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Costin reflects on purpose, service in emergency operations
Having worked nearly four decades in the field, Dave Costin has rolled with myriad changes in emergency operations. It has always been about meeting the mission.
For his colleagues here and at the state level, he has shaped an emergency response structure that is resilient in its preparedness. All the while, though, it has been aimed toward continuous improvement.
Costin began his career as a dispatcher/jailer in the late 1970s. In 1985, Greencastle’s then-mayor Gerry Warren placed him in charge of consolidating different dispatch offices.
The aim of emergency management was once shaped in terms of civil defense. As he put it, Costin grew up serving on the county’s respective board, in which he promoted the emergency communications element. He also coordinated re-addressing the county’s roads after the state implemented its 911 law.
Civil defense agencies were absorbed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during this time. Following the terror attacks in September 2001, FEMA became part of the national homeland security framework.
Acting on lessons learned from 9/11, Costin had a hand in updating dispatch’s capabilities after the Greencastle Fire Department secured a substantial grant for 800 megahertz radios in late 2006. They were acquired for each of the county’s fire departments.
The county’s 911 hub was eventually moved out of the Putnam County Courthouse to the center southwest of Greencastle, which was completed in 2008. Tom Helmer later became the county’s emergency management director in 2011 and Costin his deputy.
Costin was appointed as the EMA director in 2021 after Helmer was elected to the county commissioners. He added that role to serving as the county’s dispatch director. The demands entailed with both sections all depend on cohesion.
“We train to keep things organized,” Costin said about the role of emergency management. “I’m not really the person in charge when the bad day happens. What I do is help them (first responders) get stuff and coordinate that.”
That coordination prevents duplication of efforts and ensures that needs are met efficiently. Organization and cooperation are imperative in the midst of chaos and as resources are stretched.
Costin emphasized the continuous improvement of inter-agency cooperation. Such is especially cogent with high-risk, low-frequency events such as an active shooter, tornado or long-term power outage.
As he put it, if Costin has been lucky with his leadership, it has been with the people he works with day in and day out. That extends to the volunteers of Putnam County CERT, which he helped establish and has advocated for.
“I’ve been fortunate in finding good people who want to do good work, find their skill, find what they wanna do, and finding a niche for them where they can help,” Costin said.
Costin would not mention volunteerism and communication being gaps in the local structure. A premium on technology and training has been part and parcel of that. He honed on mental health, however, as a critical need.
Costin acknowledged the emergency services as driven by Type A personalities. Nonetheless, there is a mission-oriented culture where egos must be put aside. In his stead, the first responders’ goals are imperative.
“My joy is to serve,” Costin said. “If I’m serving, that’s how my ego is, that I feel a certain sense of joy if I make sure that they can do their jobs well and the public gets served.”
For that dedication to the community and its first responders, Costin was recently bestowed the Homeland Medal of Merit by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. The award recognizes exceptional conduct and service in supporting the safety and security of communities throughout the state.
“I’m still kinda processing it; it’s all a big surprise,” Costin said about the award.
A surprise though it may have been for him, it was well deserved to many others.