Bedford County Administrator Robert Hiss is pleased to announce the appointment of Cole Taggart as Bedford County’s new Emergency Management Coordinator. Taggart will begin his new role on August 17.

Taggart joins Bedford County from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), where he has served as an All-Hazards Planner since 2020. In that role, he worked to strengthen emergency preparedness and resilience throughout VDEM Region 6 by leading planning efforts for 23 localities, reviewing emergency operations and continuity plans, conducting risk assessments, and coordinating with local, regional, state, and federal partners to enhance emergency response capabilities.

Before joining VDEM, Taggart served as Deputy Coordinator of Emergency Management at Virginia Military Institute, his alma mater. He has also served as a part-time Emergency Wildland Firefighter with the Virginia Department of Forestry and volunteered with Nelson County Emergency Services/Wintergreen Fire & Rescue, where he developed his passion for emergency services while growing up.

Taggart holds numerous professional certifications, including the FEMA Basic Emergency Management Academy certification and Firefighter I/Hazardous Materials Operations certifications.

Upon accepting this new role in Bedford County, Taggart said, “I am very honored to join such a resilient community that works tirelessly to build and maintain capability. The opportunity to coordinate the agencies who partner with and serve the citizens of Bedford County to prepare for, respond to and recover from disaster is humbling. I look forward to engaging across each aspect of the Bedford area through preparedness efforts.”

Robert Hiss added, “Cole brings a lifelong passion for emergency management and recognizes that lasting program success is built on strong, trusted relationships. His VDEM experience in our region provides a perspective and connection that will benefit our public safety agencies. I look forward to him joining our leadership team to assist Bedford County in becoming a better prepared and more resilient community.”