THE STAFF
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Doug Bryson, CEM
Director, Emergency Services
Appointed Emergency Management Coordinator on July 9, 2005, Mr. Bryson brings a wealth of knowledge and experiences in law enforcement and emergency services. Prior to his role as Emergency Management Coordinator, Mr. Bryson served with the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office for fourteen (14) years. In 2003, he was named the Supervisor-of-the-Year for the Sheriff's Office.
While at the Sheriff's Office, Mr. Bryson was instrumental in the development and implementation of the county-wide School Resource Officer program at area school districts. Additionally, while supervising the activities of the crime prevention program, he was able to forge numerous relationships within private industry. Since arriving with Emergency Management, Mr. Bryson has continued to foster relationships with such entities as: SCEMD, DHEC, Spartanburg Regional, National Weather Service, and numerous other local, state, federal and private agencies.
While with Emergency Management, Mr. Bryson has received his BS degree in Emergency Disaster Management from Western Carolina University, his Certified Emergency Manager from the South Carolina Emergency Management Association (SCEMA), and and his CEM from the International Association of Emergency Managers. In addition, Mr. Bryson is a member of the Leadership South Carolina, Class of 2012, on the security committee for the South Carolina Association of Counties, and has served numerous roles with the International Association of Emergency Managers. Starting in 2022 Mr. Bryson was promoted to the new position of Emergency Services Director where he oversees Emergency Management, the Emergency Services Academy, and the Fire Coordinator Sections. In his spare time, Mr. Bryson enjoys spending time with his family, landscaping and travel.
Robbie Swofford
Emergency Management Coordinator - SCSAR/CERT Coordinator
A native of Spartanburg County, Robbie Swofford is a graduate of Chapman High School, Wofford College (BA History and Government - Cum Laude), and Clemson University (MPA). He has been employed with the Spartanburg County Office of Emergency Management for 19 years.
During his 19-year tenure, he has spent 17 of these years coordinating the CERT program. From a Basic CERT program has spawned an Advanced CERT initiative comprised of the following 5 divisions: Spartanburg County Search and Rescue, Spartanburg County Support Services, Spartanburg County Sheltering, Spartanburg County DART, and Spartanburg County Emergency Communications. In addition to coordinating these initiatives, Swofford is hands on in all other departmental functions/activities while also being a loving husband and father of 4 beautiful girls.
Family, SAR, CERT, VOAD, and just Community are of some of Swofford's passions. He is also a closet IMT geek, having taken All Hazards IMT training and Managing Search operations on numerous occasions. In addition, Mr. Swofford is a Part 107 Drone Pilot, has his SC CEM, and is an AMPWDA Nationally Certified K9 Handler with K9 Brodie in the discipline of Live FInd Air Scent. During his tenure with EM, Swofford has been through 4 Presidentially declared disasters, responded to 100+ searches, and helped coordinate 20+ shelter operations.
Beginning in 2022, Mr Swofford became the EM Coordinator and with the revamped EM section, HazMat and the Command Post are now part of Emergency Management. Fortunately, with the additional responsibilities, the department also picked up a HazMat Coordinator, SR EM Specialist, and an Administrative Specialist/Deputy CERT Coordinator.
Rebecca Craig, NRP, FP-C
HazMAt Coordinator
With over 28 years in emergency Services, Rebecca Craig has continued to influence and encourage growth and education for responders. She retired from the Rock Hill South Carolina Fire Department with 27 years in the State. During that time, she helped shape and drive the HAZMAT division and the recruit program. She helped form build the Hazmat Team for York County, SC. She joined the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) as a paramedic with the National Medical Response Team – East (NMRT-E) and later the North Carolina 1 DMAT. She has sat on federal committees for the response to WMD and HAZMAT events for Health and Human Services. She also assisted in teaching Federal officers PPE requirements and proper donning & doffing. She was one of the founding members of the Department of Homeland Security. She has sat on the South Carolina HAZMAT Task force committee and curriculum committee. She was one of a few clinicians who worked and developed the Critical care protocols for the State of South Carolina. At Air Methods she was a flight paramedic and later part of the critical care education team for the international air medical company. She assisted in developing a critical care curriculum and education enrichment items. As part of the education team, she developed simulation scenarios for education and ran cadaver & airway labs throughout the country. Rebecca was on the Safety Committee at the McMurdo Base in Antarctica while operating as the bases firefighter flight paramedic. Rebecca is now the hazmat coordinator for Spartanburg County operating as the hazmat chief on hazmat responses. She conducts training for local fire departments to the state and federal compliance standards. She is excited to grow the Hazmat team as Spartanburg County continues to grow.
