Dane County 911 Director Joe Norwick, who came under heavy fire following the center's mishandling of a call from homicide victim Brittany Zimmermann's cell phone, has resigned.

Norwick, 54, a 30-year veteran of the Dane County Sheriff's Office and former chief deputy, tendered his resignation Tuesday. Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk said Norwick indicated that stress was a major reason for his decision.

"He had come out of retirement to do this job and he has a wonderful cottage up north," Falk said. "Given the high stress of the job, he decided he would prefer to be retired."

Norwick was out of the office Friday and could not be reached for comment.

Falk named Emergency Management Director Kathy Krusiec as interim director of the center. The county will conduct a national search to fill the position. Krusiec will not seek the 911 director position permanently.

Norwick was hired in July 2007 and will officially leave office Sept. 19, several months after calls for his resignation following the Zimmmermann incident.

Norwick was severely criticized after a news conference in early May in which he responded to a report that Zimmermann's cell phone had connected with 911 before she was killed in her Madison apartment on April 2.

The 911 operator was unable to determine if there was an emergency and failed to call the number back, in violation of protocol. It was later revealed that the center gave police inaccurate information that sent them on a two-week wild goose chase looking for the wrong suspects.

Norwick refused to apologize for the mistakes during the May news conference and revealed a lack of knowledge about the technological aspects of the 911 center.

He also made statements that made it seem the 911 operator who took the Zimmermann call was still on the job, even though she had been transferred at her own request.

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, who along with Norwick later apologized for the errors, said she didn't agree with some of his statements at the news conference but stood by his performance as director.

Falk credited Norwick for initiating a range of technology and infrastructure upgrades in the 911 center and for coordinating implementation of a new $30 million emergency radio system.

Falk said she wasn't surprised by Norwick's resignation, given the high stress of the job. She said the Zimmermann incident had contributed to the stress level.

"I think people need to be 100 percent committed to this job," Falk said.

Madison Ald. Paul Skidmore, 9th District, a member of the 911 board, said Norwick had gotten in over his head.

"I like Joe, but I'm not sure his skill set was right for the job," Skidmore said. "A lot of people have been asking questions, very good questions. A number of those questions, he's had problems answering."

Dane County Board Sup. Jeff Kostelic, of Sun Prairie, also a 911 board member, said he believed Norwick wasn't prepared to handle the intense scrutiny following the Zimmermann incident.

"These things that came to light existed long before he became center director," Kostelic said. "Whoever takes over will understand the situation very clearly."

Norwick was selected as director in July 2007 after the county conducted a national search to replace former director Richard "Duke" Ellingson.

Falk, who announced on Wednesday that she is running for another four-year term as county executive, rejected an initial slate of candidates for the director job, including a former Dane County 911 dispatcher who had directed other 911 centers, before selecting Norwick. She said Norwick was chosen for his familiarity with local law enforcement agencies.

Krusiec has served more than 15 years as head of emergency management and has worked closely with the public safety agencies dispatched by the 911 center, Falk said.

She previously served as emergency management director in Chippewa County where she wrote that county's Enhanced 911 Implementation Plan. She also was an Emergency Medical Services specialist who helped train first responders in a four-county region of northwest Wisconsin.

Dave Janda, deputy director of Emergency Management for the past 10 years, will coordinate day-to-day operations of the Dane County Emergency Management Department.