By Fallan Patterson
Staff Writer

Osceola County administrators Tuesday made moves in the fire department, shifting former Osceola County Fire Rescue Chief Rich Collins to director of emergency services and naming Robert “Bob” Sorenson as interim fire chief.

The county did not say if a search was underway for a permanent replacement chief.

Collins previously held both titles for two years but additional needs in emergency management prompted the change.

“It was a reorganizational change. They’ve been discussing it for a while,” county spokesman Mark Pino said, adding the two positions are lateral. “The county identified a need for more emergency management planning and action. That’s kind of what precipitated it.”

Collins said he was excited about the move, which connects him more with his “passion” for emergency management.

“By doing this, it gives me the time to move the program forward, which will only benefit the community and residents,” Collins said. “It’s a really great move for the county and for me.”

Collins also will head the county’s intergovernmental radio system, which is currently receiving extensive upgrades on all 20 channels, both emergency and non-emergency. The upgrade, which will take several years to complete, affects multiple county agencies including the Osceola County School District, Toho Water Authority and all fire departments in the county, Collins said.

Collins said he also was  pleased with the county’s appointment of Sorenson as the interim fire chief, due to his professionalism and more than 30 years experience in the field.

“It was part of the reason we were able to do something like this,” he said. “(Sorenson) is a natural leader, fair and consistent. County Fire Rescue is in good hands.”

Collins has been employed by Osceola County since August 2005. He became the Fire Rescue chief as of April 2008 and assumed the combined role as emergency management director and Fire Rescue chief in September on 2011.

The move dropped Collins’ annual salary from $111,550 to $108,707, Pino said.

Sorenson has been employed by Osceola County since June 2009. Prior to that,  he was deputy chief for Orlando Fire Department.  He served in Orlando from January 1981 until he made the move to Osceola County, Pino said.

Sorenson’s promotion rose his annual salary from $92,016.08 to $96,616.88, according to Pino.