Commissioners Promote Vieira to Emergency Preparedness Manager

Snow Hill, Maryland (June 10, 2024) – The Worcester County Commissioners appointed Katy Vieira to serve as the emergency preparedness manager within the Worcester County Department of Emergency Services (WCDES). Vieira stepped into her new position in late 2023.

“Katy is a great person and brings so much to this position,” Fire Marshal Matt Owens said. “She has proven to be a valued part of a great team. She is a proven leader and always steps up to the plate, continuing her education in all aspects of the job, and being a great role model.”

Vieira, who joined Worcester County Government in 2015 as a 911 communications specialist and rose through the ranks, brings nine years of emergency management experience to her new role. She earned Emergency Management Institute Professional Development Series Certification through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and she is a certified emergency telecommunications instructor, with certifications in quality assurance for emergency medical, fire, and police dispatch, as well as the National Incident Management System and Incident Command System. She has trained six incoming 911 communications specialist classes.

“Former WCDES Director Fred Webster influenced my passion to be a part of the county’s coordinated response team that works together to protect our community from natural and manmade disasters,” Vieira said. “I’m grateful to the commissioners for giving me the opportunity to take on this new role within emergency management.”

Vieira is part of the multi-agency coordination center command. She serves as a backup communications center manager during emergencies, disasters, and as coverage is needed; helps to manage special projects and disaster efforts; works with agencies to coordinate logistics for special events; and assists in updating emergency plans to remain in compliance with federal and state requirements. These plans include but are not limited to the Hazard Mitigation Plan, Hazard Vulnerability/Risk Assessment, Recovery Plan, and the Worcester County Emergency Operations Plan.

Vieira, an avid reader and amateur local historian, is a county native. In 1680 her family was among 14 settlers who patented a 100-acre tract of land on the Pocomoke River that is known today as Mattaponi Landing. Viera and her husband, Chris, are both lifelong Worcester County residents. They have three children, Maddison, Cordelia, and Marshall. The family enjoys spending time at the beach and on the Pocomoke River.