CUMBERLAND — James R. Pyles, director of the Allegany County Department of Emergency Services, has retired, county officials said Saturday.
Deputy Director Roger Bennett was appointed interim director, effective immediately, a position he held before Pyles was hired in 2019. “The county is confident in his ability to ensure a smooth transition, officials said in a news release, adding that he brings a “wealth of experience” to the role.
In the release, Allegany County Government touted Pyles’ 36 years of public service, including more than 26 years with Maryland State Police, where he retired with the rank of major.
“We are immensely grateful for James’ leadership and contributions over the last five years, County Commission Dave Caporale said via the release. “He has been a tireless public servant, and his work has improved the quality of emergency services in our county.”
Pyles’ departure comes about two months after the county laid off six probationary emergency medical services crew members, shift changes were made at two stations and staffing and overtime procedures were updated in an effort to remedy a $2 million budget shortfall in the Department of Emergency Services. The county’s overall budget deficit was more than $13 million.
County officials and the International Association of Firefighters Local 1715, which represents dozens of DES employees, had been at odds over a remedy for the funding shortfall for months prior to the layoffs, with the union claiming any loss of employees would delay response times to 911 calls.
Jonathan Dayton, president of the Allegany Garrett Counties Volunteer Fire Rescue Association, which also opposed the cuts, said in a social media post Saturday that the association “currently has no comment,” and would issue a statement at a later time.
County officials said Pyles was “instrumental in modernizing the county’s emergency response capabilities,” pointing to coverage by Baltimore and D.C. media outlets for fast response times to 911 calls.
Pyles was also an advocate of addressing the opioid epidemic, serving as director of security for the Maryland Department of Mental Health and Hygiene. Public speaking on the addiction plague was one of his primary responsibilities.
Pyles’ contract would have been up for renewal in February. When asked about his future in a May interview with the Times-News, he said he had “no plans” for retirement.
“I am looking forward to spending more time with my family and continuing on to support our communities in any way that I can,” Pyles said in the release. “I’m very proud of the work we’ve done and what we’ve accomplished over the last 5 years. I will continue to offer my full support to our county’s Emergency Services team.”