward to that transition process,” he stated. “In my time listed here I couldn’t have asked for a far better group of folks all through the community that have each participated in the crisis administration program and also have contributed to and supported that application.”
Call employees writer Damian Dominguez at 864-634-7548 or comply with on Twitter @IJDDOMINGUEZ.