The Emergency Management Network Podcast

Influential leaders take a personal interest in the long-term development of their team, and they use tact and other social skills to encourage team members to achieve their best. It isn't about being "nice" or "understanding"—it's about tapping into individual motivations to further an organization-wide goal. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Alyssa Carrier is a sought-after management consultant, entrepreneur, and civic leader who serves as a strategic advisor and counselor to leaders at Federal and State-level organizations. Alyssa serves as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AC Disaster Consulting, LLC, which she founded in 2018. She is frequently called on to lead projects and assemble teams to provide program expertise and compassionate guidance before, during, and after a disaster.Alyssa was recently selected as the 2021 Harvard University National Preparedness Leadership Initiative (NPLI) Meta-Leader of the Year.Todd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/ Guest Info HereTwitter handle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-carrier-291188144Website: https://acdisaster.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Theory-N2-Practice we talk about leadership through service and being the authority with Dr. Carol Cwiak. Currently of North Dakota State University (NDSU) Emergency Management Degree Program. One of the more prolific Emergency Management Professionals I know. Join us for a great discussion and most valuable insight from one of the best in the emergency management profession, with the great Dr. Carol Cwiak. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Todd DeVoe: if you have been paying attention to the news, you know that the polio virus has been found in the New York City sewage samples, according to city and state health departments.They felt that this was something they were going to find because some virus cases have popped up north of New York City in Rockland and Orange counties. The detection of poliovirus in the wastewater samples in New York city's alarming but not surprising. According to Mary Bassett and the state health department working with local and federal partners responding urgently to continuing and being aggressive in investigating this polio spread.When I was a kid, we all had shots. I always thought polio was a thing that was in the past. And like everything old comes back around again, this is something we're gonna have to consider. I sat down with Kelly McKinney, and we had a discussion about a whole bunch of different things, but also about the polio virus.Because he's now working in the healthcare system, we put our predictive hats on our Nostradamus hats, if you will. And we were looking to see what is coming potentially in the future. If you guys know Kelly McKinney, you know he's a character with some interesting takes on things.And for sure, we had this great conversation, a very smart and thoughtful way of looking at what could be happening in the near future when it comes to American politics and the impacts on emergency management. And even the metaverse, this is not a typical episode that you would hear on the emergency management network, but I thought it'd be great to share, and I hope you enjoy it too.Kelly, What scares you more, Monkeypox or polio in the sewer systems? I mean that that's a pretty scary thing. Kelly McKinney: yeah, that's a good question. That's a good question. I'll tell you about Bill Gates. Was there somebody who was interviewing Bill Gates, and he said, this polio thing is super scary. Like he was adamant about a big problem. This polio thing was. I figured he knows more than I do. So now I'm a little scared of the polio thing. And we're living with Monkeypox. I was just telling you that, just today, we started to see those curves come down the daily op; the daily case numbers just now beginning to come down a little bit.So we may maybe knock wood. We may be over the hump in New York with Monkeypox, but we're sure not over the hump with polio. Polio is now. We're just seeing the leading edge of that. I don't know what. I don't even know what to think about polio. I don't know when it or if it's spreading, I don't know what that epi curve could look like because we were talking about that.There are lots of folks that have been that have had a polio vaccine; you and I have had one. Are we still, are we, do we have immunity to polio? I hope Todd DeVoe: so. I hope so too, but that's the question. How long does it last? I, we never talked about boosters or anything for that. We could get a titer test and see how we're doing on it. And, and then we had the younger kids. I don't think my kids aren't polio vaccinated. I think they stopped giving it out in the eighties?Kelly McKinney: I don't know. I don't know. I remember a couple of things when I was in like second grade, and they hit me with a gun that, that's vaccine gun. Remember that? And it left. I was like, wow, I don't know what that, I think that was smallpox or something. And that's a monkeypox vaccine. So I don't know, they shot us up with a lot of stuff, Todd, and I think that explains a lot of why we're such a war.Yeah. No, it's like, why are we weird? Like, why are we? I think it had to do with those vaccines back in the. It couldn't be anything else. It couldn't be all that bad TV we watched. I'll tell you something I'm worried about. I saw this thing the other day, and they were talking about the metaverse.They did this research survey on teenagers and their social media use. And TikTok now has exploded. It's only been around, I dunno a couple years, and now everybody's on TikTok. If you're 12 to 19, like you're on [00:04:00] TikTok, 15% of 12 to 19-year-olds are on TikTok continuously from the time they wake up until they go to sleep. They're on TikTok continuously 15%, dude, that, this thing's gonna suck all the kids in it.Kelly McKinney: They're all gonna be in the metaverse. Okay. So here's a question for you, right? What if we have a disaster in the metaverse? What do we do then? Do we need crisis management in the metaverse? Do we have to go in there and do the kinds of things in the metaverse we're doing over here?Cause what if there's a disaster inside the metaverse like, do we gotta go in there and do, and Todd DeVoe: funny is. Brian. And I was back, like in 2009, we were goofing around with this thing called second life. Which is basically the metaverse, he created a skydiving school, and you could buy parachutes and all sorts of weird stuff inside the metaverse side of the second life.But we created emergency operations. The s

Cross-Agency collaboration is critical to fighting against serious challenges such as the COVID pandemic and storms that impact multiple jurisdictions. These challenges on a wide scale cannot be resolved with traditional siloed solutions. These problems are best handled when organizations break down their boundaries and pool their resources together in order to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome.Todd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/ Guest Info HereTwitter handle: https://twitter.com/evertelhqLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-halstead-33920124 Website: https://getevertel.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDWKMoWWZzimC5xu8UdaMg This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Theory-N2-Practice we talk about leadership through service and being our own best resource with Todd De Voe. Currently of Titan HST and the Emergency Management Network, Todd is the IAEM-R9 President and host of the Todd De Voe Show Podcast. Join us for a great discussion and most valuable insight from one of the best in the emergency management profession, with the great Todd De Voe.Here more from Todd De Voe: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-scott-m-a-cem%C2%AE-empp-3-59a8a86a/https://www.instagram.com/d_scott_overdeliver/https://www.facebook.com/D.Scott.and.Associates/https://twitter.com/Haven1981 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Every emergency manager has touched FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) in one way or another during their career. As EMI surpasses 70 years of operation, the new Superintendent, Dr. Jeffery Stern discusses how to improve the training and education of the next generation of emergency managers, and the possibility of the development of an Emergency Management Command College.If you would like to learn more about the Natural Disaster & Emergency Management (NDEM) Expo please visit us on the web - https://www.ndemevent.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

FEMA Warns Emergency Alert System Has a Critical Flaw This week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) warned participants in the emergency alert system (EAS) that vulnerabilities can be used to allow threat actors to issue alerts over TV, radio, and cable networks.EAS allows the federal government, the president, or state-level officials to send out emergency warnings about potential weather issues or AMBER alerts for missing children. The alerts are typically sent over broadcast, cable, and satellite TV as well as radio channels and other outlets. FEMA said the public warning system requires radio and TV broadcasters, cable TV, wireless cable systems, satellite and wireline operators “to provide the President with capability to address the American people within 10 minutes during a national emergency.”FEMA did not specify the issues in the warning system but said they are found in EAS encoder/decoder devices that have not been updated to the most recent software versions…Over the last few years, public attention has focused on the federal government's failures in disaster response and recovery. In many cases, the criticism is unwarranted. However, the Federal government has not made progress in resolving an underlying shortcoming in our Nation's preparedness: Developing a universal culture of readiness.Brock Long stated that the United States is in a vicious cycle of communities being impacted by disasters and having to rebuild constantly. And it's almost as if we're not learning anything from what history, mother nature, has taught us. The Culture of preparedness is founded on the shared understanding that future disasters will occur and that every individual is responsible for preparing for and responding appropriately to their abilities to disasters. One of the classes I teach is called The Social Impact of Disasters. We discuss how humans react to disasters and the stress that is put on them, and the community where they live. I use Dr. Daniel Aldrich's books Black Wave and Building Resilience. Here Aldrich discusses how closer communities work together to rebuild after an event. In addition, he explores how the individual's social ties directly affect how they recover from and, in some cases, become stronger because of a disaster. How do we create such a culture? Before COVID, most individuals have not experienced a significant emergency directly. They may have seen disaster footage on TV and had a friend or loved one impacted; however, they felt it was never going to happen to them. Studies show that the presence of a tangible, generally accepted threat is the single most crucial ingredient for creating a culture of preparedness. As a child of the Cold War, the threat of a Nuclear war loomed over our heads. We were prepared for a bomb to drop. In the 1950s and 60s, people on the west coast put bomb shelters in their backyards; our popular Culture was full of references to the "bomb." After the fall of the Soviet Union, America lacks such a perception of risk.One of the issues in the United States is that geographic and industrial diversity means that citizens in different regions are subject to various natural and man-made hazards. This diversity of threats makes it challenging to achieve the universal perception of risk that underlies a culture of preparedness. For most people, preparedness planning is unlikely to be a priority.Recent events have also demonstrated that Americans lack the sense of individual responsibility required to create an authentic culture of preparedness.People tend to perceive that preparedness and emergency response are purely governmental functions. They believe that fire and police are coming to the rescue in a time of need. We cannot blame the individual's thought process because this idea of emergency services coming from the federal government in the time of need is reinforced by official preparedness and response procedures. Emergency preparedness generally does not include an active role for individual citizens. This omission has contributed to an ethic of passivity in the population that negatively impacts our ability to prepare for and cope with disasters. The current view of preparedness as a governmental function must be abandoned; individuals must learn to take an active, rather than a passive, role in preparing for disasters. This sense of individual responsibility will fuel more significant government preparedness initiatives and facilitate effective operations during emergency incidents.How do we change this view? It has to change from the ground up, not the top down. Local jurisdictions need to have a robust preparedness program. The New Zealand integrated civil defense emergency management approach can be described by the four areas of activity, known as the '4 Rs'; Reduction, readiness, response, and recovery. They have developed operational systems and capabilities before a civil defense emergency happens, including self-help and response program

