The Leadership Summit is a dynamic and transformative event that brings together leaders, innovators, and visionaries from various fields and backgrounds. This summit is a platform for sharing insights, strategies, and best practices in leadership, management, and personal development. Attendees can expect engaging discussions, thought-provoking presentations, and opportunities for networking and collaboration.

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In this heartfelt and detailed episode of 'Theory into Practice,' host Dan Scott chats with retiring emergency management expert Carol Cwiak.

They discuss the controversial rebranding of the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) to the National Disaster and Emergency Management University, exploring its implications for the professionalization and capabilities of emergency management.

Carol shares her career journey, the challenges of a profession often overlooked and underfunded, and her passionate plea for the community to work together toward recognition and respect.

Tune in for an insightful discussion on the past, present, and future of emergency management.

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AI in emergency management revolutionizes the entire disaster lifecycle, from preparedness to recovery, by harnessing advanced algorithms to analyze vast data sets for risk assessment and proactive planning. AI empowers decision-makers with real-time insights from diverse sources during crises, optimizing resource allocation and response strategies. Automated tools streamline tasks like damage assessment and risk communication, while simulation models enable scenario planning for more effective interventions. In the aftermath, AI aids in post-disaster analysis, guiding long-term recovery efforts by identifying needs and optimizing rebuilding strategies. AI enhances emergency management's agility, efficiency, and resilience, ensuring more effective responses to disasters and emergencies.

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/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

Guest Info Here
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crisanta-gonzalez-mpa-32ab5b36/
Website: https://i-diem.org/herricane/ and
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReadyLA
Website: https://www.readyla.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readyla/

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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, NERC reported an increased danger of potential Russian cyberattacks on the nation’s power systems in retaliation for U.S. support for Ukraine in the current conflict.

NERC raised the issue of solar power interruptions after the 2016 Blue Cut Fire in Southern California. The wildfire triggered short circuits in transmission lines, leading to voltage drops and outages at nearby solar units.

Earlier this year, California officials described conditions that could occur this summer — including potential blackouts because of power supply shortages. Among the times with high risks: are the early evening when solar power goes away and the month of September.

MISO officials have agreed with NERC’s cautions about the strains on the region’s power supplies.

MISO is facing increased coal, natural gas, and nuclear generation retirements, leading to an inadequate response last month as it lined up power reserves to create a cushion against system disruptions and unexpectedly heavy power demand. 

The region enters the summer 1,230 MW short of meeting its planning reserve margin.

For emergency managers, stand by for power outages, and it looks like help is not coming soon. 

References: 

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-renewables-electric-grid/

https://www.nerc.com/pa/RAPA/ra/Reliability%20Assessments%20DL/NERC_SRA_2022.pdf

https://www.wsj.com/articles/americas-power-grid-is-increasingly-unreliable-11645196772

Podcasts:

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

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/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

James Green
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thejamesgreen
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejamesgreen/
Website: https://www.illuminateadvisory.com/

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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 Filtering

William 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.

Supporters

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https://titanhst.com/

https://www.ndemevent.com/en-us/show-info.html

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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/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

Nick Lowe
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/CPARS_EMHS
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-nick-lowe-cem-cbcp-mep-23572a1b
Website: https://www.cparsconsulting.com/
email: help@cparsconsulting.com

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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/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: 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.9849
Website: https://jacobgreenandassociates.com/

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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. 

Podcasts

The 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 - 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

Business Continuity Today 

Training for Active Shooters Beyond The Response 

Active shooting scenarios focus on the police response, and the larger emergency management role during these complex incidents is often overlooked. However, they are multi-week, multi-jurisdictional incidents requiring command & control, interoperable communications, and a host of other services. 

Supporters

https://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

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/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

David Riedman
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/k12ssdb
LinkedIn: 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

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 Plan

Todd T. DeVoe

You’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 Challenge

Kelly McKinney

In 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 Louisiana emergency managers could not combine forces with those in the City of New Orleans.

