First Responders: Clarke Co. EMA Director David Sharp

CLARKE COUNTY, Miss. (WTOK) - David Sharp is the new director of the Clarke County Emergency Management Agency. He’s no stranger to public service.

“I’m the Emergency Management Director and Fire Coordinator. It’s a little different than my role when I was in Lauderdale County,” Sharp said.

Sharp actually began his career as a firefighter. He went to work for the Meridian Fire Department in April of 1983. He moved up the ranks and eventually became the training chief. He spent nearly 24 years in the department.

“The last two years I was there, I kind of moved over to the Homeland Security side at the training facility. We had Hurricane Ivan and Hurricane Katrina, so I got really involved in this side of it from those two storms,” Sharp said.

Sharp worked in the private sector as an emergency specialist for three years before deciding he wanted to get back into public service.

“You don’t realize how much you enjoy something until you get away from it. I really missed the work. I really missed it when I was up in Lauderdale County. It’s just an opportunity to get back into it,” Sharp explained.

Sharp has some ideas about what he’d like to do in his new role. There are no public storm shelters in Clarke County.

“I’m trying to see what we can get where we can setup one or maybe two in case of a hurricane or emergency. That’s challenging because it takes a lot to set up a shelter,” Sharp said.

Sharp hopes to provide Clarke County with a safe future and preparation for whatever comes that way.

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