Her career began as a first responder with the fire service in the mid-80s. She recognized early on that to succeed as both a firefighter and a woman in a mostly male workplace would require perseverance, grit, and the ability to command respect.Over her three-decade career, she pushed herself to tackle new challenges and rise into leadership positions. She became an EMT and then a paramedic, while also earning a degree in fire science. When she finally achieved the rank of captain, she was the only woman at the induction ceremony.Now retired, she loves speaking to people about her experiences as a first responder and as a woman in a male-dominated industry. She lives with her husband Mark, and her German shepherd, Chewie, in Florida.Todd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/ Cindie Schooner-BallFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082750782081LinkedIn https://bit.ly/3zgporWWebsite https://sisterinabrotherhood.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sisterinabrotherhood/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

I am about to say something controversial, training classes are great, and education is essential. However, the network you build at summits, symposiums, workshops, and conferences is invaluable. When I attended a summit or conference, I appreciated the diversity of perspectives and many breakout sessions. These events are where professional development and individual growth take place. And summits promote more profound understanding, uncover new learnings and reinforce existing best practices.At each event I attend, I meet great people and connect with old friends. You get to see what works in other parts of the world, not just in the town or county next to you. We know — it's hard to take time away from work. So a conference has to be worthwhile to justify the days out of the office. If that is the case for you, virtual summits work as well. 85% of professionals believe that meeting face-to-face (or zoom-to-zoom) builds stronger, more meaningful relationships. So it goes without saying that large-scale events are the perfect opportunity to expand your network and find potential new mentors and collaborators.It is important to remember that networking takes many forms, so don't rely on planned sessions within the conference itself. Go the extra mile. Arrive early, seek out 'post-conference' events, use the conference app (if they have one) to reach out directly to someone you find interesting, and be sure to have a healthy stack of stand-out business cards at your disposal. My friend is now using a digital business card, and it is on a wristband. Whatever you use, don't be the person fumbling around with a pen and paper.Summits in person are about the experiences. In-person events provide opportunities that you cannot get by reading articles, listing to podcasts, or watching a video. Even online summits give you opportunities to interact with others.Every conference session you attend is an opportunity to have your questions answered by experts. It's also an opportunity that many attendees neglect. So come prepared and take advantage. Map out your conference sessions in advance and brainstorm a few questions for each topic. It may be that the presentation answers all your questions, but if not, you're ready to pick the speaker's brains. When I speak at conferences and summits, I enjoy talking to people that attended my session. I encourage people to continue the conversation over coffee or as we walk in the hallway.What are conferences, symposiums, workshops, and summits about?* They are about inspiration. When it comes to innovation of thought and innovation of action, this is the place. Everybody working the event is focused on the best ways to provide unforgettable experiences. The attendees are looking to be inspired by the speakers and other attendees. * It's about real-world examples. Leaders from around the world want to share their strategies and their success stories. You'll leave with plenty of practical takeaways you can bring back to the office.* It's about networking. Talk to other attendees who are experiencing the same challenges you have. Find out what's working for them, and share what works for you. Make it a point to attend an event this year. The 2022 Emergency Management Leadership Summit is free and has a host of great speakers that you can get to hear and interact with. If you are looking for a great event in New York, the NDEM Expo is November 16-17, 2022, and The International Association of Emergency Managers is November 11-17, 2022, in Savannah, GA. I hope to see you at an event this year; stop and say hi and let's chat. What to ReadGetting to YesMarc C. BakerAs Emergency Managers, we sometimes find ourselves at the negotiation table for issues like budget allocations, acceptable mitigation measures, contracts, or employee compensation. This is a unique aspect of the profession that not all expect or are prepared for, especially those new to the profession. The art of negotiation is a skill that takes time to develop, experience to be good at, and maturity to be comfortable with. Have you ever found yourself in a negotiation? How about a better negotiator? Think about the first time you bought a car discussing the price with the salesperson, were you prepared for that process? How did you feel after the deal you made? I was intimidated and left the dealer feeling violated and later embarrassed when I told my friends about the process and the ridiculous deal I agreed to. I was unprepared and too immature for the process, but I learned my lesson, grew from it, and got a much better deal on the next cars I bought. I think this book does for readers; it gives us good techniques for approaching any negotiation so everyone can walk away from the table with a good deal.Supporters https://www.disastertech.com/?hsLang=enhttps://www.ndemevent.com/en-us.htmlhttps://titanhst.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, v

The Emergency Management Leadership Virtual Summit August 1-3, 2022 will feature some fantastic Leaders and Emergency Management Professionals.Todd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/ Dan ScottLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-scott-m-a-cem%C2%AE-empp-3-59a8a86a/Website https://emergencypreparednessnetwork.net/summit51227834 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

The vision of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Emergency Management Institute (EMI) is to strengthen the field of emergency management by establishing an Emergency Management Professional Program (EMPP). The EMPP provides a framework for acquiring the knowledge, skills, and abilities to enter and progress through the field and to meet the challenges of a dynamic and complex environment. The entire EMPP curriculum is designed to provide a lifetime of learning for a career in emergency management.EMI Link:https://training.fema.gov/empp/Kelly Garrett:https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?keywords=dr.%20kelly%20garrett&origin=RICH_QUERY_SUGGESTION&position=0&searchId=623b19ef-8b20-445b-9738-41e9696026cb&sid=ClLLinks:https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-scott-m-a-cem%C2%AE-empp-3-59a8a86a/https://www.instagram.com/d_scott_overdeliver/https://www.facebook.com/D.Scott.and.Associates/https://twitter.com/Haven1981 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

After suffering a traumatic and unfortunate brain injury, Jacob Green first changed career paths and became an EMT and a public safety dispatcher, then rose to the position of Assistant City Manager and founded Jacob Green & Associates, an organization that focuses on organizational and leadership development, emergency management, public safety, and crisis communications. Jacob Green is a nationally recognized expert in leadership development and crisis management and works to build stronger and more resilient teams.LinksJacob Green - https://jacobgreenandassociates.com/If you would like to learn more about the Natural Disaster & Emergency Management (NDEM) Expo please visit us on the web - https://www.ndemevent.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

HERricane is a national program by the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) that provides women a means to explore a career in Emergency Management (as well as associated ones) while developing leadership skills, ensuring success in whatever path they choose. Women are underrepresented in Emergency Management but make up a disproportionate amount of disaster victims particularly regarding loss of life, sexual violence, and loss of income.The City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Department (EMD) is excited to announce that we have partnered with the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion (I-DIEM). to facilitate the first ever West coast HERricane camp. We will host this week-long camp for participants between the ages of 15-25 years old, where HERricaneLA will bring together 45 young women from under-represented communities across Los Angeles City and afford them the opportunity to learn from a diverse group of City leaders including our first responders, policy makers, and emergency managers across multiple Departments and culminates in a Functional Exercise on the last day of camp.Todd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/ Guest Info HereLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crisanta-gonzalez-mpa-32ab5b36/Website: https://i-diem.org/herricane/ and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReadyLAWebsite: https://www.readyla.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readyla/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Theory-N2-Practice we talk about leadership through service and engagement with Pete Gaynor, currently of the The LiRo Group and before that FEMA Administrator. Join us for a great discussion and most valuable insight from one of the best in the emergency management profession, Pete Gaynor.Mr. Gaynor (Pete) joined The LiRo Group in April 2021, as the Senior Vice President and Director, National Resilience Response and Recovery Programs. Mr. Gaynor oversees recovery programs that help clients prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters by delivering outcome-based innovative practical solutions.Pete Gaynor Links:https://www.liro.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-t-gaynor-cem%C2%AE-7949627/Links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-scott-m-a-cem%C2%AE-empp-3-59a8a86a/https://www.instagram.com/d_scott_overdeliver/https://www.facebook.com/D.Scott.and.Associates/https://twitter.com/Haven1981 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

