The Riverside County Board of Supervisors this week recognized retiring Emergency Management Department Director Bruce Barton with a proclamation and ceremony at the June 24 meeting.
“We take care of people here. That’s what we do,” Barton, who has served as EMD director since 2017, said. “The mission is simple. It gets complicated by other things, but that’s what we always come back to: We take care of people here.”
The supervisors commended Barton for his leadership, his unwavering commitment to the residents of the county and his willingness to always go above and beyond in service of the community.
“He wasn’t the first director of this department, but he was the one who really shaped the role and set the bar,” Supervisor V. Manuel Perez said. “The thing about Bruce, though, is that he was always willing to show up. He was always willing to mobilize himself, his department and folks he worked with, and he never stopped.”
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Barton, who started his career as a paramedic in the county about three decades ago, said leaving a place and job he loved was bittersweet, but that it was time.
“Like most things we do in EMD, it’s been a planned event,” he told The Riverside Record. “I need to pull the car to the side and let the young kids who have all the great new ideas take the reins.”
Earlier this month, the supervisors unanimously voted to appoint Dan Bates to the role of EMD director effective July 1. Bates is currently the director of operations.
“He’s going to do a great job, and the team’s going to continue to support that,” Barton said. “So while it’s tough for me to go, I’m going with a real sense of optimism for where the department’s going to go in the future.”
As for the people of Riverside County, Barton said he wants them to keep preparing.
“That big earthquake is going to come, so don’t ever stop thinking about that and being prepared,” he told The Record. “We’re still going to have tough wildfire seasons, so do everything you can to be prepared for that. We want everyone to stay safe.”
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