John M. Matz joined Schuylkill County’s Emergency Management Agency on Sept. 8, 2003, as the nation remained on high alert just 24 months after the devastating 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States of America.

Twenty years and countless emergencies later, Matz will retire on Sept. 8.

County commissioners have appointed Deputy EMA Coordinator John Blickley as the interim EMA Coordinator.

“They could not have made a better choice, as Mr. Blickley has served the agency for more than 20 years in a variety of roles, and the last 10 years as deputy,” Matz said.

“Keep in mind that this agency is not a one-person show; it requires a team of individuals, each with diverse skill set and talents to effectively prepare for and manage incidents through the response and recovery phases. Over the years, our agency has shifted duties and accepted additional responsibilities to meet the needs; though, without the benefit of added staff.

“Moving forward, the open position must be filled with someone with the proper skill set and there needs to be additional staff, placed in key responsible positions to meet the expanding demands of emergency management,” he said.

Confident the agency will be in good hands, Matz and his wife Marybeth “have already done some pre-retirement traveling, recently returning from a five-week, 9,000-mile trip across the USA. We hope to return to Italy within the next two years; however, right now we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our first grandchild,” he said.

During his time with the agency Matz has handled a wide variety of emergencies, including the massive pileup on Interstate 81 in 2022 that involved about 80 vehicles near the Minersville exit. The crash, caused by a sudden snow squall, killed several people and injured dozens more.

He’s also guided first responders through floods, fires, and snowstorms.

Now, as Matz, of Wayne Township, prepares to retire, he looks back with appreciation for the county’s first responders, and with some concern for their future.

The continued drop in the number of volunteers is an issue. Schuylkill has only one paid fire department, in Pottsville.

“When I joined the volunteer fire service in 1976 there were 123 fire stations in Schuylkill County and significantly more firefighting personnel than we have available today,” he said. “There are currently 99 fire stations with the total number of rostered individuals hovering around 2,300.”

He said the number of volunteers has decreased for a variety of reasons.

“Time commitments for family and employment, 12-hour work schedules, training requirements, and the necessity within the volunteer fire service to dedicate a significant amount of time to fundraising efforts are some reasons cited,” Matz said.

“The situation within the fire service has to be addressed; however, it will require significant commitment from the municipalities of Schuylkill, as responsibility for these services in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania rest at the lowest level of government. In my opinion, the situation in the fire service and EMS is the most pressing issue we face as a community and a commonwealth,” Matz said.

Emergency Medical Services in the county are also facing many challenges, he said.

“At one point, EMS was largely a volunteer service. It has mostly transitioned into a combination where both volunteers and paid part-time individuals provide the service across the county. The paid staff is necessary; however, it is not unusual for services to lose part-time staff to EMS in adjacent counties because the pay is higher. Each day, EMS units respond to calls for assistance outside of their coverage areas to render mutual aid,” he said.

Matz also is concerned about staffing the 911 communications center.

“The 911 call taker and dispatcher is the first link in the chain that brings emergency response to your doorstep during an emergency. The position is stressful and because of current staffing issues, the hours and days are long,” he said. “Recruiting into a stressful position with an extremely low starting wage is a challenge.”

Matz also advises the county to take steps toward improving its infrastructure and hazard mitigation plans.

As he looks forward to retirement, Matz said he’ll miss the “interactions within the wider community of those involved in preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation, as well as the many community partners from service organization, utilities, educational entities, health care facilities, social welfare groups, business and industry partners, local government, county departments and agencies, state and federal government and nongovernment organizations.

“Each sector is vital to the well-being of our county community, and it is imperative that we continue to maintain a collaborative atmosphere, ensuring that when we are faced with challenges, we have the ability to draw resources from across the spectrum.”