Delaware County appoints Gary Vinnacombe as director of emergency services

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Delaware County Council this week appointed Gary Vinnacombe as the director of emergency services, following a two-year gap in which no one had permanently led the department.

Vinnacombe has been on the job since April in an unofficial capacity. Speaking to the public for the first time at Wednesday’s Council meeting, he said he was excited to “drive the department forward.”

“Thank you for your trust in me,” Vinnacombe said. “I have a very strong commitment to public safety and accountability, which I look forward to demonstrating to all of you.”

Councilmember Elaine Paul Schaefer said the County Council is “thrilled.”

“You come very, very highly recommended from the first responder community, so that makes us all feel good and should make you feel good too,” Schaefer said.

Vinnacombe, a Delaware County native, has an associate’s degree in nursing from Delaware County Community College, a bachelor’s degree in emergency and disaster management from American Military University and a master’s degree in public administration from Anna Maria College.

He spent 15 years as the deputy emergency medical services chief at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital. Vinnacombe was also president of the Chester County EMS Council. Most recently, Vinnacombe served as deputy chief of EMS for Union Fire Company No. 1 of Oxford. There, he helped Chester County navigate a crisis eerily similar to the one Delaware County is currently facing: hospital closures.

“I have a keen understanding of the challenges that a community faces when they lose resources and face things that require outside the box thinking,” Vinnacombe said.

Vinnacombe is taking over for Ed Beebe, who served as the interim director of emergency services. Delaware County Council temporarily appointed Beebe following the firing of former Director Timothy Boyce in May 2024.

Boyce was accused of harassment and other workplace-related allegations. He was later charged with a handful of misdemeanors, including simple assault and harassment. His case with the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas is still active.