Officials praise Duzzny’s work

The emergency response
director has been a
visionary.

YOUNGSTOWN — Local officials commended Walter M. Duzzny for his foresight and leadership as the Mahoning County commissioners passed a resolution approving his retirement as county emergency management director at the end of this month.

“If you told him to organize something, it was done,” Anthony Traficanti, chairman of the commissioners, said Thursday. “He did it with a smile, and he did it with class, and he certainly made my job easy.”

Commissioner David Ludt remembered calling Duzzny on Sept. 11, 2001, and asking him to go to Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, where six commercial jets carrying hundreds of passengers were unexpectedly diverted when the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights nationally.

Duzzny swiftly made the necessary arrangements for food and for the temporary restroom facilities for the crowd that had landed here, Ludt recalled.

“When he got there, it was like clockwork, and I have to commend him on that,” Ludt said. Most of the airline passengers were taken to local hotels in school buses.

James Dorman, Boardman fire chief, commended Duzzny for “his pro-activity in preparing us for terrorists. ... We were probably two years ahead of when Sept. 11 occurred.” By that time, “we had the [emergency response] agencies already intact and meeting with each other.”

Duzzny formed a screening committee to ensure that federal Homeland Security money, which came here after Sept. 11, was spent wisely, Dorman noted.

During Duzzny’s 25 years as EMA director, the county established 911 as its emergency call number, formed a hazardous material spill response team, upgraded emergency warning sirens, opened its emergency operations center on Industrial Road, and acquired regional emergency response vehicles and equipment using federal funds.

“The networking and bringing people together during times of emergency has been a significant milestone,” said Duzzny, who received a framed commendation plaque from Gov. Ted Strickland.

Duzzny, 68, of Austintown, who also is a retired Army Reserve colonel, said he plans to spend more time with his family and may do emergency management and homeland security consulting in his retirement.

Commissioners did not announce who would replace Duzzny as EMA director.