G. Rob Rowley has been appointed chief of Henrico County Emergency Management and Workplace Safety (EMWS), effective Aug. 28.
Rowley has been a Henrico employee since joining the Division of Fire as a firefighter in 2000. He moved through the division’s ranks to serve as fire captain and most recently served as emergency management coordinator for the county’s Office of Emergency Management. The office was established as EMWS in July.
Rowley holds associate degrees in fire science and nursing from J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, a bachelor’s degree in health science from Old Dominion University and a master’s degree in emergency management from Jacksonville State University.
As chief of EMWS, Rowley will oversee the development of the county’s strategic response plans to ensure it is prepared to manage a variety of natural and manmade disasters. He will oversee EMWS’s efforts to train employees for emergency response and the development and deployment of departments’ continuity of operations plans. Rowley also will oversee efforts to assist local businesses and organizations in the preparation of their own emergency response plans and procedures to meet local, state and federal regulations.
