Dorchester County Government

If you are seeking a meaningful career in law enforcement and corrections, consider participating in the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office's upcoming job fair for the L.C. Knight Detention Center. Stop by on Friday, March 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the Dorchester County Emergency Operations Center (212 Deming Way in Summerville). Personnel will be on-site to answer questions.

Dorchester County was pleased to participate in the 2025 Charleston Black Expo by Black Expo South this weekend! Several departments participated to share programs, job opportunities, and more with participants.

Today’s Visioning and Strategic Planning Retreat joined together county staff leaders from more than 50 departments and elected and appointed officials to consider opportunities to best serve residents now and in the future. Our County Administrator Jason Ward and Deputy County Administrator-Public Safety Mario Formisano, ICMA-CM lead the day’s discussions. In the afternoon session, Dorchester County Economic Development Deputy Director Michelle Love McDonald, Dorchester County Emergency Management Department Director Thomas McNeal, CEM, and Dorchester County Emergency Medical Services Director Brian Watts shared the strategic ways they are looking forward in planning for the future. County staff discussed goals and strategies to enhance service and operations. This valuable input will be shared with County Council for further consideration this spring.

More than 50 department heads, division leaders, and elected and appointed officials are gathered today at the Williams Memorial Rosenwald School in St. George for a Visioning and Strategic Planning Retreat. Cliff Miller, Risk Manager for South Carolina Association of Counties, provided insights on creating a culture of respect. County Administrator Jason Ward provided an overview of the county’s missions and an overview of major accomplishments. Deputy Administrator of Public Safety Mario Formisano provided an overview of public safety strategies and accomplishments. County staff will continue the day with developing goals and drafting strategies for continued work to best serve the community.

Behind the scenes at the Emergency Operations Center: Representatives from across Dorchester County's departments, including Dorchester County Sheriff's Office, Dorchester County Emergency Medical Services, Dorchester County Consolidated Dispatch, Dorchester County Fire Rescue, Animal Control, IT, Building Services, Assessor's Office, Public Works, Faciliites, Fleet, Dorchester County Parks and Recreation and Water & Sewer, along with our partners from Dorchester School District 4, and Dorchester School District Two, and our municipalities, came together for a crucial After Action Review. Led by our Dorchester County Emergency Management Department, this meeting focused on evaluating our recent preparations, response, and recovery efforts. Together, we’re committed to learning, improving, and ensuring the safety and well-being of our community.

The Dorchester County Fire Rescue Marine Division Crews have gone above and beyond in their service to our community. Starting on Saturday, August 3, they prepped their equipment and were ready to respond at a moment's notice. From Monday, August 5 through Sunday, August 11, these dedicated teams, each including a member of Dorchester County Emergency Medical Services, worked tirelessly, around the clock, rescuing 48 people and a number of pets, including cats, dogs, and chickens. After a much-needed rest on Sunday, August 11, with a state team stepping in, our County teams were back in action on Monday, August 12, and will continue their efforts until this flooding event is over. We are incredibly grateful for their dedication, bravery, and unwavering commitment to keeping us safe. Thank you to every member of these teams—you are true heroes!

Thank you to the dedicated Mass Care Team working behind the scenes to make sure that shelters were available in both parts of Dorchester County during the recent flood event. * Tammy Thompson, Dorchester County HR Director * Kristi Bear, Director of Dorchester County Social Services Not pictured are our Salvation Army partners, who provided meals to many of our first responders, shelter workers, and those residing in our shelters all last week. It takes a dedicated team to respond to emergencies of this magnitude, and we are grateful to everyone who has worked 12-hour shifts each day since August 4.

As we enter our seventh day at Dorchester County's Emergency Operations Center, our team remains dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of our community. We are currently at OPCON1, maintaining 24/7 operations due to the ongoing challenges posed by multiple road closures from flooding and storm damage. Our efforts are focused on closely monitoring the Edisto and Ashley Rivers, as well as responding to emergency rescue situations across the county. The dedication and resilience of our staff and first responders during this time have been nothing short of remarkable. Thank you to everyone for your continued cooperation and patience. We’re all in this together, and we’ll keep working hard to protect our community.

Day 2 at OPCON 1 in response to Tropical Storm Debby. We’re on pace to break rainfall records set during the October 2015 1,000 Year Floods. Leadership have been briefed, the Dorchester County Government EOC is appropriately staffed, resources prepositioned, and the public is informed. #TeamDorchester is ready.

Our Dorchester County Council and Government leaders have been actively participating in the 2024 SCAC Annual Conference and Institute of Government! Highlights from the event include: * Capital Projects Manager Jordyn Baker and former CFO Daniel Prentice leading the Public Budgeting Course. * Tracey Langley, Clerk to Council, honored for 10 years of dedicated service by her peers. * Congratulations to Councilwoman Ranck, Councilwoman Holman, Clerk to Council Tracey Langley, and Deputy Administrator of Public Safety Mario Formisano for graduating from the Institute of Government for County Officials! * SCAC 3rd Vice President and Councilman Chinnis sharing his expertise on a panel. It's been a productive and engaging time filled with learning and collaboration. We're excited to bring back new ideas to enhance our community!