Andrew Donawa, an emergency manager within the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, discusses the unique role of law enforcement in emergency management. He highlights the importance of having dedicated emergency managers in every agency, regardless of the scale of the emergency. Andrew also shares his experiences in building an incident management team and the benefits of incorporating technology, such as L3 Harris radios and mobile command posts, into emergency response efforts. The conversation discusses the implementation of new communication technologies in emergency management, specifically t ..read more

In this episode, Zack discusses the upcoming eclipse and its impact on communities. He emphasizes the importance of preparedness and readiness for large events, regardless of their scale. Zack highlights the anticipated impacts of the eclipse, such as increased traffic and congestion, and the strain on critical infrastructure. He also addresses communication challenges and the need for emergency response planning. Additionally, Zack discusses the importance of healthcare facilities and emergency services in handling the surge in demand during the eclipse. He suggests declaring a state of emer ..read more

In this episode, Zack discusses the cell phone outage affecting major carriers and emphasizes the importance of having a PACE (Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency) communication plan. He explores alternate communication methods such as landlines, Wi-Fi, and smart devices, and contingency methods like satellite phones and radios. Zack also mentions the impact of solar flares on communication systems and highlights the need for communication plans during events like the solar eclipse. He advises emergency managers to consider transportation and mass casualty plans and suggests utilizing r ..read more

Joseph Porcelli, the Global Public Agency, Life Safety & Disaster Response Lead at Nextdoor, discusses the importance of connecting neighbors and building community resilience. He shares his journey from taking action in his own neighborhood to joining Nextdoor and working with emergency managers across the country. Porcelli emphasizes the value of service and the power of asking for and offering help. He highlights the Storm Crew initiative on Nextdoor and the role it plays in reducing the burden on government and fostering connections between neighbors. Porcelli also discusses the import ..read more

When it comes to confronting challenges, it's rare that they get any easier with time. One of the biggest challenges for emergency managers is tackling the massive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) gaps that have festered in emergency management for decades. These failures affect how we plan, respond, and recover from disasters. The lack of DEI in our agencies and organizations also holds back our profession. Brandy, the disaster lawyer, joins us to discuss these challenges and provide some critical insight into how we can start this process and why it's important to finally put your effo ..read more

Today I am joined by Eric Kant to discuss the future of emergency management and public safety. We're talking AI, digital twins, virtual reality, blockchain, and all sorts of other technologies. We challenge the status quo and introduce things that emergency managers can introduce today to make their jobs easier and do more with data. We also talk about Hurricane Ian and how to use technology such as lidar to help with cataloging damage and mapping the extent of the disaster. Eric is a resident of Florida and is seeing the impacts of Ian in his town. If you're using tech in your preparedness ..read more

The EM Weekly podcast is saying goodbye to Todd De Voe on Feb 24th. In this final episode with Todd, he will, 'pass the mic,' to John Scardena, the host of the Disaster Tough Podcast. John is a fantastic host who will continue interviewing leaders in emergency and disaster management each week on his show. EM Weekly will continue to live on- the content and interviews that have helped so many emergency managers will remain on all podcast networks for our fans. The show has done amazing things to help the field and we will find new and exciting avenues to keep pushing the door open for emergen ..read more

Elected officials need to understand their role in emergencies, their authority, and their responsibilities. In addition, they need to understand, the role of emergency management officials and the role of the EM before, during, and after a disaster. Elected Officials need to practice with emergency management officials before a disaster occurs. So how do we bring elected officials into the emergency management fold? Links Todd De Voe Website - https://toddtdevoe.com/ Website- www.crisis-cafe.com Speak N Spark-https://bit.ly/3sTVUfr LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/3sVHL1g ..read more

On January 6, 2021, the United States Capital was marched on by protesters that eventually overtook the building. A year later, EM Weekly sat down with the team on duty in the Washington DC EOC. We take a deep dive into what it is like to manage an event that the entire world is watching. Links Christopher Rodriquez Web - https://hsema.dc.gov/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/dcfireems Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/HSEMADC Todd De Voe Website - https://toddtdevoe.com/ Website- www.crisis-cafe.com Speak N Spark-https://bit.ly/3sTVUfr LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/3sVHL1g EM Weekly Website - ht ..read more

As emergency managers, we need to keep ourselves up to date on the trends and new information that is out there. In addition, we need to read about leadership, policy, economics, past disasters, and more. So, what are the books that emergency managers should have read in 2021, and what do they need to read in 2022? Join us as we explore our list and what the emergency managers have voted on for 2021! Soraya Sutherlin Web - https://emergencymanagementsafetypartners.com/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/sorayasutherlin?lang=en Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/emsafetypartners/ LinkedIn -https ..read more