Stephens County Hires New e911/EMA Director

Stephens County has a new E-911 and Emergency Management Agency Director.

County Administrator Phyllis Ayers announced that Dennis Folsom has accepted the county’s offer to take over the position that leads both departments.

Ayers said that Folsom comes to Stephens County from a similar position in south Georgia.

“He is currently the Cook County E-911 Director and has been since April 2005,” said Ayers. “(He) also currently is the Cook County EMA Director and has been since November 2010. He also has experience as a special agent with the Georgia Department of Revenue, U.S. Secret Service, and in his early years was a Cook County Sheriff’s Office employee.”

Ayers added that Folsom is a certified Georgia emergency manager and criminal investigator.

According to Ayers, he was chosen from a group of three finalists and a total pool of about 15 to 17 applicants.  She said the county believes he will be a good fit in the position.

“I am very pleased,” said Ayers. “We have been needing some experience in this area. He is actually on the same exact system we are on and he worked with Cook County to start their E-911 center from the ground up.”

Ayers said the goal is to have Folsom on board on August 1 in his new job.  He will make a salary of $55,000 per year to fill both the E-911 and EMA positions for the county.

Folsom replaces Rex Nelms in the job.  Stephens County terminated Nelms without cause from the E-911/EMA position back in May.