Delaware County EMA Director Removed

DELAWARE COUNTY, Ind. — Following the start of a criminal investigation into financial misconduct within the county’s emergency services, Delaware County leadership has officially moved to restructure the Emergency Management Agency.

During a recent meeting, Delaware County Commissioners took decisive action, voting unanimously to remove John Coutinho from his position as Executive Director of the Emergency Management Agency. This decision followed a “vote of no confidence” from the Emergency Management Advisory Council on June 10.

The move marks a significant turn in the fallout from a multi-year Indiana State Police investigation into John Coutinho’s wife, Meagan R. Coutinho. Meagan, the former office manager for Delaware County EMS, was arrested earlier in June on multiple felony charges, including theft, official misconduct, and conflict of interest.

Former Delaware Co. EMS Office Manager Arrested for $200K Theft

State police say Meagan Coutinho stole nearly $200,000 from local agencies, including more than $181,000 in unauthorized overtime pay and thousands of dollars in unauthorized transfers from an internal EMS benevolence fund.

Delaware County Commissioner Shannon Henry led the effort to stabilize the department, praising the performance of the current deputy director during the crisis.

“The Emergency Management Advisory Council met… and a vote was taken in regards to the current Executive Director,” Commissioner Henry stated during the meeting. “It was a vote of no confidence. And also they requested the removal of the individual from that Executive Director position.”

The commissioners acted on the council’s recommendation to promote Deputy Director Cory Kissik to the role of Executive Director. Kissik has been managing the department’s operations since March, when John Coutinho was initially placed on paid leave.

“Mr. Kissik is very qualified for that. He’s been running that department exceptionally well since March,” Henry noted. “We had some storms this week… and that office managed those storms great. I was very happy with the way they performed.”

While promoting Kissik, commissioners emphasized the need for stricter operational oversight. The promotion is contingent upon a thorough review and amendment of the job description to better “insulate” the county against the types of financial and procedural vulnerabilities uncovered in the recent investigations.

“I’d make a motion to promote Deputy Director Cory Kissik to the Executive Director’s role of the Emergency Management Department, provided that the job descriptions be thoroughly reviewed and amended to insulate against a few things that we should be insulating against,” Henry said.

John Coutinho’s removal concludes his time with the agency, while his wife, Meagan, awaits judicial proceedings regarding the theft of public and private funds spanning back to 2021.