Podcasts

The Todd DeVoe Show 

Climb and Lift: Cultivating the Next Generation of Emergency Managers

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.

Emergency Management organizations should create opportunities to serve within a mentorship structure for individuals at all career levels. Mentors can be those who have valuable experiences and insights to share with individuals that are new to the profession and would benefit from immediate coaching during the initial phases of their careers.

Mentees can learn essential practical knowledge from their mentors; however, the process is a two-way street. Mentors can also discover important information from mentees whose perspective is quite different from theirs.

Prepare Respond Recover 

How ShelterBox is Helping Relieve Humanitarian Crisis

A humanitarian crisis arises when an event affects vulnerable populations unable to withstand the negative consequences by themselves. Unfortunately, poor populations are 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 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.

Business Continuity Today 

Leading After an Act of Violence

Acts of Violence can take many forms, which takes a tremendous toll on everyone involved. An act of violence results in increased absenteeism and turnover, high-stress levels, decreased productivity, increased Workers’ Compensation claims, damaged morale, costs involved with post-incident counseling, and much more. We have talked about prevention. Now, let’s discuss leading during the recovery.

Supporters

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https://www.ndemevent.com/en-us/show-info.html

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As we bid farewell to another remarkable year, we stand united in our commitment to resilience, preparedness, and the well-being of our communities. Together, we have faced challenges, embraced innovation, and continued to strengthen the bonds that define our emergency management family.

In 2023, your dedication to safeguarding lives, property, and the environment has been inspiring. Whether responding to natural disasters, coordinating emergency plans, or enhancing community engagement, each of you has played a crucial role in creating a safer and more resilient world.

As we step into 2024, let the spirit of hope and positivity guide us forward. May this new year bring fresh opportunities for collaboration, learning, and growth. Let's celebrate the successes of the past and channel that energy into building an even more robust, adaptive, and compassionate emergency management network.

May the coming year be filled with triumph, camaraderie, and shared achievements. May our collective efforts continue to impact the lives of those we serve positively.

Thank you for being an essential part of the Emergency Management Network. Wishing you a joyful, prosperous, and fulfilling New Year! 🌟

Stay resilient, stay prepared, and let's make 2024 a year to remember!

Cheers to a Happy New Year!

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

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/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

Guest Info Here
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonihauser/

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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 Read

The Speed to Scale Challenge

By Kelly McKinney

In 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 Plan

By Todd T. DeVoe

You’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.

Podcasts

The Todd DeVoe Show

Leading Resilient & Robust Communities

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 can withstand disaster and foster a strong recovery to become better. Antifragile communities promote individual and collective programs to strengthen residents for daily and extreme challenges.

Prepare Respond Recover

How ShelterBox is Helping Relieve Humanitarian Crisis

A humanitarian crisis arises when an event affects vulnerable populations unable to withstand the negative consequences by themselves. Unfortunately, poor populations are 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 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

Business Continuity Today

The IoT and AI Helping With Decision Making

As organizations look at ways to address the most significant challenges, from natural disasters to sustainability, they need to invest in the IoT solutions embedded with advanced analytics to better prepare for and react to these incidents.

Organizations can harness real-time data and advanced analytics to deliver meaningful results with connected sensors and long-range, low-power IoT technology leveraging artificial intelligence.

The combination of IoT-enabled analytics, devices, and networks will accelerate intelligent decisions and improve overall response time if a natural disaster occurs.

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

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/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

Josh Bowen
Twitter: https://twitter.com/joshsbowen
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-bowen/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NAIT/
website: https://www.nait.ca/cadem
Instagram: 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

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 hundred billion dollars on relief and reconstruction—and there are good reasons to believe that disaster-control measures could save money in the long run.  

The A.S.C.E. estimates that federal spending on levees pays for itself six times over. That is, the investment in infrastructure is saving taxpayers money. 

The federal government is already on the hook for all the damage caused by disasters. To be prudent stewards of taxpayers' money, we need to address how much those disasters cost and put money into prevention and preparedness programs. 

