Collier County, FL
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Mission and Our Team
Definition, Vision, and Mission
DEFINITION:
Collier County Emergency Management is the managerial and leadership function charged with creating the framework whereby communities reduce their vulnerability to hazards and effectively recover from disaster.
VISION:
Collier County’s Emergency Management Department seeks to promote safer and less vulnerable communities by building capacity to efficiently respond to disasters and restore its whole community to pre-disaster conditions.
MISSION STATEMENT:
Collier County’s Emergency Management Department protects communities by promoting, coordinating and integrating all activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve the capability to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from threatened or actual natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made catastrophes.
Dan Summers began his career in New Hanover County, Wilmington, NC, as Director of Emergency Management in 1985. He became the Director for Collier County Emergency Services in June of 2003. While in Wilmington, he coordinated 11 Presidential disaster declarations, worked closely in nuclear power, civilian and military port operations, hazardous materials, fire and EMS, and search and rescue.
His program in North Carolina was named as one of the original FEMA Project Impact Communities and having the opportunity on several occasions to testify and present to various congressional committees in Washington, DC, with then FEMA Director James Lee Witt. Mr. Summers formerly served on the Board of Directors of the National Emergency Management Forum organization promoting education and best practices in Emergency Management. He has recently graduated FEMA’s Senior Executive Leadership Program and was a contributor to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, living disaster history documentation initiative in 2017 and received a Distinguished Public Safety Award from the Naples Chamber of Commerce in 2018. As a former paramedic and firefighter with Guilford County, Greensboro, NC, he had the opportunity to serve as Director of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Emergency Medical Association. He established the first Advanced Life Support ground and air ambulance EMS program in New Hanover County, Wilmington, NC. |
Kathy Heinrichsberg is a 22-year veteran of Collier County Government. She joined the Bureau of Emergency Services in September of 2012. Kathy's position has many facets in this Division because she not only supports the Director; she is the support for the Bureau as a whole. She works closely with internal and external agencies, various boards, tracks agenda items, and assists in the annual renewal process of Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity or "COPCN." Kathy is responsible for scheduling meetings and keeping all of the Bureau of Emergency Services calendars updated. In 1998 She earned her Associate in Arts degree in Legal Assisting at Edison Community College.
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Christine Boni has been with Collier County for 25 years and is currently the Senior Accountant for the Emergency Management Division. Christine is responsible for the Division's finance section, and her responsibilities include projecting, preparing, and oversight of the annual budget. She is also responsible for keeping up to date on all Federal and State grants rules and regulations, grant acceptance, tracking, and reporting; procuring goods and services; payroll; and acquiring, monitoring, and tracking expenditures for goods and services during a disaster.
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During the activation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), Mike is critical to the operations. He maintains the County’s disaster information management application “WebEOC,” Mike manages the County’s disaster preparedness training program, and coordinates various exercises to simulate and test multi-agency coordination. He currently serves as the co-chair of the statewide WebEOC Working Group under the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association. Mike received his Master of Public Administration with a certificate in Security Studies from East Carolina University and is also a Certified Public Manager through Florida State University.
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John Neuman is responsible for all logistical operations, including maintaining and servicing all vehicles, trailers, generators, and associated equipment. He conducts and maintains fixed asset inventory. John is responsible for maintaining a list of all current workforce, materials, and expert emergency management resources. His tasks also include assisting other coordinators at special events and incidents. He received his bachelor’s degree from St. Petersburg College in Public Safety with a concentration in Emergency Management.
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Amy Howard brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role as our Multi-Hazard Planner. Transitioning from her prior role as Human Services Program Coordinator, Amy leverages her 19+ years in emergency management planning. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public safety administration from St. Petersburg College and is professionally certified through the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association (FEPA). Amy excels at all phases of emergency management, from preparedness to response. She's known for her expertise in comprehensive planning, training and drills, public education, and fostering collaboration across sectors.
