Emergency Management director forced to resign

John Hooker, director of the Monroe County Emergency Management board, was told by the board Sept. 6 he needed to put in a letter of resignation or prepare to be terminated.

Hooker said he was given no specific explanation for his forced resignation.
Kathy Dayhoff-Dwyer, south district coordinator for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, and two representatives from the Homeland Security’s Response and Recovery Division attended the Sept. 5 meeting with Hooker to speak to the board on his behalf.

The board is in charge of alerting people in Bloomington in times of danger and supplies alarms and shelters for the area for disasters such as major storms and flooding, and is also in charge of dealing with any terrorist activity.

“He does have nine years of full-time experience – experience you cannot be taught,” Dayhoff-Dwyer said. She also said Hooker was one of the best directors in the area.
No other county officials could be reached for comment at press time.

Friday is the tentative day for the search committee meeting for the next director and no time or location has been set yet, said Kirk White, a member of the search committee.

Hooker said he was surprised when members of the board expressed disapproval of his work. He has worked as director for nine years.

“I put in my letter of resignation Sept. 8,” Hooker said. “And I feel like a ton of bricks is off of my shoulders.”

His official last day will be Oct. 31.

“You can look at the job performance that I’ve done over nine years. Hell, I brought this department up back in 1998 where we had 10 outdoor warning sirens and only three worked,” Hooker said. “Now we have over 28 working sirens and $2.5 million in Homeland Security Grants for our emergency responders,” he said.

Hooker said other people criticize the work he does, but they don’t know what his entire job entails.

“Right now I make $45,000 a year, and I’m a full-time director, and 50 percent of my salary is reimbursed by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security,” Hooker said.
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security’s main focus is to now find someone new for the position in order to make sure the citizens are taken care of during an event or emergency, Dayhoff-Dwyer said.

Hooker feels he has fulfilled all duties to the best of his abilities.

“I’ve done everything that the state and county has wanted, but when you get into politics it’s very, very nasty,” he said. 

Dayhoff-Dwyer also feels Hooker has done his job.

“In the seven years that I have been working with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, there has not been one time that I’ve had to step in with John,” she said.
Other colleagues of Hooker were also shocked by the decision.

“Everybody’s kind of like ‘huh?’ when they heard about his forced resignation,” Chief of the Bloomington Township Fire Department Faron Livingston said. “I know John said he felt very pushed out.”

Hooker said he has no hard feelings toward the situation.

“I have a lot of background and education, and I’m going to be putting that to good use,” he said. “But you have to know where the politics are. You have to know where people are, where they see you and where your friends are. Politics are very nasty. It’s time to move on,” Hooker said.