What To Read 

Global Risk Report 2022: Implications for crisis management

The Global Risk Report identifies global risk perceptions among risk experts and world leaders in business, government, and civil society. It presents the results of the latest Global Risks Perception Survey, followed by an analysis of critical risks emanating from current economic, societal, environmental, and technological tensions. The report concludes with reflections on enhancing resilience, drawing from the lessons of the last two years of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Accounting for probabilities in conflict

In his latest blog, Phil Trendall says that we must stop hiding behind likelihood calculations when it comes to emergency planning. The U.K. needs to think about what civil protection looks like in a war that could escalate.

Podcasts

The Todd DeVoe Show 

 What Disaster Recovery Teaches U.S.

Have you ever thought about what happens with the personal effects of the disaster zone? Robert A. Jensen has written an up-close and personal look at the complex work behind the yellow tape. He has chronicled the grim job of sorting through the personal effects and what the unique tool the repeated exposure to mass death brings.

Prepare Respond Recover 

For Waffle House, Keeping the Doors Open is About Community

In the Southern U.S., spotting the iconic Waffle House sign means a hot meal, a stop on a long drive, or a place to gather with friends. Waffle House is Americana at its best and a symbol of pride for Southerners. Following the 2011 Joplin Tornado, F.E.M.A. Director Craig Fugate created the Waffle House Index, an informal metric that helped F.E.M.A. determine the storm's impact based on if the local Waffle House restaurants were closed or open. But even before the index, continuity of operations was ingrained in the culture of Waffle House. We are joined in this episode by Will Mizell, VP of People for Waffle House, to talk about how they prepare, respond, and recover from a disaster. While it may not make fiscal sense to remain open, Waffle House keeps operations going for the communities they serve. Don't be surprised if you happen to be in a Waffle House after a bad storm. The person working the grill may very well be the C.E.O. 

Business Continuity Today 

The IoT and A.I. Helping With Decision Making

As organizations look at ways to address the most significant challenges, from natural disasters to sustainability, they need to invest in the IoT solutions embedded with advanced analytics to better prepare for and react to these incidents.

With connected sensors and long-range, low-power IoT technology leveraging artificial intelligence, organizations can harness real-time data and advanced analytics to deliver meaningful results.

Combining IoT-enabled analytics, devices, and networks will accelerate intelligent decisions and improve overall response time if a natural disaster occurs.

Supporters

https://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

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/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

Robert Jensen
Twitter handle : https://twitter.com/robert_ajensen
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-a-jensen/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robert.a.jensen.37
Website https://robertajensen.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/robertajensen01/

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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 It

Extreme 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 Command

Let'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 EM

In 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 Intent

The last part of this idea is the hardest for most leaders. You can always give away authority to your team members. However, you never can give away your responsibility. How do you ensure that your team is successful? The key to Commander's Intent is trained, confident team members. Each team member must understand the plan and when they have to deviate to ensure the Commander's Intent is accomplished. As the teams adapt the plan to meet Commander's Intent, they do not want to change proven processes and other shared work techniques that are part of the plan and strengthen operational outcomes. The plan is often a source of strength; leaders need to adapt only the portions of a plan that require adjustment.

Commander's Intent defines and describes what a successful operation will yield. Good Commander's Intent allows employees and teams to adapt the plan using improvisation, initiative, and adaptation to reach the original plan objectives.

At the end of the day, I got a lot out of attending the program. I got to meet and sit down with Jacko, pick his brain about leadership, and learn how to implement the idea and concepts with the teams that I have been leading. 

What To Read

Servant Leader's Manifesto & When Your Life Depends on It

Marc C. Baker

You do not have to be in a position of authority to be a servant leader, because they lead through influence rather than authority. Leadership is often the art of persuasion influencing others to accomplish the mission by providing purpose, direction, and motivation. Servant leader derives their authority through understanding that the mission is bigger than themselves and by building trust. Servant leaders seek the way of the Jedi wielding the force of influence, naturally seeking to develop people. The Jedi is a Master of Psychology leveraging the strengths of their employees and creating hope in their people by investing in them.

