NEW ORLEANS — The board for the New Orleans 911 call center has selected an interim communications director after embattled Executive Director Tyrell Morris suddenly resigned Monday.
At a board meeting on Tuesday, members announced to the media that they have selected Karl Fasold as the Interim Executive Director of the Orleans Parish Communication District.
Fasold has worked as the Director of Technology at Orleans Parish Communication District for almost two decades and will now serve as Interim Executive Director. Tuesday he said he was humbled by the appointment.
“Behind me against this wall are the OPCD department heads and senior leadership. I want to assure our citizens, our visitors and our public safety partners that us, we and all OPCD employees will continue to provide the best service possible. we have a fantastic team here we’ll continue to do our jobs,” Fasold said.
OPCD board member Dr. Brobson Lutz has been vocal about wanting to suspend Morris during the investigation.
“I believe that the citizens have seenm through your reporting, that the board is taking this matter very seriously,” Dr. Lutz told WWLTV following Tuesday’s board meeting. “The prior executive director has exited. And we have a new person on board that I believe has the total backing of everybody. All the employees here he's, he's known for years. He's got the backing of employees. He has the backing of the commissioners, and apparently the backing of the mayor which is important.”
Many board members say they are confident in Fasold as he takes OPCD into the next chapter.
“We want to ensure continuity, we want to make sure everybody is on the same page and we are moving forward with the staff and that everybody is making sure we’re going in the same direction and we can hold OPCD together and everybody continues to support the citizens and that the city is still safe in this transition,” Board Chair John Thomas said.
Monday, Morris announced he is resigning. It comes a day before the board was to vote on whether or not he would stay on in his role as head of the city’s 911 call center. Morris is under investigation for allegedly altering department policy documents to say he would not need to take a drug and alcohol test following a traffic accident he had in his city-owned vehicle.
Morris had announced he would be resigning in September, however, an outcry from city council members led to an internal OCPD investigation and the chair board meeting to decide Morris’ fate at the department.
Tuesday. Dr. Lutz made a motion to hold Morris’ pay until pending the outcome of the investigation.
“I move that we ask HR and legal to look into the possibility of holding Mr. Morris’ accumulated annual leave to see if there’s a possibility depending on the outcome of the investigation if a fine can be leveled against him,” Lutz said.
The board says they will look to an outside company, APCO, to fill the permanent position.
Fasold says he does not intend to apply.
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