I have been thinking a lot about how unstable the electrical grid is. Everything I am reading and hearing when I talk to experts is America needs a massive overhaul of our antiquated electric infrastructure. The overhaul will not be cheap industry experts say it requires more than $2 trillion. The current network of transmission wires, substations, and transformers is decaying with age and underinvestment, a condition highlighted by catastrophic failures during increasingly frequent and severe weather events.According to a Reuters examination of federal data, power outages over the last six years have more than doubled compared to the previous six years. In the past two years, power systems have collapsed in Gulf Coast hurricanes, West Coast wildfires, Midwest heat waves, and a Texas deep freeze, causing prolonged and sometimes deadly outages.The central and upper Midwest, Texas, and Southern California face an increased risk of power outages this summer from extreme heat, wildfires, and extended drought, the nation’s grid monitor, warned yesterday.In a dire new assessment, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) described regions of the country pushed closer than ever toward energy emergencies by a combination of climate change impacts and a transition from traditional fossil fuel generators to carbon-free renewable power.NERC’s analysis examined the potential punch of extreme weather, which may wreak havoc on everything from reduced hydropower to transmission lines brought down by wildfires. Grid operators are increasingly relying on intermittent resources like wind and solar as coal units retire and the reliability and emissions of gas resources come under scrutiny. How the summer unfolds also may have political ramifications, as it could affect public support for President Joe Biden’s push to decarbonize the U.S. grid by 2035.The NERC report also highlighted an increased, urgent hazard to grid operations from the electronic controls that link wind and solar farms to high-voltage grid networks. The devices, called power inverters, must be programmed to “ride through” short-term disturbances, such as the loss of a large power plant or high-voltage line, but too often, they are not. According to the report, Those that shut down compound stress on the grid.The NERC cited incidents in May and June last year when the Texas system was hit with widespread solar farm shutdowns, followed by similar outages in California between June and August. The unexpected events disrupted traditional power plants, interfered with grid recovery operations, and caused some outages of customer-owned power units.The report warned that inverter disruption is one of the most dangerous things on the bulk power system. They state that grid operators can be surprised by the outages when the finely balanced systems are already dealing with instability.Highlighting the most serious regional threats, the report said:* The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), grid manager and energy market operator in the central Midwest, “faces a capacity shortfall in its North and Central areas, resulting in high risk of energy emergencies during peak summer conditions.”* “More extreme temperatures, higher generation outages, or low wind conditions expose the MISO North and Central areas to higher risk of temporary operator-initiated load shedding to maintain system reliability,” the report said of the MISO region, which runs from Canada’s Manitoba province to Louisiana.* “An elevated risk of energy emergencies persists” across the West this summer “as dry hydrological conditions threaten the availability of hydroelectric energy for transfer.” The report said that nearly 3,400 megawatts of new resources are available as scheduled this summer, and California should be able to meet peak power demands this summer. But a repeat of the heat dome that scorched the entire West in 2019 could threaten the availability of imported power that the state depends on, causing energy emergencies.* In Texas, a “combination of extreme peak demand, low wind, and high outage rates from thermal generators could require system operators to use emergency procedures, up to and including temporary manual load shedding.” Delays in completing new transmission lines now underway “may contribute to localized reliability concerns.”* The report said that drought conditions in the Missouri River Basin might affect gas, coal, or nuclear plants in the Southwest Power Pool that rely on the river for cooling water supplies.* It added that some coal-fired power plant owners have difficulty arranging fuel deliveries because of mine closings, rail shipping interruptions, and increased coal exports.The report warned of threats from Western wildfires, where dry weather raises the risk of ignition and smoke from blazes can diminish output from a utility- and customer-owned solar panels and short circuit high-voltage power lines, as happened last year in Oregon.On top of

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Intelligent risk is an opportunity where the potential gain outweighs the harm or loss to the organization's sustainability. Taking intelligent risks requires a tolerance for failure and an expectation that innovation is not achieved through initiating only successful endeavors. At the outset, organizations must invest in potential successes realizing that some will also lead to failure.James is an advocate of intelligent risk-taking, driven by the belief that risk can be a powerful tool to help organizations reach their maximum potential. Todd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/ James GreenTwitter: https://twitter.com/thejamesgreenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejamesgreen/Website: https://www.illuminateadvisory.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Theory-N2-Practice we talk about leadership through service and engagement with Lorraine Schneider of the Emergency Management Growth Initiative (EMGI) and the Resiliency Initiative. Join us for a great discussion and most valuable insight from one of the best in the emergency management profession, Lorraine Schneider.Lorraine Schneider, MSc, CEMhttps://www.emginitiative.org/https://www.theresiliencyinitiative.com/Links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-scott-m-a-cem%C2%AE-empp-3-59a8a86a/https://www.instagram.com/d_scott_overdeliver/https://www.facebook.com/D.Scott.and.Associates/https://twitter.com/Haven1981 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Occupational stress in first responders is associated with an increased risk in mental health problems, while the emotional toll first responders endure on the job has caused suicide rates to skyrocket amongst the industry. Today, prepare.respod.recover. host Todd DeVoe speaks with Brice Long, COO of O2X, an organization that provides customized wellness programs for public safety departments, the military, and federal agencies to improve the lives of the people that fight to keep us safe.O2X - https://www.o2x.com/If you would like to learn more about the Natural Disaster & Emergency Management (NDEM) Expo please visit us on the web - https://www.ndemevent.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

It is 2 AM, and the phone rings. It is never good when the phone rings at 2 AM. Your heart is racing, and dispatch tells you that a major fire has ripped through a senior housing development. The watch commander is requesting resources and the EOC to be activated. Decisions are being made, and you need to get into your OODA Loop fast, or you will be behind the eight ball. When making decisions under pressure keeping things simple makes a huge difference. One of the flaws of being human, we are drawn to complexity. "Build a tower, build a team" is a six-minute TED talk by Tom Wujec, which has been viewed well over 2 million times. We watch small teams, from CEOs to recent kindergarten graduates, given 20 sticks of spaghetti, a yard of string and a yard of tape, one marshmallow, and 18 minutes to build the tallest, free-standing tower they can – typically in competition with other teams. The marshmallow has to wind up on top. The fantastic part of this talk is that the kindergarten students had taller and better towers than the complex towers that civil engineers made. Why is that the case? It was a simple decision-making process. The kindergarten students did not make lists of what was necessary and did not have an ego about who was in charge. See, when everything becomes a priority, nothing is a priority. And at times, a complex system slows down the decision-making process. Einstein may have been known for being a math genius; however, his ability to sift the essential from the non-essential made him think better and make better decisions. Of course, this is harder than it seems.In emergency management, there is an ever-increasing amount of information coming at us. Why is it so hard to sift the essential from the inessential? It is the ability to zero in on what matters most. And yet most of us spend time cluttering our minds with things that don't matter rather than focusing on the simplicity that does.How do we turn complicated problems into simple ones? We need to break down a problem into its components but look at the problem holistically. Keep things as simple as possible. Simplicity has a way of improving performance by enabling us to understand better what we are doing.It focuses on finding easy decisions, breaking down what is hard into its simple components, and stripping away anything extraneous. Focus enables simplicity and clarity of thought, leading to a more positive investing result.Simplicity is FilteringWilliam James said: "The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook." And there are no truer words that have been spoken.In Arthur Conan Doyle's The Reigate Puzzle, Sherlock Holmes says: "It is of the highest importance in the art of detection to be able to recognize, out of a number of facts, which are incidental and which are vital."And part of filtering is understanding what you know and what you don't know, that is, understanding your circle of competence.Socrates said that actual knowledge is knowing the extent of one's ignorance. He argued that most of the disputes and miseries of the world are due to the prevalence of ignorance. People tend to believe in a particular set of theories and enter into conflict with contrary opinions, sometimes intellectually suffering from a lack of knowledge which implicitly is ignorance. That in some cases we are making life-altering decisions with hairball problems without looking for the right string to pull. Donald Rumsfeld stated: Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say, we know there are some things we do not know.To simplify the decision-making process, you must act on what you know. Understand that you may have to pivot when you get more information that may shift your knowledge of the situation. And keep your eye on the horizon for potential unknown problems that pop up. Is it a skill that can be taught or learned? It probably can if you have enough of a stake riding on the outcome. Some people are extraordinarily good at knowing the limits of their knowledge because they have to be. When you get that phone call at 2 AM, It is easy to make issues and decisions complex, it is skillful to make the complex easy. Supportershttps://www.disastertech.com/https://titanhst.com/https://www.ndemevent.com/en-us/show-info.html This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