Your Emergency Management Team Has a Strategy Whether You Like It or Not

Kelly McKinney

As an emergency manager, you’ve got a huge job to do...but you don't have nearly enough resources to do it with

You pry away the valuable time of executives, managers, and staff all across your organization

...building resilience for the inevitable next disaster

Podcasts

The Todd DeVoe Show 

Making Extreme Decisions When Your Life Depends On It

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 It

Extreme 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.

Prepare. Respond. Recover 

How Venue Safety and Security Teams Keep Us Safe at Mass Gatherings

In 2020, we saw stadiums, arenas, concert halls, and convention centers go dark. While some facilities transformed to care centers and vaccination sites, today they are reopening.

In 2020, we saw stadiums, arenas, concert halls, and convention centers go dark. While some facilities transformed to care centers and vaccination sites, today they are reopening.

In 2020, we saw stadiums, arenas, concert halls, and convention centers go dark. While some facilities transformed to care centers and vaccination sites, others started planning for fans to return under new COVID guidelines. Not only do these large event spaces need to take into account man-made or natural crisis situations, now they must plan for a safe and healthy return of guests. So much goes on behind the scenes to make sure your trip to the ballpark is not only enjoyable but safe. In this episode, we talk with James DeMeo, founder of Unified Sports & Entertainment Security Consulting. DeMeo, who consulted on the opening of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, shares with us what you don’t see behind the scenes.

Business Continuity Today 

The Power of Mesh Networks During Emergencies

The new internet may soon be coming to a home near you in the form of Mesh Networking. So what is Mesh Networking and how does it differ from traditional networks…and how will it change disaster communications?

Supporters

https://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

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 It

Extreme 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/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

Brad Borkan
Twitter handle https://twitter.com/PolarDecisions
LinkedIn 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 Answers

When 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.

Podcasts

The Todd DeVoe Show

Emergency Management as a Second Career

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.

prepare. respond. recover

IBHS, Destroying Buildings to Save Yours

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). 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

Business Continuity Today

Communications and Active Shooter Response Planning

The news of two active shooter events one in Buffalo NY and the other at a church in Laguna Woods CA, and mass notification communications mistake by a major city in SoCal are driving the conversation in emergency management. Do you have a plan on how to communicate with your team, your clients, and stakeholders? Now is the time to take a look at your plan, test it and revise it if you need to. Join BCT as we explore these events and more.

What To Read

New York City resident tested positive for Monkeypox

According to A.P., New York state health officials said late Friday that a New York City resident tested positive for the virus that causes monkeypox.

Why it matters: It's the state's first confirmed case of monkeypox since multiple countries recently reported infections from the virus, which previously had been rarely seen outside of western and central African countries.

It's also the U.S.' second confirmed monkeypox infection this year, as Massachusetts reported the first on Wednesday.

Your Emergency Management Team Has a Strategy Whether You Like It or Not

By Kelly McKinney

 As an emergency manager, you’ve got a huge job to do...but you don't have nearly enough resources to do it with

You pry away the valuable time of executives, managers, and staff all across your organization

...building resilience for the inevitable next disaster

...while struggling against the fierce headwinds of competing priorities, high expectations, and ever-increasing risk

 All the while, that little voice in your head tells you that all of this is somehow your fault

...not only because you chose to pursue a career in emergency management (instead of going to law school as your mother told you)

Crisis Response Journal

Examining post-incident processes 

There is general learning here for organizations; learning about the strengths and weaknesses of internal processes. The evidence provides an insight into how organizations deal with priority setting and governance. It gives a hint about corporate perceptions of risk and it shows that it has become routine for important functions to become under-resourced, leaving individuals struggling to provide services to the standard that they regard as the minimum.

Bringing clarity to your Business Continuity exercise

In planning an exercise, we tend to confuse what it is we’re trying to achieve. Even though we think we know what we want our people to do or to experience, we seem to have a habit of making it far less clear than we should. So, aprons on and let’s see how setting the right intentions for a BC exercise is as simple as following the recipe for your favorite cake.  

