SWEETWATER COUNTY — Sweetwater County Emergency Management Coordinator David Johnson has announced he is an Independent candidate for Sweetwater County Sheriff. The full text of his announcement follows.

“The position of County sheriff serves the citizen more effectively by being non-partisan. The Sheriff serves the people not the party.”

After working tirelessly the last few months to obtain the necessary signatures required by the state to run in the Wyoming general election, David Johnson announced his intention to run as an Independent candidate for Sweetwater County Sheriff in the upcoming general election on November 4.

“I believe my service to the community has given me the opportunity to foster many positive working relationships not only with our resident first- responders, but also with local business and industry and with many others from the surrounding counties and throughout the state,” Johnson said. “It is this unique experience that I sincerely hope helps to move the Sheriff’s Department forward.”

Johnson graduated from Rock Springs High School with the class of 1982 and served in U.S. Navy from 1982-1986. He worked in the oil and gas industry for 14 years and has been employed with the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office for 15 years and earned the rank of Sergeant in 2007. During his career, Johnson has worked as a patrol supervisor and has been heavily involved with both the tactical operations and boat patrol units. He currently serves as the Sweetwater County Emergency Management Coordinator, a position he has held for the last three years.

As the Emergency Management Coordinator, Johnson has been directly responsible for the maintenance and continued development of the county’s emergency preparedness plans. He maintains the department’s budget and grants. Johnson has been instrumental in planning and carrying out a series of simulated disaster exercises involving the cooperative efforts of many of the county’s emergency service agencies.His role is also includes overseeing the needs and working closely with Sweetwater County Search & Rescue, the Sweetwater Dive Team, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Sweetwater County Animal Response Team (SCART), and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES). In addition to these duties, Johnson is the Chairman of the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and a member of the Wyoming State Emergency Response Commission serving on the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive (CBRNE) sub-committee.

“My experience working for the Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management has provided me with the working knowledge to be an efficient leader of the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and servant of the people, and as an Independent candidate I will do just that.”