Dave McDowell: Meet the guy in the news
By Debbie Lowe Staff writer

The calm after the storm The county's new EMA director Dave McDowell sits in his office among the chaos of the aftermath of the flood. Mc- Dowell said there was a significant amount of work to do to repair and replace homes damaged and destroyed by the water. McDowell's home was one of those along the Tippecanoe River that now must be gutted for repairs. Comet photo by Debbie Lowe

First you saw his house underwater on the front page of the Comet two weeks ago and then you read about him meeting with FEMA representatives and Congressman Joe Donnelly last week. It was the intent of the Comet to formally introduce the Dave McDowell, new director of Carroll County Emergency Management Agency the week he was hired. But the flood happened.

"It was an interesting first month on my job," McDowell said Monday. "I replaced Justin Darling and he had the program running ship-shape. I was a volunteer for him when he was here, so I was able to pick up and go when that was needed."

"However, Justin was instrumental in giving me advice about the flood situation," he added. "From the first hours of the flood, Justin was in there helping me and teaching me who and what organizations to contact."

McDowell graduated from Carroll Jr.-Sr. High School in 1981 and was one of five children. His mother currently resides in Monticello.

He attained a Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs Degree from Indiana University in 1985 and joined the Dallas (Texas) Police Department in 1986. There he achieved the rank of Sr. Cpl. He said he realized he wanted to work in the Carroll County area when his time in Texas was coming to an end.

In 1991 McDowell joined the Indiana State Police where he was a road trooper, a field training officer, firearms instructor, intelligence officer, and undercover detective in the prescription drug unit. He also served as post commander for the evening and midnight shift. He took a significant reduction in pay to make the move, but said it was worth the price.

"I like the people here," he said. "I was willing to make sacrifices for the people here."

McDowell was injured in the line of duty in November 2001. After retirement from ISP, he started McDowell Consulting in 2005. He also utilized grant-writing skills to obtain the first Brownfield Grant for the Brethren Home in Flora in 2005 and a second one in 2006.

McDowell said he received Federal Emergency Management Agency training in 2006 which led him to volunteer with Darling in the local EMA office. He served as the chief planner for the department in 2006 and 2007. He became a licensed private detective in 2006.

In high school, McDowell was part of the speech team, was in radio broadcasting and raced motorcycles and dirt bikes. He continued his interest in car racing and has added photography, competitive shooting, writing and SCUBA to his list of interests. He has a first degree black belt in Kenpo Karate and Ju- Jutsu, attained at Ron Long's Academy in Delphi.

McDowell is the author of a book about personal safety that was scheduled to be published at the time of the flood. (The manuscript is now located on a computer which was destroyed in the flood. McDowell is attempting to retrieve the information from the damaged hard drive.)

He explained the three steps to personal safety include being alert, having a plan and cultivating physical and mental toughness.

Another book is in the works about grant writing for town officials. It will detail how local governments can integrate grant writing into management practices. [That manuscript will also have to be retrieved from a water-soaked hard drive.] McDowell said he plans to manage EMA in a similar fashion to the way Darling did, although he plans to be more of a manager coordinating communications and organizations. Darling was trained as a fire fighter and handled hazardous waste when he exited the position. McDowell said he does not yet have that training.

McDowell said he will bring a slightly different approach to the job in the form of advocating personal safety.

"What can I add to this job is to emphasize public safety," he stated. "It all comes down to individual preparedness."

McDowell explained that it is important for residents to assume initial responsibility for their safety. He said it is a mistake to expect a form of government to come to their aid immediately during an emergency, as many did when hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana.

He said he will continue to be a grant-writer but the emphasis will now be grants for countyneeded or enhancement programs.

McDowell was asked by Gov. Mitch Daniels to summarize the flood experience into one paragraph. He said that was a difficult task.

"It's impossible to cram the shock and suffering of our community into anything less than a book," he said.

The paragraph McDowell prepared reads:

"January 8, 2008 brought flooding of historic proportions to Carroll County residents along the Tippecanoe River. Many residents awoke to the sound of water rushing through their homes, after an early-warning system failed. Only the rapid, heroic efforts of long-time river residents prevented loss of life in Carroll County. Experienced sportsmen boarded fishing boats and began rescuing neighbors before Emergency Responders could arrive on scene. Elderly residents waded through frigid, waist-deep water to be rescued. Many (including the Emergency Management Director) would lose their home and all their belongings in the flood. Preliminary Damage Assessments showed over 300 structures affected by the flood. Homes, businesses, roads and bridges were damaged and destroyed. Rescue and recovery operations by County Sheriff's Deputies, DNR and Indiana State Police continued for 3 days. Lodging and emergency relief supplies were provided by Red Cross and Faith-Based organizations, in an effort which is expected to continue for over 300 days. County Highway equipment and manpower is being used to remove debris from areas where residents are trying to mitigate flood damage as quickly as possible. Brutally cold weather in the flood's aftermath is making repair work difficult, and exacerbating the flood damage by freezing plumbing, and creating ice dams."

McDowell can be reached in his office in the basement of the courthouse or by calling (765) 564-4243.