With the spotlight on leadership, it’s worth stepping back and understanding the role that Consultants play in helping drive organizational performance. Leaders face a host of challenges, from setting the strategic direction to ensuring the organization is reaching its full potential, and engaging internal and external stakeholders effectively Today we are taking a look at how consultants can provide help and clarity. Todd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/ Nick LoweTwitter handle: https://twitter.com/CPARS_EMHSLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-nick-lowe-cem-cbcp-mep-23572a1bWebsite: https://www.cparsconsulting.com/email: [email protected] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

When building teams it is critical to assess the performance and effectiveness of your team at every level. To gain a deeper understanding of your organization’s strengths sometimes you need to hire a team that builds teams. Anthony E. Coletta Jr. specializes in leadership development, performance management, strategic planning, and emergency planning and training.Todd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/ Anthony Coletta Jr. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-e-coletta-jr-b22637b4/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anthony.coletta.9849Website: https://jacobgreenandassociates.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Bayes’ Theorem Applying It To Emergency Management Mental models help us with making decisions under stress. They give us a starting point, think of how we teach triage, “start where you stand”. This applies to decision-making as well during a disaster or crisis, start with information that you have. We can make the adjustments as more or better information is obtained. This brings me to the concepts of Bayes’ Theorem. Thomas Bayes was an English minister in the 18th century, whose most famous work, “An Essay toward Solving a Problem in the Doctrine of Chances,” The essay did not contain the theorem as we now know it but had the seeds of the idea. It looked at how to adjust our estimates of probabilities when encountering new data that influence a situation. Later development by French scholar Pierre-Simon Laplace and others helped codify the theorem and develop it into a useful tool for thinking.Now you do not need to be great at math to use this concept. I still need to take off my shoes to count to 19. . More critical is your ability and desire to assign probabilities of truth and accuracy to anything you think you know and then be willing to update those probabilities when new information comes in.We talk about making decisions based on the new information that has come in, however, we often ignore prior information, simply called “priors” in Bayesian-speak. We can blame this habit in part on the availability heuristic—we focus on what’s readily available. In this case, we focus on the newest information, and the bigger picture gets lost. We fail to adjust the probability of old information to reflect what we have learned.The big idea behind Bayes’ theorem is that we must continuously update our probability estimates on an as-needed basis. Let’s take a look at a hurricane as our crisis. We have all seen the way it tracks and can predict that it may make landfall at a certain time and location. We can use past storms as predictors of how this hurricane may act and the damage it could cause. However, new information may come to light on the behavior of the storm. This however should not necessarily negate the previous experience and information you have on hand. In their book The Signal and the Noise, Nate Silver and Allen Lane give a contemporary example, reminding us that new information is often most useful when we put it in the larger context of what we already know:Bayes’ theorem is an important reality check on our efforts to forecast the future. How, for instance, should we reconcile a large body of theory and evidence predicting global warming with the fact that there has been no warming trend over the last decade or so? Skeptics react with glee, while true believers dismiss the new information.A better response is to use Bayes’ theorem: the lack of recent warming is evidence against recent global warming predictions, but it is weak evidence. This is because there is enough variability in global temperatures to make such an outcome unsurprising. The new information should reduce our confidence in our models of global warming—but only a little.The same approach can be used in anything from an economic forecast to a hand of poker, and while Bayes’ theorem can be a formal affair, Bayesian reasoning also works as a rule of thumb. We tend to either dismiss new evidence or embrace it as though nothing else matters. Bayesians try to weigh both the old hypothesis and the new evidence in a sensible way.So much of making better decisions hinges on dealing with uncertainty. The most common thing holding people back from the right answer is instinctively rejecting new information, or not integrating the old. To better serve our communities, have a mental model, work with it and use it to make better decisions. PodcastsThe Todd De Voe Show School Shootings and Emergency Management The K-12 School Shooting Database research project is a widely inclusive database that documents each and every instance a gun is brandished is fired, or a bullet hits school property for any reason, regardless of the number of victims, time, or day of the week.The School Shooting Database Project is conducted as part of the Advanced Thinking in Homeland Security (HSx) program at the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS).Prepare Respond Recover Saving Lives Through Training Due to the uptick of mass shootings over the years, many professions outside of law enforcement are now being trained in active shooter response programs. But have you ever thought about who teaches the law enforcement officers themselves? Join prepare.respond.recover. host Todd De Voe as he talks with Erik Franco, the CEO of "High Speed Tac Med", one of the nation’s most sought-after active shooter training programs for law enforcement and firefighting. Learn about “Run, Hide, Fight” and how this training is preparing law enforcement officers to tackle an active shooter situation as quickly and efficiently as possible.HSTM -

The K-12 School Shooting Database research project is a widely inclusive database that documents each and every instance a gun is brandished is fired, or a bullet hits school property for any reason, regardless of the number of victims, time, or day of the week.The School Shooting Database Project is conducted as part of the Advanced Thinking in Homeland Security (HSx) program at the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS).Todd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/ David RiedmanTwitter handle: https://twitter.com/k12ssdbLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-riedman/ Website: https://www.chds.us/ssdb/about/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/npsCHDS This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Due to the uptick of mass shootings over the years, many professions outside of law enforcement are now being trained in active shooter response programs. But have you ever thought about who teaches the law enforcement officers themselves? Join prepare.respond.recover. host Todd DeVoe as he talks with Erik Franco, the CEO of "High Speed Tac Med", one of the nation’s most sought-after active shooter training programs for law enforcement and firefighting. Learn about “Run, Hide, Fight” and how these trainings are preparing law enforcement officers to tackle an active shooter situation as quickly and efficiently as possible.HSTM - https://highspeedtacmed.com/If you would like to learn more about the Natural Disaster & Emergency Management (NDEM) Expo please visit us on the web - https://www.ndemevent.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

During a round table, I asked Craig Fugate if we could take politics out of Disaster response. His answer was simple, no. It is that all disaster responses have political consequences. Fema has a training called The Politics of Disaster. Here they state, "Disasters have Political Consequences: One widely observed but not fully understood principle of the disaster/politics relationship is that disasters and their aftermath have significant potential to affect the political environment of a community, state or nation." Jeff Schlegelmilch of Columbia University has a podcast called Disaster Politics. He explores policies that impact disaster response and recovery. Thor Neureiter's documentary Disaster Capitalism sheds light on the strings that come with global aid given to nations after a disaster. This includes how China has exploited mineral mines in Afghanistan and many African countries. We have witnessed the mess that politics created with the COVID response. A time that could have brought the nation together, the political parties used it as an opportunity to attack their opponents. The political gamesmanship after a disaster is not new. Disasters are politicized both by Democrats and Republicans. And despite the perception of increased partisanship in recent years, disaster aid has been a political football since 1972.The Politics of Disaster Funding In October of 2020, after a devastating wildfire ripped through California, FEMA denied federal aid. This was seen as a political stunt by President Trump. Shortly after the denial, Trump reversed the decision and gave California disaster relief funding. Rhetoric notwithstanding, the impact of politics on disaster relief is not news to anyone who has been in emergency management. In many ways, it's an accepted part of how policymakers do business. What might be surprising to some is how this system impacts state officials' behavior.Stated do not have a strong incentive to spend money on projects like dams or levees. These projects are expensive, and spending money on them diverts funds away from more visible and popular initiatives with voters. When a disaster strikes, the governor takes cover and blames the federal government for the lack of funding for infrastructure programs. Winning Elections On Disaster Response (or Recovery) I have argued that we do respond well for the most part. It is covered in the national news showing the heroic actions of rescues from flood waters and firefighters battling the blazes engulfing homes. If there are complaints about how the government failed, it is due to how recovery is handled. How does this impact politics? Local and national leaders are rewarded at the polls when the public thinks they did a good job handling natural disasters and punished when people think they did a lousy job. For a politician's handling of a disaster to be reflected at the polls, voters first need to be aware of the natural disaster and their elected officials. Second, they need to link the political actors with the disaster. They have to believe politicians should take some blame and not place it all on the stroke of bad luck or a negligent corporation. Third, they need to assess whether the leader handled the situation well or poorly.The nation's sensitivity to disaster relief has caused policymakers to undervalue disaster preparedness. As I have written before, politicians are rewarded by the voters when they give or get funding for recovery, and preparedness dollars go unnoticed. The problem is that when disaster preparedness is done well, nobody notices. And I believe some may want the administration in power to fail so that the opposition party can use it for fodder in the next election. As emergency managers, we must keep ourselves out of disaster politics. However, we need to be aware that they exist. At times we are made the scapegoat for failed policies. Start thinking about how seemingly independent systems are connected. We need to understand the political, social, and practical implications of emergency management and disaster response policies and how to navigate them. What To Read: Creating a Personal Development PlanTodd T. DeVoeYou’ve heard the saying, “If you don’t plan, you are planning to fail.” However, even understanding that comment, we forget about it in our personal lives. Most of the time, we apply that type of rational thought to our work life. We sadly forget that planning our personal development is also essential to achieving everything in life we desire. In addition, personal development does include career development.The Speed to Scale ChallengeKelly McKinneyIn late August 2005, the days before Hurricane Katrina made landfall on America's Gulf Coast, FEMA—its federal emergency management agency—deployed an Emergency Response Team to the State of Louisiana’s Emergency Operations Center.But, when it arrived, the FEMA ERT could not combine forces with the emergency managers in Louisiana. Similarly, the State of

