Poughkeepsie… Dutchess County Emergency Response Coordinator Dana Smith has announced two appointments for the Department of Emergency Response.    Catherine Tegtmeier, RN MPH has been appointed to serve as Assistant Emergency Response Coordinator for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Kyle Pottenburgh has been appointed as the Assistant Emergency Response Coordinator for Fire Coordination.

“We are very fortunate to have these two very talented and experienced people join our team at Emergency Response,” said Emergency Response Coordinator Dana Smith.  “Both are ready to face the many aspects and challenges of emergency response throughout Dutchess County.”

These appointments complete the management team for the County’s Department of Emergency Response.  The management team structure is designed for a comprehensive approach to emergency services coordination, with Assistant Coordinators in three key disciplines: Fire, Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Management, each reporting to the department head, the Emergency Response Coordinator.   Together, the team works cooperatively to strengthen and create partnerships among all emergency services to improve public safety for Dutchess County residents.

Catherine (Cathi) Tegtmeier began serving as Emergency Medical Services Coordinator on March 19, 2011.   She is a Registered Nurse and has been an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Paramedic.  She earned her Masters degree in Public Health from New York Medical College, where she was recognized with an award for academic excellence.   Ms. Tegtmeier has numerous instructor certifications, including CPR instructor and Basic and Advanced Disaster Life Support, and is a Certified Flight Registered Nurse, and a Certified Medical Transport Executive.

Ms. Tegtmeier said, “This is an exciting time in the field of Emergency Medical Services, with new innovations and technology.  I am very pleased to have this opportunity to work with a great team of professionals both in Dutchess County government and the career employees and volunteers in the Emergency Medical Services field throughout our community.”

Ms. Tegtmeier has been with Dutchess County government since 2009, previously serving as the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Coordinator.  Before coming to county government, Ms. Tegtmeier worked as a Flight Nurse with Westchester County Medical Center/LifeNet for 13 years and served as their Business Development Coordinator for 3 years.  As MRC Coordinator, Cathi led the County’s response to the H1N1 Pandemic of 2009-2010, where MRC volunteers provided more than 11,000 hours of expertise and service for the coordinated mass vaccination and high priority group vaccination clinics, saving Dutchess County government over $40,000.  Ms. Tegtmeier represents the Medical Reserve Corps on a national workgroup with the Surgeon General’s Office.

Ms. Tegtmeier has been a volunteer member of the Roosevelt Fire District since 1982 in both Fire and Rescue and she has served as the President of Company # 3 since 1995.

Cathi Tegtmeier is a resident of Pleasant Valley, where she lives with her two children.

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Kyle Pottenburgh will serve as Fire Coordinator, effective May 2nd, 2011.   Mr. Pottenburgh has been involved in fire service in Dutchess County for almost 40 years and has established himself as a proven leader.   He has served as a volunteer with the New Hackensack Fire District since 1972, holding a variety of leadership roles including Chief of Department from 1990 to 1994. 

“My entire career has been focused on fire services and emergency response efforts,” said Mr. Pottenburgh. “I look forward to this new role with Dutchess County government, working together with the talented career and volunteer firefighters throughout our community.”

Mr. Pottenburgh has served Dutchess County as the Deputy Fire Coordinator since 1994, working as an interface between local fire departments and the County Department of Emergency Response and assisting with the planning of multi-agency drills and exercises.

He is a certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).  He is also certified as a New York State Code Enforcement Officer and Hazardous Material Incident Command level Technician.

Mr. Pottenburgh is a graduate of Dutchess Community College, with an Associates Degree in Electro/Mechanical Design Technology.  He is also an instructor for Dutchess County BOCES for fire and safety topics such as Confined Space Awareness, Self Contained Breathing Apparatus, and Blood Borne Pathogens.

Previously, Mr. Pottenburgh worked as the Fire Marshall for the IBM Corporation at the East Fishkill site, leading their Emergency Control Department. In this position he handled the day to day operations of the site’s Emergency Response Team. Most recently, he worked for the Wackenhut Corporation at the IBM East Fishkill site as an Emergency Control Technician.    Representing the IBM East Fishkill site, he has served as a member of the Local Emergency Planning Committee since 1997.   He has also served on a variety of community based committees, including the Town of Wappinger Fire Prevention Committee, dealing with fire safety issues. 

Kyle Pottenburgh is a resident of the Town of Wappinger, where he lives with his wife, Sue.   They have two grown children.

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“Public safety is a top priority for Dutchess County government,” said Dutchess County Executive William R. Steinhaus.  “We are fortunate to have such a strong team of professionals leading our Emergency Response department, providing the critical coordination with the local fire, police and emergency response resources in our community.”