GOVERNOR CRIST APPOINTS DAVID HALSTEAD EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR

April 30, 2010

Contact:

GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE
(850) 488-5394

TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist today appointed David Halstead as Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. He has been serving as Interim Director since January 2010.

“Dave’s leadership and commitment to protecting Florida’s families throughout his career makes me extremely confident of his ability to successfully serve in this position,” said Governor Crist. “Dave has four decades of experience as a first responder and emergency manager, including more than a decade of preparing Florida on a statewide level."

In May 2009, Governor Crist appointed Halstead as Interim Deputy Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Previously, he was the bureau chief of response for the agency, where he oversaw operations, logistics, domestic preparedness and critical infrastructure such as emergency shelters and local operations centers beginning in 2006.

From 1999 to 2004, he implemented the Lewis Commission Report as a result of the 1998 wildfires and oversaw federal Department of Homeland Security grants. From 2004 to 2006, he was chief of domestic preparedness for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, supervising five statewide domestic preparedness committees and port security.

In addition, he retired as an assistant chief for the City of Altamonte Springs Fire Department, where he served from 1972 to 1998. He began his career in 1970 as a firefighter with the Fern Park Volunteer Fire Department.

The Division of Emergency Management works with local governments to prepare for, respond to, and recover from state emergencies. Departments within the division focus on the development and implementation of disaster management programs to address threats including extreme heat, wildfire, hurricanes and hazardous materials among others.