By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Ellis County commissioners have signed off on the new job description and title “Director of Fire and Emergency Management.”

In May, Ellis County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes announced transitions among several appointed department head positions, impacting five departments. The changes are estimated to save Ellis County nearly $100,000 in fiscal year 2017.

The Emergency Management Department, once headed by Bill Ring, is merging with the county’s Rural Fire Department. Ring has been appointed Public Works Director. Current Rural Fire Director Darin Myers will assume responsibility of Emergency Management.

The new job description is “based on the job description Evergreen Consultants did for the Fire Director,” Smith-Hanes explained, “and then we took pieces out of the Emergency Management Coordinator position and added them in, and then Darin reviewed it.”

Commissioners were pleased with the detailed description and noted it had been reviewed by Ellis County Counselor Bill Jeter.

Although the new position and job description have been approved, Smith-Hanes noted the job description “will be coming back to the commissioners later in the year as part of a larger package of job descriptions.”

“We’ll need a motion (to adopt them all) at that time,” he said.

Myers will have two years to earn his additional certification as a Kansas Certified Emergency Manager.

The other transition involves the county Health Department and EMS.

Longtime Ellis County Health Administrator Robert “Butch” Schlyer announced his intention to retire at the end of the calendar year. County Emergency Medical Services Director Kerry McCue will assume a combined role directing both departments.