Supporters

https://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

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/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: 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

The Infant Formula Problem and Emergency Management

I 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 Issue

Why 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.html

https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/05/17/public-trust-in-government-1958-2021/

Podcasts

The Todd De Voe Show

Ask Todd, Explore Insightful and Humble Answers to Life’s Questions

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.

prepare. respond. recover 

Keeping Your Business Valuable During a Crisis, Why Planning Matters

For our first episode, we welcome Ambi Silk, Director, Governance, Risk & Compliance, and Mohinder Kainth, Senior Global Risk Consultant both from CyberCX. CyberCX provides business continuity services for a range of global clients including RELX and its exhibitions subsidiary Reed Exhibitions, host of this podcast. Ambi and Mohinder dive into a range of topics including the current COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain management, the importance of the “pivot”, risk management for your staff in the office or working from home, and more. The episode wraps up with the importance of a robust incident management plan using the real-life example of when Reed Exhibitions employees were in Las Vegas for one of RX’s largest trade shows during the 2017 mass shooting.

Business Continuity Today

Why Fire Drills Are Critical

What do you do after your emergency procedures and evacuation plans are complete? It is time to exercise them. Your team must know what to do in an emergency at work and home. And How you are going to communicate with them. A vital part of this training is a fire drill, which puts the emergency procedures into practice to see if they work. If they don’t work, and there is a fire, it can have devastating consequences. Fire drills are often perceived as an unnecessary nuisance and disturbance, but they are critical in safety plans. 

What To Read

Insights into the Emergency Management Hiring Process

Part 2: Tips for New and Aspiring Emergency Managers

By: Tobias Watson

I sought to gather information for Aspiring and New Emergency Managers. I asked a series of questions aimed at hiring managers to understand their evaluation criteria so I could help educate others on how to leverage themselves better in the hiring process.

Emergency Management: Is It The Hero or the Villian?

By: Todd T. DeVoe

The profession of emergency management is evolving. We are moving away from the lights and sirens of public safety and expanding the idea of what emergency management ought to be. 

When we talk about Emergency Management, what are we talking about? What does this emergency management system look like to the public we serve? Emergency management is changing, and it is time we challenge the current leaders in the profession to grow. 

The Crisis Response Journal

Disasters are the new business as usual

Avnesh Ratnanesan and Derrick Tin contend that disasters are fast becoming the new normal or business as usual (BAU) in the corporate world and suggest ways that future preparedness might be enhanced

Supply Chain Chaos Continues 

Bill Peterson takes a closer look at the conditions and factors that continue to cause supply chain challenges and offers a view of what might be in store in the months – and possibly years – to come

Supporters

https://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

Once upon a time in the bustling, snow-covered town of North Pole, there was a unique reindeer named Rudolph the emergency management reindeer (and he had a bright red nose to boot). Unlike his public safety peers, Rudolph had skills that were not on the front line but were critical to the overall response to a disaster. While the other reindeer were trained in public safety and were playing disaster games, they did not invite Rudolph because well...they did not know what he did. You see Rudolph was more of a behind-the-scenes kind of deer. He had an innate talent for emergency management, but his skills were not well understood or appreciated by others.

Santa Claus, the jovial and wise Mayor of North Pole City, oversaw all the town's affairs, including the public safety team. He was a kind and thoughtful leader but, like the others, he hadn't yet recognized the true potential of Rudolph's unique abilities. The public safety reindeer, led by his Fire Chief Dasher, Police Chief Dancer, and Director of Public Works Comet, were skilled and confident in their roles but were skeptical of Rudolph. They often excluded him from emergency drills and critical planning meetings, chuckling about his position and questioning his role in their operations.

Rudolph, though disheartened, didn't give up. He spent his time studying emergency management, learning about crisis coordination, recovery planning, and how to keep the town's Christmas spirit alive even in the worst of times. He knew deep down that his skills were valuable, even if the others didn't see it yet.