Join Todd and Toni as they discuss developing and mentoring the next generation of emergency managers. It is up to the current emergency management profession to ensure that the next generation is ready to take the helm. Todd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/ Guest Info HereLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonihauser/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Last week, I started this piece on what it is to be a humanitarian. This came from a great interview I did with Kerri Murray, the President of ShelterBox for NDEM's Prepare, Respond, Recover podcast. Since then, the National Geographic Society released a documentary on Chef Jose Andres and the nonprofit he created World Central Kitchen. That coincidence confirmed to me that I had to do this piece. Even as the war in Ukraine is still raging on, the yellow and blue flags are being removed from people's profiles, and companies are moving on to the next trending event to virtue signal on social media. Some organizations are still trying to provide aid to those in need. However, let's not forget that Ukraine is not the only country where war has ravaged the people living there. The Syrian civil war broke out when the Arab Spring was in the news. And like all events, the news outlets move on to the next exciting event in a few weeks and forget about the people there. Despite waning international interest, the humanitarian crisis sparked by the Syrian civil war is far from over. The U.N. estimates that 13.1 million people need assistance, which could continue to rise if the fighting is not ended. And the humanitarian crisis will persist if Syria does not find the resources to begin rebuilding.The issue that we need to explore is not the lack of humanitarian organizations that want to help. It is the lack of access to those in need. I have had the privilege of working with FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance to train staff that would provide aid to areas that other NGOs could not access. When I was working with FOCUS, it was the first time I learned that humanitarian agencies were being blocked from giving aid.To be clear, it is not only one organization telling this tail of not being able to get access. There is a widespread consensus in the humanitarian sector that their operational space is shrinking. This has been attributed to an erosion of respect for international humanitarian law, relief operations being hindered by legal and administrative impediments, and targeted violence towards humanitarian workers. These issues create an increasingly hostile and challenging operational environment and have serious consequences. Since the 2003 attack on the U.N. in Baghdad, when 22 humanitarian workers were killed, over 5,000 humanitarian workers have been victims of violence, with over 1,800 being killed. The Shrinking humanitarian space also significantly impacts beneficiaries, as it can cause crisis victims to become 'double victims.'The concept of shrinking humanitarian space is not a new phenomenon; however, the events of recent years have led to rejuvenated discussions, as several commentators are now stating that humanitarian space is facing a new level of challenges and 'is under assault.' This is exemplified by aid workers and organizations increasingly becoming targets in conflict zones. 2019 was the most dangerous year for humanitarians, as 484 aid workers were victims of major attacks. In addition, humanitarian access is being consistently impeded, aid groups are becoming objects of social media smear campaigns, and major donors are making 'unrealistic demands' about the programs they fund.2020 has brought further difficulties, as extensive restrictions imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 aggravate existing challenges and result in the complete or partial suspension of critical humanitarian activities. Conflicts, natural disasters, and various other threats are continually causing severe humanitarian crises and displacement worldwide. Humanitarian workers are consistently undertaking essential, life-saving work. The ongoing efforts to hamper their crucial activities are creating substantial difficulties concerning maintaining a functional humanitarian space and endangering the lives of aid workers and the people they are working to assist. The Emergency Management Network stands with those in the humanitarian sector affected by the increasingly hostile operational environment, and we urge tremendous respect for international humanitarian principles and laws.It is up to those in safe areas to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. We all got into this field to make a difference and save lives. We can do this by demanding that humanitarian efforts not be hindered by politics and violence. What to ReadThe Speed to Scale ChallengeBy Kelly McKinneyIn late August 2005, the days before Hurricane Katrina landed fall on America's Gulf Coast, FEMA—its federal emergency management agency—deployed an Emergency Response Team to the State of Louisiana’s Emergency Operations Center.But, when it arrived, the FEMA ERT could not combine forces with the emergency managers in Louisiana. Similarly, the State of Louisiana emergency managers could not combine forces with those in the City of New Orleans.Creating a Personal Development PlanBy Todd T. DeVoeYou’ve heard the saying, “If you don’t plan, you are planning to f

Join Josh Bowen and Todd De Voe as they discuss ways you can make your community antifragile. Today Communities are facing complex challenges, natural and human-caused disasters, political division, supply chain issues, globalization, urbanization, homelessness, and land-use problems. To help strengthen our communities, we must address these threats, and a call for action that combines disaster preparedness with empathy, robust planning, and moving toward being an antifragile society. Community resilience focuses on reducing the negative impacts of disasters and becoming stronger after the event. An antifragile community is socially connected and is able to withstand disaster and foster a strong recovery to become better. Antifragile communities promote individual and collective programs to strengthen their residents for daily, and extreme, challenges.Todd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/ Josh BowenTwitter: https://twitter.com/joshsbowenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-bowen/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NAIT/website: https://www.nait.ca/cademInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nait/Youtuve: https://www.youtube.com/user/naitvideos This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

A humanitarian crisis arises when an event affects vulnerable populations who are unable to withstand the negative consequences by themselves, and unfortunately, poor populations are likely to be more vulnerable to man-made or natural disasters. As other organizations fill the need for food and medical supplies, ShelterBox is providing the basic need for shelter. Listen in to this week’s episode of prepare.respond.recover as we explore how the disaster relief charity ShelterBox was formed and how they are working to help those in need.If you would like to learn more about the Natural Disaster & Emergency Management (NDEM) Expo please visit us on the web - https://www.ndemevent.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Disaster Economics, Do We Have The Will To Change? I was writing a piece for this week on the efforts of humanitarians in the world. (This is because I had a great interview published on June 7 on Prepare. Response. Recover.) I could not shake the need to talk about disaster economics. As the hurricane season is upon us, Alex is heading to Flordia with an early-season storm as I read these words. We need to look at some history to address the future. On February 1, 1953, a fierce, sustained storm created a massive surge in the North Sea off the coast of Holland. Floodwaters overtopped the dikes, swallowing half a million acres of land and killing nearly two thousand people. Within weeks of the storm, the government of Holland created a plan known as the Delta Plan, which is a set of recommendations for flood-control measures. Over the next four decades, the Dutch invested billions of guilders in a vast collection of dams and barriers, culminating in constructing the Maeslant (Mas Lont) Barrier, an enormous movable seawall to protect the port of Rotterdam. Since the Delta Plan, the Netherlands has not been flooded by the sea again.In the United States, policymakers fail to look at how disasters and the recovery process are costing taxpayers more money, time, and effort than if we invest in prevention, infrastructure improvements, and meaningful mitigation efforts. Brock Long stated in an interview, "we're in a vicious cycle of communities being impacted by disasters and having to constantly rebuild. And it's almost as if we're not learning anything from what mother nature and history has taught us." In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which brought havoc to the Northeast and inflicted tens of billions of dollars in damage, it's overwhelmingly clear that parts of the U.S. need a Delta Plan of their own. Sandy was not an isolated incident: Hurricane Irene caused nearly sixteen billion dollars in damage, and Hurricane Michael caused $25.1 billion. There is a growing consensus that extreme weather events are becoming more common and damaging. The annual cost of natural disasters in the U.S. has doubled over the past two decades. Instead of just cleaning up after disasters hit. We need to ask whether we can find the political will to invest in such ideas. Although politicians have called for significant new investment in disaster prevention, reports from Washington suggest that Congress will be more willing to spend money on relief than on preparedness.That's what history would lead you to expect: for the most part, the U.S. has shown a marked bias toward relieving victims of disaster while underinvesting in prevention. A study by the economist Andrew Healy and the political scientist Neil Malhotra showed that, between 1985 and 2004, the government spent annually, on average, fifteen times as much on disaster relief as on preparedness.Politically speaking, it's always easier to shell out money for a disaster that has already happened, with clearly identifiable victims, than to invest money in protecting against something that may or may not occur in the future. Healy and Malhotra found that voters reward politicians for spending money on post-disaster cleanup but not for investing in disaster prevention, and it's only natural that politicians respond to this incentive. The federal system complicates matters, too: local governments want decision-making authority, but major disaster-prevention projects are bound to require federal money. And much crucial infrastructure in the U.S. is owned by the private sector, not the government, making it harder to do something like bury power lines.These are genuine hurdles, and safeguarding the great expanse of the Atlantic coast is a much more expensive proposition than defending Holland's smaller one. But there's a more fundamental problem: the U.S., as a rule, tends to underinvest in public infrastructure. We've been skimping on the maintenance of roads and bridges for decades. The American Society of Civil Engineers gives the nation's infrastructure a grade of C-minus; however, 11 of the 17 infrastructure categories evaluated are graded in the "D" range. In addition, they found that 70% of the nation's electrical transmission and distribution lines are well into the second half of their expected 50-year lifespans. In the United States, utility customers experienced just over eight hours of power interruptions in 2020, more than double the amount in 2013, when the government began tracking outage lengths. Last four times as long as those in France and seven times as long as those in the Netherlands. This isn't because of a lack of resources; the U.S. is the biggest economy. Though we may have the most incredible twenty-first-century technology in our homes, we're stuck with mid-twentieth-century roads and wires.Meaningful disaster-prevention measures will undoubtedly be expensive: Yet inaction can be even more costly; after Katrina, the government had to spend more than a