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Josh Starrett is a Coast Guard veteran with a unique background of experience that brings a fresh perspective to Collier County EM. Prior to his service, Josh received a bachelor’s degree in Business from Metropolitan State College of Denver. After graduating, he moved to Pittsburgh, PA where he served as a volunteer fire fighter and EMT. Josh then joined the U.S. Coast Guard and served four years along the Atlantic coast. In 2019, Josh earned his master’s degree from the University of Denver in Security Management with an emphasis on Emergency Planning and Response. Upon graduating, he went on to work for the Red Cross providing support in both Services to Armed Forces and Disaster Cycles Services. Josh has also been a member of the Denver LEPC and the Denver Emergency Planning committee as well as the policy maker for the Denver Zoo’s emergency plan. |
Patti Clemens is the Human Services Program Coordinator for Collier County Emergency Management. She works with residents, governmental and NGOs of the County to meet the transportation and evacuation needs of at-risk residents during an emergency. Patti coordinates with the Florida Special Needs Registry and residents to keep an accurate and up-to-date list of residents that would need special assistance. She also manages the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plans for licensed health care facilities in Collier County. Patti has served in the Public Safety field for 35 years, working as a dispatcher, EMT, Paramedic and Emergency Management. She holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Cedar Crest College, Allentown PA. Her previous experience includes the role of a Fire/EMS 911 dispatcher for the Milford Fire Dept/Milford Public Safety in Milford, Connecticut. She has been involved in 15 real-world EOC activations and deployed for the Volusia County wildfires of 1998. Her extensive training includes courses from the Emergency Management Institute, Mount Weather in Maryland, FEMA and State EM. |
Nathaniel Hinkle is an experienced Telecommunications Management professional with over 25 years of expertise in the many aspects of Public Safety Radio Communications Systems. Attended San Jose State and Humboldt State Universities in the State of California with an emphasis in Engineering. Worked for several private industry communications companies in the California Sacramento Valley which included Telecommunications Engineering Inc, Bearcom and Delta Wireless Inc. Worked for the State of California as a Telecommunications Technician assigned with the State Fire response team as a COM-T. I then advanced my career with the County of Sacramento California where I was last employed as their Telecommunications Systems Supervisor. I planned and project managed the deployment of the new 14 site regional Motorola P25 Public Safety System which supported 18,000 radio subscribers and 105 dispatch consoles. Proven history of project management, employee supervision, grant submission and budgetary analysis. Always committed to providing the best-in-class communications solutions/ systems for Public Safety-First Responders. Driven by the need to continually improve and expand on the various opportunities present to provide advanced features and reliability to First Responders. Highly skilled at all facets of communications system design from the subscriber through the infrastructure and beyond. Service with integrity and true grit with an innovative approach to achieving short- and long-term departmental goals. |
Jerry Quarles is a recent addition to the Emergency Management team. He spent the last 5 years working for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance Cadre specializing in Recovery Operations. He has supported such disasters as Hurricanes Irma, Michael & Sally in Florida, as well as severe storms and flooding in Mississippi, Missouri, and Kentucky. His experience on the Federal side of declared disasters will allow him to analyze the county’s current procedures and look for ways to improve compliance with Federal Regulations and the Stafford Act. He will also assist in recovery efforts related to Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Ian and future disasters.
Prior to his experience with FEMA, Jerry spent 12 years as a Project Manager for an Atlanta area company specializing in fire, water and storm damage restoration. Prior to relocating his family to southwest Florida in 2016, Jerry also spent 3 ½ years as an Analyst for The Home Depot corporate office in Atlanta. |
Steven is an experienced Radio Frequency (RF) Engineer with over 35 years of experience with cellular and public safety communications systems. Steve attended Vanderbilt University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. Steve started his career working for Motorola Solutions in Plantation FL in product development and manufacturing engineering. In 2000, Steve and his family relocated to Fort Myers FL, where he started a 17-year career at Sprint-Nextel, initially as a RF Engineer, and then later as a Technical Support Manager in the Sprint Network Operations Center organization. Steve joined Collier County as a Radio System Analyst in 2018, supporting the transition of the Collier County public safety radio system to P25 in 2020. Steve worked for Communications International for a year designing and commissioning in-building distributed antenna systems for public safety and cellular applications. Steve rejoined Collier County in September 2022, now part of the Emergency Management team, supporting the county P25 radio system. Steve is licensed as a Professional Engineer in the State of Florida and has the FCC General Radiotelephone Operators License (GROL) with Radar Endorsement, and the IEEE Wireless Communications Professional (WCP) Certification. |
Daniel Fillmore joined Collier County Emergency Management as the Mass Care Coordinator in April of 2022. Daniel and his family moved to Naples, Florida in 2017 from Springfield, Missouri. Daniel comes from a Law Enforcement background where he worked as a Corporal for the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. Daniel served as a K9 Handler, Patrol Supervisor, SRT member, and Crisis Negotiator, before taking on his last assignment as an Internal Affairs Investigator. Since relocating to Florida, Daniel has worked for the Florida Department of Health in School Health, Infectious Diseases, and most recently as the Disaster Preparedness Planner, where he gained substantial knowledge and experience in Emergency Preparedness, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery. Daniel has worked several natural and man-made disasters to include the Joplin Missouri Tornado, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Michael, COVID-19 pandemic, and most recently Hurricane Ian. Daniel’s area of responsibility is in Mass Care and Sheltering for Collier County residents during times of emergency. Mass Care includes the housing, feeding, and general welfare of those who need assistance during times of response. Daniel also is responsible for Shelter Operations training for the Collier County Employees assigned to emergency duty as part of their responsibilities. Daniel has a passion for serving the residents of his community through his public service professions and volunteer work. Daniel believes positive engagement with citizens is what builds a strong and resilient community. |
Jibey Asthappan is an Air Force Veteran with experience in hazard mitigation of IEDs, biological/chemical, and nuclear threats. After his service, he received a master’s from Penn State University and a Ph.D. from American University in Washington, D.C., then taught Homeland Security, Network Security, Research Methods, and Statistics. His publications include analysis of homeland security and emergency response issues/area. He began with Collier County Public Utilities in 2018 where his focus has been in information technology, database management and data analysis. He brings both technical expertise and real-world response experience to BES in his role as an Emergency Management Coordinator. |