The City of Long Beach announced the upcoming retirement of Reginald “Reggie” Harrison, who has served the City of Long Beach for 30 years. As the department’s founding director, Mr. Harrison has overseen Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications (DPEC) since 2014.

“Reggie has spent three decades serving Long Beach, and his leadership has helped our city prepare for and respond to some of its most difficult moments,” said City Manager Tom Modica. “He has strengthened our emergency communications and built partnerships that help us serve residents when they need us most. I’m grateful for the important impact Reggie has had on Long Beach and wish him the very best in retirement.”

In this role, Mr. Harrison oversaw Citywide emergency management; 9-1-1 emergency communications; and the City’s Homeland Security Grants Program, which allocates millions of dollars each year for disaster preparedness training and equipment acquisition. Before his current role, Mr. Harrison served the City in a host of leadership positions over the past three decades. In 2001, Mr. Harrison was appointed as the City’s Deputy City Manager, and prior to that he served as the City’s Housing Authority Bureau Manager, Economic Development Bureau Manager, Acting Director of the Community Development Department, Acting Director of the Planning and Building Department, and Acting Director of the Long Beach Airport. In 2014, Reggie was recognized by Leadership Long Beach, as part of its 25th anniversary, for being one of its 25 “Most Impactful Alumni” for having the biggest impact on the Long Beach community.

“I am grateful to the residents of the City of Long Beach, the business community, and the City’s leadership for entrusting me with a number of highly impactful positions throughout the past three decades,” said Mr. Harrison. “I am deeply proud of the work our team has accomplished together in building a more resilient Long Beach.”

Since joining the City in 1996, Mr. Harrison amassed a number of notable accomplishments, including the creation of a 9-1-1 back-up center should the primary center be inoperable; the implementation of Alert Long Beach, a mass notification system to issue emergency alerts to residents and businesses; and most recently, the implementation of Artificial Intelligence into the 9-1-1 Quality Assurance program, the City’s first application of AI technology, to ensure excellent customer service for callers.

As the City’s Emergency Manager, Mr. Harrison completed the City’s first comprehensive Mass Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place Plan; participated as one of the few cities nationwide to serve as a beta site for the testing an Earthquake Early Warning System; and developed a Family Assistance Center plan to support families separated during a disaster. Additionally, under Mr. Harrison’s leadership, the Emergency Operations Center was activated for many large-scale incidents, including the COVID-19 pandemic, First Amendment Rights activities related to the murder of George Floyd, and partnered with federal agencies and City of Long Beach departments on a humanitarian mission to open an Emergency Intake Site to house 1,600 unaccompanied minors from the southern border as they awaited reunification with family members and sponsors.

Prior to joining the City of Long Beach, Mr. Harrison served in leadership roles with the Cities of San Diego and Carlsbad. In retirement, Mr. Harrison plans to travel and spend time with family.

Mr. Harrison’s last day in active service as Director is Oct. 22.

City Manager Tom Modica has appointed Kevin Lee to serve as Acting Director of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications. Mr. Lee has worked for the City of Long Beach since 2017 and currently serves as the City’s Chief Communications Officer, overseeing citywide communications, including emergency and crisis communications.

Throughout his tenure, Mr. Lee has served in communications leadership roles during several major emergencies and critical incidents, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the emergency Long Beach shelter for migrant children, a network security incident, Long Beach’s response to the January 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires, multiple significant storm events such as Tropical Storm Hilary, coastal impacts related to recent hurricanes and the City’s current proclaimed emergency related to preparations for the 2026-27 El Niño and winter storm season.

Mr. Lee has formalized Incident Command System and emergency management training through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI), a division of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).

A Long Beach resident and California State University, Long Beach alumnus, Mr. Lee was recently named a CSULB 49 Under 49 honoree, which recognizes alumni for their professional achievements, service and impact in their communities and beyond. He was also named one of Engaging Local Government Leaders’ (ELGL) Top 100 Influencers in Local Government, a national recognition honoring local government professionals making a meaningful impact in their communities and the profession.

Mr. Lee will take on this role while the City conducts a national recruitment to permanently fill the position.

 The mission of the Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications is to protect the lives and property of the community and first responders through comprehensive planning, training and communication to ensure that daily requests for emergency services, as well as response, recovery, and mitigation for major emergencies and disasters is completed in an effective and efficient manner. DPEC has a staff of 91 full-time employees and an annual operating budget of $17 million.