By Matt de Simone
When most residents think of emergencies, they imagine firefighters rushing into a burning building, deputies responding to a call, or paramedics racing to save a life. What many don’t see is the work that happens long before or after those moments, the planning, coordination, and problem-solving that keep the county ready. That work falls to Daniel Murray, Botetourt County’s full-time emergency manager, a role he has held since 2018.
“It’s a lot of coordination, and it’s coordination between both internal and external stakeholders,” Murray said in an interview last week. “It’s a lot of doing planning for worst case scenarios or major incidents.”
Murray’s work spans what emergency management professionals call the five pillars: preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation. On any given day, that can mean coordinating resources across local, state, and federal agencies, securing funding for safety projects, or coming up with creative solutions to problems no one else is thinking about. “It’s kind of the abnormal stuff that we deal with the fire department,” he said.
His path to this line of work started in 2010, when he began working in fire and EMS. Growing up, Murray was active in the Boy Scouts and developed a love for the outdoors, from brush fires to search and rescue in the woods. That early interest eventually guided him toward emergency management as the county recognized the need for a dedicated role to handle these complex operations.
“My position is very project-based,” Murray explained. “Normally it’s multiple projects at once.” A single day might involve testing a new boat for the county’s swift water team, revising the emergency operations plan, and managing several grants in different stages. Each project requires coordination with multiple agencies and careful planning to ensure that the county can respond effectively when emergencies strike. “I would say it’s probably like a 60/40 type of position with a lot less on the response side.”
While Murray does respond to active incidents, such as trail rescues or drone deployments, much of his work focuses on preparation and planning.
Photos courtesy of Daniel Murray
Grant funding is also a critical part of his role. Murray researches available programs, interprets complex requirements, and ensures that local needs align with federal or state guidelines. “A lot of it’s researching and trying to think outside the box,” he noted.
One example is the county’s flood sensor program. By securing grants to install additional sensors along tributaries and rivers, Murray’s team can monitor conditions in real time, giving emergency crews and residents early warning of rising waters.
Drones have also become an increasingly important tool in Botetourt County’s emergency response. “They’re a tool that we use for response,” Murray said. Drones can survey open areas quickly, providing imagery and information that ground crews might take hours to gather. They are particularly useful in large-scale searches for missing persons. However, Murray emphasized that drones are not a replacement for traditional methods. Dense forests or heavy canopy cover require canine teams and human searchers to locate someone off the beaten path.
Botetourt’s resources do not stay within county lines. Through mutual aid agreements, Murray coordinates with neighboring jurisdictions, sending equipment and personnel where they are needed. After Hurricane Helene, for instance, his team assisted in Southwest Virginia and later supported a human remains detection task force in the Asheville area. “Once we make sure everything’s good here at home, then we’re able to take our assets and push them forward to help other localities out.”
Some of Murray’s responsibilities go far beyond what residents might expect. During disasters, he coordinates with utility companies, transportation agencies, and other infrastructure partners to restore essential services. “All the things that make life possible on a day-to-day basis, we coordinate with those different resources,” he added.
That work can be complex, as demonstrated during a challenging situation last year when a section of privately owned road washed out, cutting off about 30 homes. State funds could not be used for the repair, so Murray had to find creative solutions, calling on local organizations and companies to assist. “We had to work through the process of, ‘Hey, we’ve got 30 houses cut off.’”
For Murray, the most rewarding moments in his career come from seeing residents safe and life returning to normal. “Being able to make sure that people get back home safely, whether it be on the river or on the trail, or even if we’ve got large search and rescues that we’ve had, reuniting families, and making sure that whatever patient may have been in that austere environment makes it back home to their family,” he explained.
Yet the role comes with enormous responsibility. Murray said preparation is key to managing the stress that comes with it. “You think of worst case scenarios. We do exercises, and we think of worst case scenarios,” he said. He also studies case studies from across the country to incorporate best practices into Botetourt County’s emergency planning.
Murray noted that many residents misunderstand the work of emergency management. “There’s a lot of stuff that happens behind the scenes. It may seem like things aren’t happening because they’re not visible directly in the community.”
He encourages households to take simple steps to prepare, like being able to go 72 hours without power. “Think of all the things that you do throughout your day that require power. Think of the power being gone,” he added. Even with careful planning, it can take time to reach every home during large-scale disasters.
For Murray, the role is more than just a job. He is a lifelong resident of the Roanoke Valley, and serving Botetourt County carries a personal connection. “I just enjoy serving here in the local community where I grew up,” he said. Community cooperation is also critical, he added. “It’s extremely vital.”
Even on days when nothing appears to be happening, Murray and his team are constantly monitoring conditions, from weather to river levels to traffic flow. “We’re just always keeping an eye on 100 different things,” Murray explained. “A lot of the stuff happens in the background that people don’t really see, but we do put a lot of work into monitoring.” The county has also begun testing additional tools like air quality monitors to help manage public safety during large wildfires.
Murray said the work is demanding but motivating. He enjoys the variety and challenges each day brings. “I get excited about those type of things, and all the different aspects of my job are really exciting to me and allow me to do the work that I’m passionate about.”
From grant writing to drone flights, river gauges to road repair, Murray’s role illustrates the depth and breadth of what emergency management truly involves. While residents may go about their days without thinking about it, his work ensures that when disaster strikes, the county is ready.