Then, one fateful Christmas Eve, a fierce and unexpected storm hit North Pole City. The blizzard was like nothing they had ever seen. Visibility was near zero, and the public safety reindeer were at a loss. They struggled to coordinate their efforts, and the town was in disarray. The residents of the North Pole, worried about their safety and the delivery of gifts to children around the world, were looking to Santa for a solution.

In this hour of need, Santa Claus realized that they needed someone with a different set of skills, someone who could manage this emergency with expertise and bring back order. He thought of Rudolph and his unique abilities. Swiftly, he called upon Rudolph, asking him to lead the emergency response and coordinate the recovery efforts.

Rudolph, though surprised, was ready. He quickly assessed the situation, his red nose glowing brightly through the storm, serving as a beacon of hope and guidance in the chaotic night. He organized the public safety reindeer into efficient teams, delegating tasks based on their strengths. He set up emergency routes for gift delivery, ensuring that Santa's sleigh could navigate through the treacherous weather safely.

Under Rudolph's leadership, the emergency response was seamless. He showed immense skill in coordinating the efforts, making sure that all residents of North Pole City were safe and that the Christmas spirit was kept alive. The gifts were delivered on time, and the joy of Christmas was not dimmed by the storm.

The public safety reindeer, who had once doubted Rudolph, were now in awe of his expertise and leadership. They apologized for not recognizing his talents earlier and thanked him for his incredible contribution. Santa Claus was proud of Rudolph and made him an integral part of the North Pole's emergency management team.

From that day forward, Rudolph was no longer just the reindeer with the red nose. He was Rudolph, the skilled emergency manager, a vital part of keeping North Pole City safe and ensuring that every Christmas was merry and bright. The town celebrated him, and he became a beloved figure, not just in North Pole City but all around the world, as the reindeer who saved Christmas in the face of a storm.

All of the other public safety reindeer shouted out with glee, Rudolph the Emergency Management Reindeer, you will always be part of the team! 

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 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=w

Todd DeVoe
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: 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 Message

Happy 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 are in the service industry. 

Ariela Zycherman (who conducted the study) stated that "research like this demonstrates the ways preexisting social inequities threaten resilience. This information is essential for supporting just climate futures across communities."

Critical information might also lie in how businesses think of disaster resilience, what resources they are aware of and how they use them.

Moving toward an Antifragile Community 

As we assess risk to the communities we serve, we must consider the part inequality plays in disaster recovery. A strong community includes personal empowerment of underserved populations, including women-owned businesses.  

In our communities, we need to support small businesses in general. However, we need to provide tools and training to help historically underrepresented group-operated (HUGO) businesses thrive before and after a disaster.  

References: 

https://www.undp.org/blog/women-are-hit-hardest-disasters-so-why-are-responses-too-often-gender-blind

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096320300279

https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/japans-sexism-in-natural-disasters

https://www.thejournal.ie/women-and-children-more-at-risk-at-times-of-disaster-1124615-Oct2013/

https://gh.bmj.com/content/6/4/e004377.abstract

https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2022/02/businesses-run-minorities-women-and-vets-disproportionately-affected

Podcasts 

The Todd De Voe Show 

Planning Practitioner Program

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.gov

Todd DeVoe

Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoe

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/

Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

James Greenshields

Twitter handle https://twitter.com/FEMA_EMI

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesgreenshields/

Website https://training.fema.gov/netc_online_admissions/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fema/?hl=en

Youtube https://www.youtube.com/user/FEMA

prepare. respond. recover 

Looking to Private Forecasters to Save Lives

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

Business Continuity Today

Do You Have A Wildfire Plan

The Southwest has moved from fire season to a 365-day threat of wildland fires. Why do you need a plan? Roughly 60,000 wildfires burn 8 million acres in the U.S. each year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). Wildland fires are more destructive and deadly than ever. Although we see fires in the west the most, every state has a wildland fire threat. Is your organization ready?

