News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Sharon Womack retiring after 50 years service with Putnam County Emergency Management Agency
Womack said she did not know she was training to become Deputy Emergency Manager when she began assisting Putnam’s Civil Defense Director in the 70s.
Womack said she was just helping out and the job grew as the organization grew. She said although she has served for 50 years, she remains interested in assisting the department even after her retirement.
“I realized how much good it had, the benefit it was to our citizens to our jurisdiction,” Womack said. “And it grew and as it grew my feelings for it grew.”
Womack said she would fill in with things like covering the command post because they were short-handed or helping with public events.
She said when she first started they did not have computers.
“Nobody had computers,” she said. “They were about the size of half of a house at that time.”
Womack said when they went through the Cold War phase, she taught volunteers and citizens to prepare them for what they would have to do in the case of an attack.
“Becoming the Emergency Management in 1996 was an upgrade,” Womack said. “Most of the agencies were changing their titles along about that time and so we did to.”
Womack said even though her time is coming to an end she does not want to let anything drop or lag before her replacement starts. She said she will be working part time through that transition.
“When the contract is done I can come in as a volunteer,” Womack said. “I’ll always help out.”
Womack said she has a list of things to do once she has stepped down.
“I want to work more at my church, I have a lot of books that need to be read, and I have a lot of dvds to watch,” Womack said. “I want to go back to Tai Chi and workout on the treadmill. Personal things and fun things and spend time with my friends.”
Womack said EMA Assistant Director Brandon Smith had been talking to her about helping with emergency plans for churches and gathering places in the community.
“We were going out every few days,” Womack said. “We’ve talked about putting ourselves out there to help people come up with an emergency plan.”
