- January 17, 2025
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The Volusia County Council approved on Tuesday, Dec. 6, the creation of a new department and the realignment of some divisions from the public protection department. The council also confirmed the appointments of two longtime public safety employees to leadership roles.
The public protection department will focus on animal services, beach safety, corrections and the medical examiner’s office. The new emergency services department will take on emergency medical services, emergency management, emergency medical administration and fire rescue.
Mark Swanson, who has more than 40 years of experience, was named public protection director. He began his career in 1979 as a firefighter/paramedic, later worked for EVAC ambulance in 1985, and in 2011, when EVAC transitioned to a county division, served as clinical services manager until 2013. He was also a director of beach safety from 2013-2016, deputy director of public protection from 2016-2021, and interim director since 2021. Swanson was a law enforcement officer and paramedic for Daytona Beach Shores for 13 years.
Jim Judge will lead the new emergency services department. He joined Volusia County’s Emergency Management Division in 2013 with more than 45 years of experience. Judge was the county’s emergency management director from June 2013 to January 2021. He then retired briefly before returning to the county as interim director of public protection and emergency management.