Web:

https://titanhst.com/

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3KgRvv6

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/titanhst/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TitanHST

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TitanHST/

Youtube: https://bit.ly/3mePJyG

What To Read

IAEM and NYU Team up to Assess DAFN Planning Nationally

By Anne-Marie McLaughlin

Researchers from NYU’s School of Global Public Health and members of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Accessibility and Whole Community Inclusion Caucus have teamed up to find out.  

Initially, the project started out small with a request from Anne-Marie McLaughlin, the Caucus Chair for an NYU intern to help out with a survey. It was a simple idea: the Caucus will ask Emergency Managers, disabilities advocates, and people with disabilities the same set of questions to see if there are gaps nationally—with the understanding that some people may fall into all three categories. The basic idea was to identify both best practices and areas where more resources are needed.

Important Skills for Entry Level Emergency Managers

Part 1: Tips for New and Aspiring Emergency Managers

By Tobias Watson

This is the first of three (3) articles aimed at helping aspiring and new emergency managers as they begin or seek to begin their employment in the field. My hope is to pass on lessons from myself and other professionals to create better emergency managers and assist them in the challenges or lessons we have experienced…

Baker’s Dozen 

When Your Life Depends on It

By Marc Baker

We are adding a bonus book to this month’s reading, “When Your Life Depends on It” by Brad Borkan & David Hirzel. This is an excellent complement to the Servant Leader’s Manifesto. After reading the book, join the conversation with Brad Borkan on May 26th on Bullhorn.fm.

The Crisis Response Journal 

Accounting for probabilities in conflict

May 2022: In his latest blog, Phil Trendall says that we must stop hiding behind calculations of likelihood when it comes to emergency planning and that the UK needs to think about what civil protection looks like in the context of a war that could escalate. 

Fresh perspectives on social responsibilities

The Institute of Risk Management (IRM) and the Environmental & Social Governance (ESG) Group is hosting an online event on May 26, 2022, featuring CRJ’s Emily Hough as one of the panelists in a Q&A session. This is the IRM’s third event organized by the newly formed ESG Group, entitled ESG Perspectives on Social Responsibilities. Following on from the success of the first two events, it brings together an expert panel to provide perspectives for the benefit of those committed to: “The governance of purpose-driven organisations with the intention of fulfilling their social responsibilities in an ethical and sustainable manner.”  

Supporters

https://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

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.gov

Todd DeVoe
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

James Greenshields
Twitter handle https://twitter.com/FEMA_EMI
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesgreenshields/
Website https://training.fema.gov/netc_online_admissions/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fema/?hl=en
Youtube 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

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 Unsplash

One 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. 

Podcasts

The Todd De Voe Show

Leaning 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 Johnson

Twitter handle https://twitter.com/UrbanAreaAlicia

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciadjohnson/

Website https://twolynchpinroad.com/prepare respond recover

Business Continuity Today

Building High-Quality Teams and Culture

A 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/3mePJyG

prepare respond recover

The Cooling Solutions Challenge DHS's Fight Against Climate Change

Join 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.com

What to Read

Climate Resilience Can Elevate The Emergency Management Field

By Holly ManieOskoii

Across 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 resilience conversations and action. Active engagement in local climate resilience shifts away from the “response” only perception of emergency management. Contribution and participation in climate change action is the chance to further define the field and advocate for an understanding of the true scope and depth of emergency management and adjacent fields.

Historically, the controversy over whether climate change is man-made has distracted efforts in planning for its effects. Historically, climate adaptation has existed in the outer spheres of emergency management. Many of us have been hearing about climate change for years and have developed a desensitized apathy. The topic can be bleak or daunting; it’s easier to postpone action and attention. 

BUT…

The Baker’s Dozen Book Review

One Second After

By Marc C. Baker 

Wow! What a scary realistic possibility and perspective on the nation's readiness for an Electrical Magnetic Pulse (EMP) attack. I certainly hope that society will not devolve so rapidly, but it might not be that far off given our current social climate. What would you do without power or electronic devices for a year? How many local emergency plans account for this kind of attack? Are we prepared for it? How do we prepare for an event of this nature? What do we do when we pick up the phone and can not get anyone on the other end?