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Mike Brown
Senior EM Specialist
Mike Brown joined the Spartanburg County Office of Emergency Management as the Senior Emergency Management Specialist in April of 2022. His duties include All Hazards Planning, Grants Management, Training, and Exercise Coordination.
Prior to joining the Spartanburg County Office of Emergency Management, Mike spent over a decade in private industry, before beginning his emergency management career with Greenville County Emergency Management. Afterwards, Mike worked at the South Carolina Emergency Management Division and responded to Hurricane Dorian in 2019 and the COVID-19 Pandemic. For his work during the latter, he was awarded the South Carolina State Achievement Ribbon from the South Carolina Military Department. Mike earned an Associates of Applied Science in Paralegal Studies, a Bachelor of Science (Cum Laude) in Political Science with a minor in Homeland Security followed by a Master of Arts in Security Studies where his thesis research focused on future socio-political instability in the United States.
Lucie Belzil
Administrative Specialist/Deputy CERT/SCSAR Coordinator
Lucie graduated with a physical therapy degree in 1991 from Laval University in Quebec, Canada. After 8 years in Florida, she moved to Fletcher NC in 2000 where she worked as a physical therapist in skilled nursing facilities and in home health She also has her own business as a personal trainer/ medical exercise specialist with specialization in fitness and fall prevention for older adults. Her interest in geriatric welfare extends into a motivation for further involvement in missing person with dementia. She also has years of experience with autistic children in a therapeutic horseback riding program where she was an instructor.
Lucie began her journey with K9 SAR with her dog Milo in 2017, joined an affiliated team in the fall of 2018 and officially became part of Spartanburg County Search and Rescue in June 2019. She has been engaged in trailing, air scent and HRD and she has participated in numerous searches. She is a certified “ NC Land Search Team Member” and NASAR SARII certified. She has been involved as a volunteer in many of our CERT functions, including support, distribution and shelter.
In 2022 Lucie officially joined the staff where she continues doing many of the duties she once volunteered for with the additional responsibilities associated with all 3 sections of Emergency Services. Lucie is married to Edwin, one of the team’s drone pilots. They have 2 children, Kevin is an electrician apprentice and Ian is a Army Combat Medic stationed in Germany.
Lucie and Edwin enjoy hiking, kayaking and traveling in their DIY converted van.
WHAT IS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT?
Emergency Management is the combined efforts of local, state and federal governments to protect the citizens from the effects of disasters, both natural and manmade. The local Office of Emergency Management works to identify and analyze the hazards that may face Spartanburg County and develop contingency plans for each hazard. The plans are regularly tested, refined and tested again, all with the goal of protecting or saving lives and property.
The Office of Emergency Management uses a four-phase approach to emergencies: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery, which is known collectively as the Emergency Management Cycle.
Emergency Management Cycle
Mitigation - Activities which are designed to either prevent the occurrence of an emergency or minimize the potentially adverse effects of an emergency, including zoning/building code ordinances and enforcement of land use regulations.
Preparedness - Activities, programs and systems which exist prior to an emergency and are used to support and enhance response to an emergency or disaster. Public education, planning, training, and exercising are among the activities conducted under this phase.
Response - Activities and programs designed to address the immediate effects of the onset of an emergency or disaster and help to reduce casualties, damage , and to speed recovery. Coordination, Warning, Evacuation, and Mass Care are examples of Response.
Recovery - Activities involving restoring systems to normal. Recovery actions are taken to assess damage and return vital life support systems to minimum operating standards; long term recovery may continue for many years.