Walters Returns as East Franklin Emergency Management Coordinator

by Jonathan Weaver

A longtime East Franklin Township first-responder was sworn in to lead again last week.

Immediately after last week’s regular meeting, Ed Walters was sworn in by East Franklin Township Supervisor Chair Barry Peters as township Emergency Management Coordinator.

Walters previously held the title before Mike Davis was appointed to the post in January 2015. Davis held the job until Walters was sworn in to replace him.

“I had some other things come up that was taking up my time and I wasn’t really sure if I would actually have the time to commit to (perform the duties of Emergency Management Coordinator),” Walters said. “I thought it would be better for the position to leave at that point, (but) then the problem I looked ahead to didn’t come out as a problem.”

Walters – who also has served as pastor at Saint Luke’s United Church of Christ in Kittanning for nine years – has volunteered with the township fire department for 52 years and is regularly known as the township’s Fire Police Captain directing traffic and maintaining crowd control during emergency response under the direction of township or state police.

“Luckily, and knock on wood, we haven’t had any real bad things happen in the township,” Walters said. “But with the fire department, I’m out there anyway, so I just stepped back into the position.

“I’ve been doing this for years.”

Walters even recalled when “fire police” was referred to as “civil defense.” Walters also served as “civil defense” director for 18 years – including in the 1970’s. According to archives, the Armstrong County Civil Defense Organization had an established Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) that described specifically the measures and actions to be instigated during flood emergencies.

With his reappointment August 25, Walters will now attend classes and meetings with all local emergency management coordinators with county Emergency Management Coordinator Randy Brozenick.

Walters is also expected to receive an appointment letter from Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf.