Eric L. Tolbert
Former Division Director
North Carolina Division of Emergency Management
Former Division Director
Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Response, Recovery, and Education
- Eric Tolbert served as an EMS and Emergency Services Director in Caldwell County in the early 1980s before joining the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management as a Regional Coordinator stationed in Asheboro. He was later promoted to the role of NC State Assistant Director working with Joseph Myers in the early 1990s. Following the Hurricane Andrew debacle in Florida, Mr. Tolbert was recruited to follow Mr. Myers to serve as the State Assistant Director in Florida and was principally responsible for building the Emergency Management Infrastructure statewide. Today, Florida is clearly one of the nation's finest emergency management programs, with Mr. Tolbert having contributed significantly to its improvement. Mr. Tolbert was asked by North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt to return to North Carolina and help improve what was still a good North Carolina Emergency Management program as the State Director. Never satisfied with merely being good, while in his role here, he led the response efforts regarding multiple hurricanes but none more devastating than Hurricane Floyd. He also worked in an unprecedented manner with his counterparts at EMS, Drexdal Pratt; and at Public Health, Steve Cline to further develop a more unified statewide response to disaster, particularly medical disaster. Dr. Lew Stringer from the NC DMAT 1 was also recruited to serve as the Medical Director and clinical specialist for the program.
- Together, Tolbert, Cline, Pratt, and Stringer worked with countless organizations across the state to develop and implement the State Medical Assistance Teams and created the basis for the various surge programs that are essential in today's hospital climate where hospital beds and capacity are in short supply for routine day-to-day functions.
- Mr. Tolbert left North Carolina and served the United States as the Division Director for Response, Recovery, and Education with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and oversaw the merger of this division with the newly created Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Tolbert's thoughts were never too far from home and he always was a phone call away to anyone who needed his guidance. Mr. Tolbert completed much of what he set out to accomplish during his time at FEMA, and he returned to his home in Caldwell County where he was a national consultant for disaster response operations through the firm PBS&J. Tragically, Mr. Tolbert died suddenly October 18, 2006.
- The Burn Surge Disaster Program is but one of the many programs that are successful today because of Mr. Tolbert’s unwavering commitment to be the best and have the best for the citizens of North Carolina and our great country. He was fond of inclusion despite differences, seeing adversaries as those having merely an erstwhile view and needed to be informed, not ostracized. Thus, it is necessary that this program always keep the memory of Mr. Tolbert's steadfast contribution to its rightful and destined success.