“Our most solemn obligation as public servants is to ensure the safety of our people,” said Governor O’Malley. “I am pleased that Ken has chosen to step up and serve as we work to build a safer, more resilient Maryland. He brings with him a wealth of experience and vital crisis management skills that will make certain our citizens are better prepared when a disaster strikes.”

The Governor continued, “I’d also like to thank Richard Muth for his leadership and willingness to serve in tough times. Thanks to his hard work over the years, MEMA is better prepared to handle emergencies as demonstrated through his calm and steady hand during Hurricane Irene.”

“I am honored and excited about joining Governor O’Malley’s Administration,” said Mr. Mallette. “I look forward to working with the good people of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, and our public and private sector partners in support of the mission of making Maryland residents and visitors safe.”

Mr. Mallette comes to the State of Maryland with over 35 years of first responder and executive level management experience in the public and private sector. Ken, was the Vice President of Preparedness Services for Witt Associates, a Washington, DC-based crisis and risk management firm headed by former FEMA Director James Lee Witt. Ken retired from the New Jersey State Police as a Captain and was assigned to several leadership positions including Chief of the Emergency Management Bureau and Executive Officer in the Homeland Security Branch. He is a life time member of Jackson #1 Volunteer Fire Company, a combination career/volunteer fire department in Jackson, NJ. He started volunteering in 1977 and has held every administrative and operational position including five years as Chief of the Department.

Mr. Mallette will assume his new role on May 21^st.

“I’d like to thank Governor O’Malley for his outstanding support throughout my tenure as Executive Director,” said Richard Muth. “He truly understands the importance of public safety and emergency management. His support of those missions both at MEMA and at the local level is greatly appreciated.”

The O’Malley-Brown Administration continues to make steady progress to enhance Maryland’s homeland security and emergency preparedness, including 12 Core Goals to build a better prepared Maryland. To date, the Administration has continued to build out a historic Statewide Interoperable Public Safety Radio Communications System that will allow all state and local first responders to communicate with each other across jurisdictions using a single handheld radio; helped create a shared network of more than 700 Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera feeds that provide real-time situational awareness of highway and roadway conditions for first responders in Maryland and the National Capitol Region; deployed more than 300 License Plate Readers across the State that enable law enforcement officers to track terrorist suspects as well as recover stolen vehicles; developed an online emergency mapping application (OSPREY) that provides real-time emergency data and information to first responders and the public; connected all 46 acute care hospitals in the state and more than 300 private retail pharmacies to an electronic biosurveillance system that detects early indicators of virus outbreaks and public health threats; created radar-based tracking systems that monitors vessels movements across the Chesapeake Bay and nearby waterways and enables law enforcement officers to better protect critical maritime infrastructure and natural resources; and created an electronic health and medical information dashboard that brings multiple real-time data feeds, such as emergency room status and hospital resource availability, into a single online viewer available to all hospitals, EMS units, and other medical first responders.