Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne recently announced his intention to name Robert Lipton as commissioner of the Bureau of Emergency Services.
Lipton has been serving as interim commissioner since Byrne took office earlier this year, following years of dedicated service as deputy commissioner of the BES under three different commissioners since 2013.
“The bureau has been in excellent hands since Bob took over on an interim basis for us back in January,” said Byrne. “He’s impressed everyone with his work ethic, professionalism and ability to lead our emergency services team during a time of transition.”
The deputy commissioner role will be filled by John “Ralph” Falloon, a current BES employee and longtime career firefighter from the Stamford Fire Department. Fallon also possesses decades of experience in the volunteer fire service in Cold Spring, where he also served as fire chief.
Byrne said Falloon brings a wealth of knowledge and experience about emergency services and management from both inside and outside Putnam to the county’s team. “Putnam residents can rest assured our emergency services will be strong for years to come,” he said.
Lipton was chosen after a competitive interview process by a selection committee that included Legislator Ginny Nacerino, R-Patterson, as chairwoman of the Protective Services Committee, Deputy County Executive Jim Burpoe, Director of Personnel Paul Eldridge, and six other emergency service professionals from the county. His nomination must now be confirmed by a full vote of the Putnam County Legislature, where it requires support by a two-thirds majority per the Putnam County Charter.
“Bob Lipton has been an incredible resource and source of support for the residents of our county,” said Nacerino. “We had a lot of really great applicants for the position, and I was genuinely impressed by some, but Bob stood out. We’re so fortunate to have him take over as commissioner, and I’m thankful to County Executive Byrne for putting forth his nomination. I’m sure we’ll have no issues getting his position confirmed at our next meeting.”
“I’m honored to be able to continue the work with the great team we’ve built at the bureau over the past decade,” said Lipton. “I’m committed to providing the best possible services to our residents, and working with our emergency services partners in the community, and at all levels of government to prepare for and respond to any emergency.”