Have you ever thought about what happens with the personal effects from the disaster zone? Robert A. Jensen has written an up-close and personal look at the difficult work behind the yellow tape. He has chronicled the grim job of sorting through the personal effects and what the personal tool the repeated exposure to mass death brings. Todd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/ Robert JensenTwitter handle : https://twitter.com/robert_ajensenLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-a-jensen/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robert.a.jensen.37Website https://robertajensen.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/robertajensen01/6gq4ltXGoDvHm4EdaErx This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Commander’s Intent: Why Emergency Management Should Embrace ItExtreme Ownership is one of those books that emergency managers have been recommending to each other since Jocko Willink and Leif Babin published it. It is a best-selling leadership book. Frankly, I was not a fan of the book, primarily because of the war stories. As a Greenside Navy veteran, I guess it should have gotten all moto reading of the exploits of life and death and decision making. It was not a bad book, and I got some leadership lessons out of it, and that was that. I like the message that Jacko and Leif have, and in general, they make excellent points in the book. It was not until I was invited to attend a Milestone Leadership Summitt where Jacko Willink conducted the workshop that I appreciated Jacko and Leif's work. This story did not start out as a day of contemplation and lessons learned. I thought it would be a motivational speaker and more about the books circulating around the room. When I got to the workshop, like most of us in emergency management, I found my way to the back of the room, landed myself at a table with a couple of people I knew, and made sure my coffee was hot. Quickly our table became full of veterans and public safety guys (we gravitated toward each other). Our day of leadership lessons started. I was not sure what I would get out of this experience. I was mildly enthusiastic about the event, I always enjoy learning new things, and I liked the book's message. Who can argue with taking Ownership of your team and the decisions you make? Okay, I will cut the chase. It was a great workshop. It was not Jacko standing on the stage telling us how cool he was. And he could have pulled that off. He could hold the room. He took the time to break down the concepts in his book and put the why behind each segment.Now for full disclosure, a lot of what he talks about are principles of leadership that have been taught in the Navy/Marine Corps leadership programs. However, Jacko could break them down, remove the military from the idea and present them to a general audience. That is the beauty of his program. Decentralized CommandLet's explore Jacko's idea of Decentralized Command. The concept is simple but hard to execute if you do not build trust with your team. With Decentralized Command, everyone is a leader. Last week on the Todd DeVoe Show, Brad Borkan talked about the remarkable leadership of Ernest Shackleton. One of the exciting things about Shackleton's team was its decentralized command structure. In the military, formal leadership is a two-up and two-down. You always have someone in the command structure who can take responsibility for the team. More on this idea later. To understand this, decentralization of decision-making is not every person for themselves. Each team member must understand the Intent of the mission. I talk about this with the idea of "commander's intent" in a few lessons and lectures. What is Commander's Intent? Commander's Intent describes and defines what a successful mission will look like. Military planning begins with the Mission Statement that describes the who, what, when, where, and why (the 5 W's) of how a mission will be executed. Commander's Intent describes how the Commander (read: CEO) envisions the battlefield after the mission. It shows what success looks like. Commander's Intent fully recognizes the chaos, lack of a complete information picture, changes in the situation, and other relevant factors that may make a plan entirely or partially obsolete when executed. The role of the Commander's Intent is to empower subordinates and guide their initiative and improvisation as they adapt the plan to the changing environment. Commander's Intent empowers initiative, improvisation, and adaptation by providing guidance on what a successful conclusion looks like. Commander's Intent is vital in chaotic, demanding, and dynamic environments.This moves to the second part of the principle of decentralized command. L. David Marquet's book "Turn the Ship Around!" examines the idea of "I intend to" vs. "May I" when it comes to subordinate decision making. As a leader, you need to strike the right balance between being inside the problem and supporting your team's decision-making. Applying the lessons to EMIn emergency management, the situation changes quickly, and teams need to be able to move with ease and without friction. The leaders must be free to get where they are needed the most. The emergency manager's role is not just to track each team is doing. You must feed essential information back to the team, and the team should supply you with what is happing in the field. One critical part of this two-way communication, the team in the field or on the project, needs to feel they can ask for clarification without being punished. As a leader of teams, you need to make sure that each team member knows that you are there to open doors and kick down walls for them if needed. The key to Commander's In

In any field, you need to make decisions, and in public safety, the decisions you make can be life and death. This month we talk with Brad Borkan, the author of When Your Life Depends On ItExtreme Decision-Making Lessons from the Antarctic. We will explore how to make better decisions and how When Your Life Depends on It is action-packed and fast-paced. Historically accurate, complete with jaw-dropping storytelling, this book explains the mindset of the explorers who risked life and limb in the Antarctic to explore, discover and further the cause of science. Their lives depended on mutual respect, resilience, camaraderie, loyalty, determination, the ability to resolve conflict and move forward, leadership, and decision-making. All that can be summarised in one word - teamwork! Teamwork was the foundation on which Antarctic exploration was built.Brad studied how people and businesses can make better decisions. He has a graduate degree in Decision Sciences from the University of Pennsylvania and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Brad’s expertise is in leadership, teamwork, and decision-making, especially as it applies to people, teams, and businesses striving for epic achievement.Todd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/ Brad BorkanTwitter handle https://twitter.com/PolarDecisionsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradborkan-author-keynotespeaker/Website http://www.extreme-decisions.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/extremedecisions/Youtube youtube.com/channel/UCdjr9AklC6ceQjPsxibaWjA This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Do You know You Are In The Water? I have only recently learned of a great thinker named David Foster Wallace. He was a writer and college professor and challenged the way people look at life. Although he left this world way too young, David made a lasting mark with his writings and thoughts. When I think of the people I have come in contact with, both good and bad, I try to learn from them. David Forter Wallace, when he was addressing the students at Kenyon College, he started his speech with this story: There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, "Morning, boys. How's the water?" And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually, one of them looks over at the other and goes, "What the hell is water?"One of my students asked me how someone in emergency management can positively impact their community. The answer was simple, don’t forget the people you serve. However, we should explore this question and my response a little deeper. In the spirit of David Foster Wallace, the simple answer may be the most complex. We must break down this student's question first as a humanitarian and then as a professional. And for my friends that do not think you are a humanitarian, you are in the wrong line of work. We have chosen a field where we deal with disasters that impact people's lives. We have to remember that we are serving people, not the damage that has occurred or the threat we face. I have repeatedly seen how we meet the challenges of the danger, the hurricane, the storm, the fire, the earthquake, but we forget about how these disasters affect the displaced people. We talk about numbers, the billions of dollars the response costs, the number of acres burned, the thousands of emergency responders on scene, and the total number of people evacuated. We don't talk about the number of people returning to a home that was underwater or burned to the ground. Their struggles to rebuild their home that will never be the same for them. We ignore their losses that will never be replaced, the loss of photos hanging on the wall, the baby clothes in a cedar chest in the attic that are gone forever, and the blanket that kept them warm when sitting on their favorite chair. We forget about the loss of the residents from the community that cannot or will not return. They may be a statistic in some accounting program at city hall, but they are real people to neighbors and friends that are now lost. When we talk about recovery, it is all numbers and not reflective of what the community is or was. We do not realize that we are in the water. The fish story's point is that the most obvious, important realities are often the hardest to see and talk about...In the day-to-day trenches of emergency management, the banal platitudes of "we have been there and done that" and “You did a great job on this drill, everyone.” You know, the ones that make us all feel good even when we see areas of improvement. They can have a life or death importance. Before I Got Old, I Had All of The AnswersWhen I was young and had all of life's answers, I complained about running a routine call and how the victim's family was in a panic. A senior department member looked at me and told me that this might be the 1,000th time you have seen this issue. However, it was their first time for them. What I learned that day is that we need to put ourselves in their shoes, empathy is the most critical skill that we can learn and develop, especially when we have become hardened to the horrors of the job. We need to celebrate the victories, the lives saved from near death, the family reunified with their pet, the everyday hero who was at the right place and did the right thing. We need to bring the community together after the disaster and lead them through recovery. We need to share tears and smiles with the people that look to us for answers. And together, we can become a stronger community. When we seek the truth of what we do, it has nothing to do with the number of years on the job, the training, the classes we attend, and the meetings we hold. Everything that we do as emergency managers are simple. It is awareness, awareness of what is fundamental and essential, awareness that we are serving the people of our jurisdiction, the members of our organization, and the individuals in need. We need to keep the core of what we do in mind, life safety, preserving property, and protecting the environment. As David Foster Wallace said, we have to keep reminding ourselves over and over:This is water.This is water.PodcastsThe Todd DeVoe ShowEmergency Management as a Second CareerEmergency Management is a highly diverse career field with a favorably projected future job growth. There is no clearly defined pathway for becoming an emergency manager and why are people moving to emergency management? Because there are opportunities in public service at all levels of government and a

