Brad Call has been hired as the new emergency management director for Cascade County.

Call started on May 4 in the position that had been vacant since January.

Capt. Scott Van Dyken of the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office has been operating as the interim director the third time in the three years.

The last DES manager was Ron Scott, before that it was John Stevens who was investigated for theft of county property during his time at CCSO.

DES coordinator resigns; county considering folding office into CCSO

Commissioner Jim Larson said, “the county is grateful to Scott for the outstanding job he has done, particularly during this pandemic emergency, but we know Sheriff Slaughter is anxious to have him back full-time in law enforcement in the near future.”

Call is coming from Kansas City, Mo. where he served as the regional emergency management director for Jackson County.

Stevens enters no contest plea in theft case, state knocks charge down to misdemeanor

Call’s recent work involved emergency planning and engagement on the pandemic situation in the Missouri region. He has experience with program oversight, planning program administration, staff supervision and a strong knowledge of the policies and standards applicable to emergency management, according to a county release.

“The commissioners are confident his experience working in a larger population sector will benefit Cascade County,” according to the county release.

Prior to his time in emergency management services, Call was an educator in Arizona, both at the high school and collegiate level. In 2013, he began volunteering as a member of the Community Emergency Response Team.

Call obtained advanced degrees in emergency management and has a master’s degrees in organizational management from the University of Phoenix and another master’s degree in emergency management/homeland security from Arizona State University.

In 2016, Call was offered a position with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Kalispell, then his most recent position in Missouri.

Regarding his return to Montana, Call said in a release, “I am thrilled to be back ‘out west’ and especially in Great Falls. My wife and six children enjoyed two happy years in Kalispell. When the position in Cascade County became available, I jumped at the opportunity and am thrilled to be back in my adopted home state.”

The transition from Van Dyken as interim director to Call is underway but may take several weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.