Ray DeMichiei

Summary: Episode 116: Pittsburgh Emergency Management Retired Deputy Director Ray DeMichiei has 42 years oF public safety experience. His introduction to the importance of emergency management in his local community of Plum Boro was in 1972; where, as a volunteer firefighter, his first call was a three-day response to the aftermath of Hurricane Agnes. Deputy Director DeMichiei became involved with Emergency Medical Services in 1973in Plum Boro outside of Pittsburgh. He was certified as an EMT-2 in May of 1975 and employed by the City of Pittsburgh Emergency Medical Services in June that same year. He put Pittsburgh Medic 2 in service for the first time on September1, 1975. During his EMS tenure he was assigned to Rescue 2 was promoted to Crew Chief and worked at Medic 5, Medic 1 and Rescue 1. June of 1986 saw Deputy Director DeMichiei assigned to the Pittsburgh Public Safety Office of Professional Responsibility as in investigator. In 1988 he was assigned to the Bureau of Communications 9-1- 1/EOC as Emergency Operations Coordinator where he was responsible for investigation and quality assurance of 911 call-taking and dispatch and Pittsburgh’s emergency management program. Our discussion involves all the above and we touch on subject and an incident that still weighs heavy on Ray.