Vermont Department of Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison has appointed Eric Forand Director of Vermont Emergency Management. Eric had been serving as Interim Director since June.
“I’m excited to move forward with Eric at the helm of VEM,” Commissioner Morrison said. “He has extensive experience in emergency services in Vermont and can use that insight to inform decisions that will benefit local emergency responders and help the evolution of emergency response in Vermont.”
Forand’s tenure as Interim Director included leadership of the State Emergency Operations Center during this summer’s floods.
“Eric served as Director during this summer’s floods and proved himself as a competent leader,” Governor Phil Scott said. “His guidance of the State Emergency Operations Center through the response and the continued recovery have shown his dedication to Vermont. We’re fortunate Eric has agreed to continue this work.”
Eric joined VEM in September of 2017 and was named Deputy Director in July of 2022. He has managed day to day operations at VEM and worked with communities and partners on VEM issues and initiatives. He also previously served as a firefighter, EMT, and instructor at the Vermont Fire Academy.
“I am excited to continue the work of ensuring the state’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters continues to evolve to address changing hazards,” Forand said. “A critical piece of that will be continuing Vermont Emergency Management’s partnership with local responders and the larger state enterprise in our collective efforts to keep Vermonters safe.”
Vermont Emergency Management is a division of the Department of Public Safety with 35 employees and an annual budget of $3 million. VEM provides assistance to communities and other partners to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond to, and recover from natural and man-made threats and hazards to ensure the safety of Vermonters and our visitors.