The City of Summerville has announced the appointment of Brian Ozment as the new Public Safety Director. This role encompasses all the responsibilities traditionally associated with a Chief of Police while also administratively overseeing the Fire Department. This dual capacity ensures that the city’s public safety operations are cohesive and effectively managed under his leadership.
The day to day operations of the fire department (such as coordinating fire suppression, training, and pre-planning) are handled by the City’s Fire Chief Trey Skelton
Public Safety Director vs. Chief of Police
While the titles Public Safety Director and Chief of Police are often used interchangeably, they are not necessarily synonymous. In Summerville, Ozment’s official title is Public Safety Director. He performs all day-to-day duties typically associated with a police chief, including overseeing the Police Department. Additionally, he administratively oversees the Fire Department. Ozment’s responsibilities include budgeting, purchasing requests, and other administrative aspects of the Fire Department, ensuring both departments function smoothly and efficiently.
A Longstanding Commitment to Public Safety
Brian Ozment began his service with the Summerville Police Department in 1993. Over his 30-year tenure, he has held various roles, including dispatcher, patrol officer, patrol supervisor, investigator, and most recently, Captain, performing the duties of Assistant Police Chief. His extensive experience and dedication to public safety have prepared him well for his new role. A graduate of Chattooga High School, Ozment attended the Chief Executive Training Course hosted by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police and holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Reinhardt University. He resides in Summerville with his wife and family.
Honored and Ready to Serve
Ozment expressed his gratitude for the support from the city’s leaders and the community. “I feel honored that the City’s leaders selected me for the position, and I appreciate all of the support that they have given me in my new role,” he said. “With this new position, I am now responsible for the continued success of both the Police and Fire Departments by encouraging them, supporting them, and providing them with whatever they need so we can provide the City of Summerville with the best public safety services that we can.”
He emphasized the importance of front-line employees, calling them the backbone of any public safety agency. “I am grateful that both the Police and Fire Department have such great employees willing to do what it takes to ensure the job gets done,” Ozment added. “It makes my job as Public Safety Director a lot easier.”
Vision and Goals for the Future
Ozment is eager to shape the future of Summerville’s Police and Fire Departments by fostering the professional passions of their employees. Recognizing that public servants have varied passions—such as drug enforcement, community outreach, fire safety education, and arson investigation—he believes that a diverse team with various focuses is crucial for adequate public safety.
“I am also excited about being in a position where I can help shape the future of the City’s Police and Fire Department and encourage the professional passions of its employees. A long time ago I recognized that every public servant typically has a passion, and these passions are varied. Some police officers are passionate about drug enforcement while others are passionate about community outreach. Similarly, a firefighter might have a passion about fire safety education while another may find arson investigation interesting. With this in mind, I have found it critical to any public safety department to have diverse group of people with various passions for their work. If you have a police department where every officer concentrated on drug enforcement, critical community connections may fall apart. Conversely, if every officer focused 100% on community outreach many crimes that require proactive policing may be undetected. It takes a blend of all kinds of public servants and I believe that the City of Summerville has a perfect blend,” Ozment explained.
His specific goals include:
- Implementing Georgia’s “Excellence in Policing“ Certification Program: This program strengthens departmental policies and practices in high-liability areas, providing peace of mind for city leaders and ensuring the department meets high standards.
- Achieving Self-Sufficiency in Training: By having officers complete training courses to become instructors in key areas such as firearms and Tasers, the department can reduce reliance on external agencies for mandatory training.
- Preparing for the Future: Ozment aims to prepare the Police and Fire Departments for the next 10-20 years by nurturing the strengths and abilities of all staff, passing on institutional knowledge, and developing future leaders.
- Stewardship of Resources: He plans to continue upgrading equipment through grants, ensuring the departments have the necessary tools to operate effectively while being mindful of budget constraints. “I want to continue to be a good steward of the City’s resources and essentially “do more with less.”
