BELMONT — The Allegany County Board of Legislators has acted to appoint longtime resident, Scott D. Golden of Friendship, to the position of director of emergency management.

Upon the appointment, Golden shared, “I thank God and my fellow citizens of Allegany County for both the opportunities and challenges that this job brings. I look forward to synchronizing and coordinating a united effort with my cohorts across disciplines and the sectors of the community.

“By doing this, I hope to focus on disaster preparedness and mitigation before disasters occur so we can build resilient and sustainable communities together. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experience with others and, in turn, learning from them as well.”

This appointment is the next step of a process incited in 2024, when the Allegany County Board of Legislators adopted a local law establishing the Office of Emergency Management. This action repealed an earlier local law and provided updated organizational direction for essential services such as emergency management, EMS, and fire programs.

Allegany County interviewed and selected Golden from a large field of highly qualified residents of Allegany County. Golden’s qualifications include a master’s degree in emergency management and 29 years of experience in the U.S. military, where his career started as an enlisted medic and has progressively grown in rank and responsibility to his current assignment as colonel in the New York Army National Guard, with the primary specialty of medical operations, plans, intelligence and security.

Regarding the appointment, Chairman Harris stated, “We’re excited to begin this new chapter in the expansion of our Office of Emergency Management. Scott brings a wealth of expertise and experience to the role. Those attributes, paired with the strong and effective team already in place, positions us well to continue providing critical services in the areas of EMS, fire services, and emergency management.”