Emergency Management is a highly diverse career field with a favorably projected future job growth. There is no clearly defined pathway for becoming an emergency manager and why are people moving to emergency management? Because there are opportunities in public service at all levels of government and a variety of sectors, including education, healthcare, and private business. Today, we explore emergency management as a second career with Jill Caputi and Cassie Nanoff. Todd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/ Cassie Nanoff - LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassondrananoff/Jill Caputi - LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-caputi/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Today prepare.respond.recover. speaks with Lead Research Meteorologist and Senior Director for Standards and Analytics Dr. Ian Giammanco from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) as he talks about the crazy experiments IBHS conducts to save lives and property as a result of severe weather. Why does IBHS do what they do? As we unfortunately know, severe weather disrupts lives, displaces families, and drives financial loss, however IBHS’s building safety research helps lead us to real-world solutions for home and business owners, helping to create more resilient communities.If you would like to learn more about the Natural Disaster & Emergency Management (NDEM) Expo please visit us on the web - https://www.ndemevent.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

The Infant Formula Problem and Emergency ManagementI have talked about supply chain issues on The Todd DeVoe Show and Business Continuity Today. And When we discussed this issue, it was more about how the cost of items across the spectrum are increasing. The other day, I was grocery shopping with my 9-year-old daughter, and she noticed that when we checked out, the baby formula was behind a locked cabinet. She is a very observant child and inquisitive. She asked me what was that and why was it protected. I told her that it was baby formula and that because it was so expensive, at times, people try to steal it.On our way home, she contemplated that problem for a while and asked me why can't we help babies with getting the formula. I am always honest with her and explained that the government has programs. My wife is a social worker and I used her as an example of how social services work. And then we discussed Women Infant and Children (WIC) support, and more specifically how that helps with buying food for babies. She was satisfied with that answer. Until we got home. It is strange how the world works because when we got home, the news story on TV was about the infant formula shortage and how online, private sellers are gouging prices, marketing cans for double or triple their usual price and many large retailers are sold out altogether. Then our conversation we got into was about how the supply of the formula was disrupted, which caused the price to increase and that some people cannot afford the formula and resort to thievery. I share this story with you because the collective we (or the royal we) have decided that society will look after those in need when it comes to infants and children. That there is a role for government agencies to perform. However, in this crisis, should it be more than social services responding to the event? Is This Crisis an Emergency? This got me thinking about how as emergency managers, how do we look at each crisis that comes across our news wire. I am not arguing that we need to have emergency management involved in the supply chain crisis or even the issues of the formula shortage. However, the formula problem can become, and I might say, is a true health care crisis for the poor and women and children on the margins. How did This Crisis Start? Let's first explore how the formula shortage began. As I stated, the ongoing supply chain disruptions have been the cause of shortages of a wide range of consumer goods. In February, the current lack of baby formula became worse after manufacturer Abbott issued a recall for products made at a Michigan plant and sold under the Similac, Alimentum, and EleCare labels. The reason for the recall call Four children — one in Minnesota, one in Texas, and two in Ohio — fell ill with bacterial infections, and two died. The deaths of the infants, caused the FDA to shut the factory down. What is the impact of the shutdown? The states seeing the worst shortages include Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota — all with out-of-stock rates of about 50 percent. A total of 26 states have out-of-stock rates of 40 to 50 percent.San Antonio's out-of-stock rate has climbed to 57 percent among metro areas, with Memphis and Nashville at 52 percent and Houston and Des Moines at 50 percent.According to news reports, Abbot is working to address the issues and resume production of infant formula products. Brian Dittmeier, senior director of public policy at the National WIC Association stated that Abbott is the exclusive supplier for more than half the nation's WIC agencies, through which more than 1.2 million infants receive formula benefits, Dittmeier said. Such benefits are typically limited to various formulas, but agencies have waived some requirements to give families more flexibility during the shortage.Formula Has Become A Public Policy IssueWhy is this critical for public officials to aggressively address this shortage? Because infant formula recall is having severe issues for babies and could lead to additional health problems in the future. Dittmeier said that the National WIC Association has been sounding the alarm about "risky behaviors" amplified on social media, "including the use of homemade formulas, diluting infant formula, consuming recalled formula products, or introducing cow's milk earlier than recommended."With the trust of the national government at an all-time low, the formula shortage is causing additional concern about how government agencies are prepared to deal with any crisis. Resources:https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/05/11/baby-formula-shortage-similac-alimentum-elecare-fda/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/10/us/baby-formula-shortage.htmlhttps://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/05/17/public-trust-in-government-1958-2021/PodcastsThe Todd De Voe ShowAsk Todd, Explore Insightful and Humble Answers to Life’s QuestionsTodd DeVoe shares his perspective on the questions that we all have asked oursel

Todd DeVoe shares his perspective on the questions that we all have asked ourselves. The only thing I know is that I know nothing This statement is known as the Socratic Paradox. True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.⁣ So let's dive into the questions and have a great conversation. The EM Network - https://emnetwork.substack.com/p/socratic-paradox-in-emergency-management?s=wTodd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

A Mother's Day MessageHappy Mother's Day to all the mothers in the world. Our team wants you to know that we appreciate you. So when I was looking for a topic for this week, I felt that it was essential to address how disasters worldwide impact women. Asako Okai, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDP Crisis Bureau, stated in her piece, "Women are hit hardest in disasters, so why are responses too often gender-blind?" Women and children are 14 times more likely than men to die in a disaster. As noted In the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, 70 percent of the people that died were women. So How Do Disasters Impact Women Differently? New projections of global poverty by UN Women, UNDP, and the Pardee Center for International Futures estimate that, globally, 388 million women and girls will be living in extreme poverty in 2022 (compared to 372 million men and boys). But the outlook could be far worse. In a "high-damage" scenario, this number could balloon to 446 million (427 million for men and boys). This is a fundamental factor leading to higher mortality rates when compared to men during a disaster. Because women are statistically poorer, they have far limited available financial resources, such as resilient housing. Women typically have limited financial safety nets and often less education to seek employment to rectify their collective situations. These social vulnerabilities explode during and after a disaster, ensuring a cycle of poverty that can become generational.Why Water Matters? In last week's Weekly Round-Up, we shared an article from the Crisis Response Journal on Africa's water security. We chose this piece because of its implications on climate migration. However, in many parts of the world, lack of access to clean water and poverty go hand in hand with women facing hazards. The female populations of developing nations are more likely to be responsible for retrieving water for their family. Water scarcity forces women to walk further from the safety of their homes to collect water, making them increasingly susceptible to sexual assault and rape. In Bangladesh, which is considered the epicenter of climate change, the World Health Organization has estimated that in 8 out of 10 homes, women are exposed to the risk of harassment, sexual assault, and rape when collecting water. Women's Health Care and Disasters One of the significant issues facing women worldwide is they are susceptible to poor health outcomes, violence, and inequalities in all stages of a disaster. In developing countries, women have less access to education, including basic survival skills such as swim safety. The lack of training reduces their ability to flee in rising floodwaters, for example. In these nations, Women traditionally are homebound, caring for their family members. They do not have access to the early warning systems, reducing their disaster preparedness and response times and increasing their chances of death. That is one of the significant factors explaining why 90 percent of the 140,000 people who died during the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone were female.At any disaster, women have a statistically higher instance of forced marriage. They are exposed to sexual violence and can be required to engage in transactional sex for financial coping strategies. For example, after the 2004 tsunami in India, nine out of ten women affected by the disaster had experienced sexual violence within two years of the incident. The impacts of disasters on women are not only in developing nations. After the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, New Zealand saw a 40% rise in intimate partner violence in rural areas. The Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 proved that the issues facing women have not changed significantly. Although they're no longer blamed for disasters, they're not included in the relief process. During a fact-finding trip to areas affected by the 2011 tsunami, Akiko Domoto, an environmentalist, feminist, and former governor of Tokyo's neighboring Chiba Prefectures, found those "in charge of a shelter in Minamisoma would not let the evacuees put up dividers. This meant there was no place for women to change, for infants to nurse, or for the elderly to change their diapers." In addition to a lack of privacy in shelters, there was also a lack of essential women's goods and an expectation that women would help with reconstruction by spending their days in the shelters cooking.Women-Owned Business and Disasters In the U.S. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) study showed that businesses run by women had been impacted more by disasters. They are more likely to close, experience decreased revenue, and lose customers. NIST surveyed 1,300 businesses. The study showed that women-owned businesses had fewer employees and reported less disaster preparedness than other businesses. And women-owned businesses are considered less essential to the community's overall economy. This is because most women-owned businesses a

