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In this file photo, Mercer County Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Robbins talks about recovery efforts from the Memorial Day tornado in 2019. Robbins' last day as EMA Director is May 1st.
CELINA - Mercer County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Mike Robbins will retire May 1, ending a 22-year run at the agency.
Robbins announced his retirement on Jan. 25, and will be replaced by Chad Willrath on April 14.
"I will be in and out for the rest of the month using some vacation hours," he said. "Sheryle Kuhn, the administrative assistant /planner for the office also retired earlier this year."
Robbins started at the office in April of 2003 as a deputy director working under director Karl Kaiser then director Wanda Dicke.
In January 2011, Robbins' became the director. His duties include emergency planning, coordinating information and resources during an emergency, performing damage assessment after an event, and coordinating the hazardous material response and planning.
Mercer County had eight federal declarations of disaster during Robbins' tenure at the EMA office.
The disaster declarations include July 2003 severe storms and flooding; September 2004 severe storms and flooding; February 2005 ice storm and flooding; September 2005 hurricane (limited to evacuees from hurricane Katrina, Mercer County had three families); June 2012 the derecho high wind event; May 2019 tornado; March 2020 two declarations for COVID 19.
"The three largest events were the flood of July 2003, the derecho in 2012, and of course the Memorial day tornado of 2019," he said.
Robbins joined the Celina Fire Department as an auxiliary Fire Fighter / EMT in 1979 and continued there until 2004.
"My father was a full-time Celina firefighter until his retirement as Chief of the Department in 1977," Robbins said. "My mother worked for the health department as a public health nurse and then worked for Mercer Health as a home health nurse until she retired."
Robbins' background in the fire service allowed for an interest in emergency management.
"I have considered it a privilege to work with the responders, county, city, village, and township officials to serve the citizens of Mercer County," he said.
His successor Chad Willrath comes to the agency with a similar background as Robbins'.
"Chad is a recently retired firefighter/paramedic with Celina Fire Department, and has a bachelor's degree in hazardous materials.
"Chad has worked part-time in the EMA Office for several years updating the hazardous materials response plan and the Federal SARA Title lll Hazardous Materials reporting," Robbins said. "Cassidy Freeman is Sheryle Kuhn's replacement with expanded duties as an Emergency Management Specialist. Cassidy has a bachelor's degree in geography with a minor in meteorology. She also was an intern in the Mercer County EMA Office for two summers while she was in college."
Robbins was born and raised in Mercer County, and said the people of Mercer County are the best.
"When a large emergency or disaster happens here everyone pitches in to speed recovery," he said. "I have learned so much from the wonderful local, state, and federal partners I have had the pleasure to work with."
Robbins has one grandchild in Lexington, Kentucky, and said during his retirement, he looks forward to visiting as much as possible, and possibly getting a part-time job.
