James Polk

• Sr. Emergency/Homeland Security Coordinator/Deputy Sheriff
• St. Charles Parish Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness

Jim currently works for the St. Charles Parish Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. He has worked for St. Charles Parish for 28 years. He is currently a Sr. Emergency Coordinator responsible for Homeland Security/counterterrorism and Technological hazards including HAZMAT/WMD. He has responded to 42 federal disaster declarations in St. Charles Parish since his emergency services career started in 1993.
He is a POST certified law enforcement officer and a commissioned deputy sheriff with the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) assigned to the special operations division, homeland security unit. He assists with any homeland security investigations at critical infrastructures. He responds with the SCSO SWAT Team. SWAT performs all high-risk entries for search arrest warrants, as well as all barricaded suspect calls and acts of terrorism. He is vice-chair of the USCG Area Maritime Security Committee for the Port of New Orleans. A group that works to protect the port’s maritime security.
He has been a member of the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Association (LEPA) for several years as well as board member.
Jim is a past LEPA President. He was also appointed by two Governor’s as the LEPA representative to the Louisiana Emergency Response Commission and currently sits on the commission as an at large member. Jim is a certified Louisiana Emergency Manager (LEM).
He is currently team lead on the St Charles Parish’s Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (CUAS) program. The CUAS program is a system in place to detect UAS and locate the pilot when intruding into a geofenced critical infrastructure.
He is certified by the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness as an Incident Command System (ICS) trainer. He currently teaches the ICS 300/400 courses.
Jim was an active volunteer firefighter for 20 years with the Luling Volunteer Fire Department 6 of which he was a fire line officer.
He received his firefighting related training from LSU, Texas A & M and the National Fire Academy. He has served as Incident/Unified Commander, Operations Section Chief, Planning Chief, Logistics Chief, Safety Officer, Liaison Officer, and many other roles in the 20 years as a firefighter in Luling VFD.