EMI is announcing a new program, the Planning Practitioner Program. The Planning Practitioner Program (PPP) is a series of two (2) resident courses in Emmitsburg, MD, and an online Capstone. The PPP will have two (2) cohorts in FY23, beginning October 17th and January 9th. you can Apply at training.fema.govTodd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/ James GreenshieldsTwitter handle https://twitter.com/FEMA_EMILinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesgreenshields/Website https://training.fema.gov/netc_online_admissions/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fema/?hl=enYoutube https://www.youtube.com/user/FEMA This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

According to NOAA, severe weather issues (such as more frequent and intense heat waves and hurricanes dumping more than the usual rainfall) are an increasing liability to the economy, with 10 weather and climate disasters costing more than $1 billion each so far this year! In addition, western wildfires have also cost more than $40 billion during the past two years alone. Today, prepare.respond.recover. speaks with StormGeo’s TropicWatch Manager Chris Hebert to discuss how the rising costs of changing weather trends, advances in data-gathering and processing, and access to low Earth orbit (remove comma) have allowed StormGeo to lead the way in keeping critical businesses informed on storms heading their way.If you would like to learn more about the Natural Disaster & Emergency Management (NDEM) Expo please visit us on the web - https://www.ndemevent.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

What is The Intersection of Emergency Management and Climate Adaptation?As Earth (Day) Week comes to a close, I am left with the question, how do we see the intersection of emergency management and climate adaptation? Holly ManieOskoii’s piece Climate Resilience Can Elevate The Emergency Management Field explores the idea that the knowledge of basic climate science is a critical area of study for emergency management. I have to agree with that assessment as well. Photo by Louis Maniquet on UnsplashOne of the areas that I studied in graduate school was land use and the environment. The link between land use, climate, and disasters are complex. A great example of land use and the impacts on disaster response is Houston and Hurricane Harvey. When Harvey stalled over Houston, the rain caused extreme flooding. Fifteen Counties in the region reported over 25” of rainfall (the depth of an average toddler pool). The flooding was characterized by extreme precipitation events, low topographic relief, and clay-dominated soils. It is naturally flood-prone. However, Houston is also one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. This rapid growth has contributed to increased runoff volumes and rates in areas where climate changes have also been shown to be contributing to extreme precipitation. Why Should Emergency Managers Care? That is always the question, what is the threat matrix for the climate-caused emergencies. In the SouthWest United States, we are experiencing a year-round fire season. Fulled by dry winds and ample fule. With increasing global surface temperatures, the possibility of more droughts and increased intensity of storms will likely occur. As more water vapor is evaporated into the atmosphere, more powerful storms develop. More heat in the atmosphere and warmer ocean surface temperatures can increase wind speeds in tropical storms. I hope you all had a great Earth Day (Week), and please join us on May 19th, 2022 | at 11 AM PT for a great discussion on climate-induced relocation and why emergency management needs to be involved. PodcastsThe Todd De Voe ShowLeaning Forward Human-Centered Crisis Management Alicia Johnson's approach to getting your organization ready for a crisis is different from others; she takes a human approach to planning. Using a human-centered design to support those decisions may prove beneficial as you decide how your company will respond to an emergency. Leaders must consider how a crisis can affect their employees, their employee's families, and the community.So how can a leader hope to strike a balance between saving their business and mitigating a crisis? A human-centered design approach to that question is a positive place to begin.Alicia JohnsonTwitter handle https://twitter.com/UrbanAreaAliciaLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciadjohnson/Website https://twolynchpinroad.com/prepare respond recoverBusiness Continuity Today Building High-Quality Teams and CultureA NASCAR PIT CREW COMES TO MIND when I think of a high-performing team. Each team member has a critical role to play, and they are specialized, hyper-focuses, and ready to achieve outstanding results under pressure. How can you achieve the outcomes your team can give you? Quality performance management empowers collaborative workspaces and develops result-orientated teams.LinksWeb: https://titanhst.com/LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3KgRvv6Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/titanhst/Twitter: https://twitter.com/TitanHSTFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TitanHST/Youtube: https://bit.ly/3mePJyGprepare respond recover The Cooling Solutions Challenge DHS's Fight Against Climate ChangeJoin Prepare. Respond. Recover. as we explore the Department of Homeland Security’s prize competitions on strengthening the nation’s resilience to climate change. The “Cooling Solutions Challenge” is part of DHS’s effort to implement a proactive approach to climate change resilience. DHS is looking for novel ways to protect those at risk of heat-related illness or death, including first responders, households, or group quarters without access to conventional cooling systems or are experiencing sustained power outages, plus displaced or homeless populations. Relative to current cooling solutions, these new designs will be more eco-friendly and energy-efficient while being cost-effective, scalable, durable, and allowing for alternate power sources.If you would like to learn more about the Natural Disaster & Emergency Management (NDEM) Expo, please visit us on the web - https://www.ndemevent.comWhat to ReadClimate Resilience Can Elevate The Emergency Management FieldBy Holly ManieOskoiiAcross the country, communities are creating plans, positions, and funding to address climate adaptation and resilience. FEMA’s strategic plan leads the emergency management field towards “Goal 2: Lead the whole community in climate resilience.” This is a pivotal time for emergency management and adjacent fields to actively participate in climate

Alicia Johnson's approach to getting your organization ready for a crisis is different from others; she takes a human approach to planning. As you come to decide how your company will respond to an emergency, using a human-centered design to support those decisions may prove beneficial. Leaders must consider how a crisis can affect their employees, their employee's families, and the community.So how can a leader hope to strike a balance between saving their business and mitigating a crisis? A human-centered design approach to that question is a positive place to begin.Todd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/ Alicia JohnsonTwitter handle https://twitter.com/UrbanAreaAliciaLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciadjohnson/Website https://twolynchpinroad.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Theory-N2-Practice we talk about leadership through healthy lifestyle. Our daily activity and thinking can lift us up or tear us down. You will hear me say time and time again that leadership is a skill, a skill that gets better with intention, purpose, and practice. Your health and mindset are a result of your intention and purpose and are truly a difference between life and death. Links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-scott-m-a-cem%C2%AE-empp-3-59a8a86a/https://www.instagram.com/d_scott_overdeliver/https://www.facebook.com/D.Scott.and.Associates/https://twitter.com/Haven1981 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

The concept of partnering with institutions of higher education to assist with this educational and training challenge was developed in 1994 by Kay Goss with the launch of the FEMA Higher Education Project. Since 1994, the Higher Education Program, with the mission to engage emergency management academia, and practitioners, has helped foster growth in the academic community, including college and university-based programs in emergency management, homeland security, and related fields.Together, they have fostered a culture of continuous learning and innovation through education and research to meet the nation's challenges.Future Episodes on Bullhorn https://www.bullhorn.fm/Get the App or use your computer. -Participant Chat-Q&A for the Speakers-Live Polls-Add speakers to the conversationTodd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/ Kay GossWeb-https://www.unlv.edu/people/kay-gossLinkedIn-https://www.linkedin.com/in/kay-collett-goss-cem-2351535/Twitter-https://twitter.com/KAYCGOSS This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Todd Mans, Founder of The Blue Cell, joins prepare.respond.recover. host Todd DeVoe to discuss why he started his training and exercise company. The two Todds explore game theory, why education and training is essential for emergency management professionals, and why it is important to take a "big tent" approach to preparing local emergency services to respond and recover to major disasters. Tune into this week’s episode now to learn more.If you would like to learn more about the Natural Disaster & Emergency Management (NDEM) Expo please visit us on the web - https://www.ndemevent.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe