The emergency management community and average citizens are always interested in the disaster response aspect of a catastrophe. That interest fades dramatically as a disaster transitions to the recovery phase. With that in mind, this podcast takes a more in-depth look at the policy implications of the recovery phase of the Maui Firestorm of 2023.  The guest for this podcast is Luke Meyers, the Disaster Management Coordinator for the State of Hawaii, who works for the Governor. For the Maui disaster he is the State Disaster Recovery Coordinator. Previously Luke has worked in local emergen ..read more

In this podcast we have a wide-ranging discussion about the importance of weather to business and government operations around the world. Getting actionable weather forecasts has never been more important. We learn how these forecasts can be both pinpoint and actionable by incorporating what is about to happen with your operational procedures to both protect people and property.  The podcast guest is Jonathan Porter, who is AccuWeather’s Senior Vice President, Weather Content and Forecast Operations and Chief Meteorologist. He is one of AccuWeather’s most accomplished subject matter exper ..read more

Take any emergency or disaster and you will find that communications is the key ingredient that needs to be present to have a successful outcome. Communications systems are changing rapidly to become lighter with more capabilities, including linking people and organizations with satellites. This is the topic for this podcast. Note, during the recording of this podcast we had our own “communications issues” that we had to work through by using a redundant communications system. Ivan Ruiz, the podcast guest is the Mission Operations Manager at Somewear Labs, a critical communications platform e ..read more

It is not often that the host of the Disaster zone Podcast learns about an organization that has the depth and breadth of International SOS, and not had any background on the organization before this podcast recording. Based on the guest’s experience with the federal government in multiple high-level positions, you will find this podcast of great interest.  Josh Dozor is General Manager, Medical and Security Assistance Services servicing the Americas at International SOS where he is responsible for the oversight and delivery of assistance services. Josh oversees the integration and delive ..read more

The National Weather Service (NWS) and their Forecast Offices around the nation are key partners for the broader emergency management community. Because of their role in natural disasters, that always have a weather-related connection, we need to have a close working relationship between the two professions. This podcast provides for a wide-ranging discussion of all things related to NWS and forecasting the weather.  The podcast guest is Tanja Fransen who has been with NOAA/ National Weather Service for almost 30 years, starting while a college student at the University of Northern Colora ..read more

Do you ever feel like you don’t have the time or resources to accomplish everything that you are being asked to accomplish? If you are an emergency manager or working in another demanding profession, this is a very common feeling. We explore some personal solutions in this podcast. Meg Davis is a Certified Life and Health Coach with Windows Health Clinic based in Sonoma County, California, but has worked with clients around the world who specializes in helping driven, motivated high achieving professionals break down the barriers that are holding you hostage from achieving your highest potenti ..read more

One only has to watch or read the national news to see crisis communications being practiced. It could be a train derailment, a poor response by a government to a disaster, or a politician or well-known personality being pilloried in the press for something they are accused of saying or doing. In those situations you need to know something about crisis communications, the topic of this podcast. This episode's guest is Nathan is the CEO and Founder of Miller Ink, a full-service, award-winning strategic communications firm in Los Angeles. He is a communications strategist who brings novel insig ..read more

The emergency management workforce of today continues to evolve, as does the necessary training and experience needed to be a fully qualified emergency manager. In this podcast Robin Lindsay is interviewed about what she has seen and is seeing as the workforce matures and also transitions to a new generation of leaders. Robin has a unique background in that she started in emergency management, transitioned to being a first responder/emergency manager, and then dove deep into training and education. She is currently a Faculty Member for the FEMA National Emergency Management Advanced Academy (N ..read more

This podcast is about how artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to promote disaster resilience in communities threatened by wildfire. Guy Bayes, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) works at Vibrant Planet where he is focused on using data and AI to power natural climate solutions management, in order to mitigate and roll back climate change. Guy is an engineering leader with twenty years of experience in the data space. He has built and led engineering organizations at some of Silicon Valley's top organizations, including Lyft, Facebook, and Lawrence Livermore National Labs, in addition to fou ..read more

Not everyone can lead during a crisis. Some think they can, others fear that they will not be up to the task. Sometimes the crisis finds you, whether you are ready or not. In this podcast, Pete Gaynor, the immediate past Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator shares his ideas on Leadership Essentials for Unthinkable Events.  See www.femapete.com for more information.  Before becoming FEMA Administrator, he held leadership positions in emergency management in the State of Rhode Island and was initially the Deputy FEMA Administrator. Prior to his experience as an emer ..read more