This book takes place in Black Mountain, North Carolina (which I plan to visit soon) and is centered on an EMP attack on the U.S., which disables the electrical grid across the nation. The cascading effects collapse the national infrastructure plummeting America back not the dark ages. Although this story is fictional and possibly slightly exaggerated, I agree that this cautionary tale should be seriously considered. With all that is happening in Ukraine and the posturing involved with the U.S. support and Russia's vow of consequences if the U.S. crosses “the line” and the fact that they (and other nuclear adversaries) possess the nuclear capability for such an attack, I would say now is a pretty good time to start having this discussion at the local level. As we saw in the book, it was an EMP attack on the nation, but the action taken at the local level determined the outcome for communities, and it all started with leadership.

The Crisis Response Journal 

A boost for farmers to safeguard EU food security

Growth in the EU’s agricultural sector has come at the expense of environmental health, with soil degradation costing nearly €100 billion due to lost productivity, which threatens future crop supply. Additionally, agriculture represents ten percent of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions and is critical for a net-zero future.

The report, Transforming Food Systems with Farmers: A Pathway for the EU, was launched as part of the ongoing efforts of the EU Carbon+ Farming Coalition, making recommendations on how to work with farmers to strengthen the EU’s food systems. Written in collaboration with Deloitte and NTT Data, it is based on insights from farmers from seven countries that make up a majority of the farmer based in the EU. The farmer survey was designed and implemented by the EU Coalition to shed light on the main barriers to scaling climate-smart agricultural solutions, including challenging farm economics, lack of awareness, uneven technology adoption among farmers of different generations and farm sizes, as well as fragmentation of policies at the national level.

Africa’s water security

Except for Egypt, all country scores are below 70 out of 100. Only 13 countries reached a modest level of water security in recent years, and over a third are deemed to have levels of water security below the threshold of 45.  

Together, the 19 countries below the threshold are home to half a billion people.

Egypt, Botswana, Gabon, Mauritius, and Tunisia are Africa’s top five most water-secure countries in Africa, yet with only modest absolute levels of water, security achieved. 

Somalia, Chad, and Niger appear to be the least water-secure countries on the continent. 

The report finds that there has been little progress in the national water security of most African states over the past three to five years. The number of countries that made some progress (29) is close to the number of those that made none.

Supporters

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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/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

Alicia Johnson
Twitter handle https://twitter.com/UrbanAreaAlicia
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciadjohnson/
Website https://twolynchpinroad.com/

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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/
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Todd DeVoe
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

Kay Goss
Web-https://www.unlv.edu/people/kay-goss
LinkedIn-https://www.linkedin.com/in/kay-collett-goss-cem-2351535/
Twitter-https://twitter.com/KAYCGOSS

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We are coming up on the 159th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg. The lessons that were learned in early July of 1863 are still pertinent today. The battle that was not supposed to happen, occurred in the heat and humidity of the small farming community in Pennsylvania. The decisions that were made, and not made on the fields, in the woods, and crossroads of Gettysburg changed the direction of the US Civil War and the history of the Union. Join Dr. Kelly Garrett (Retired US Army Colonel) as we discuss leadership lessons from Gettysburg.

Baker's Dozen book of the month: “Think Again”

As the world changes, we too must change with it. In this month’s book “Think Again” by Adam Grant, we explore the notion of rethinking what we know not only in a particular instance but as a continuous practice in everyday life. Everyone should strive to break the rigidity of our minds seeking mental agility, to remain relevant and become better practitioners, leaders, and humans.

Todd DeVoe
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

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Hummingly is the creation of Elizabeth McNaughton and Jolie Wills, a duo who have worked in disasters around the world for more than two decades. The realization that helping one person, one community, one disaster at a time was no longer enough, lit the spark that became Hummingly. Elizabeth and Jolie set about creating easy-to-use products that people, communities, and workplaces the world over could access to do well in tough times.

These proven products are based on Elizabeth and Jolie’s knowledge gained in real disaster and crisis situations. They have gathered wisdom from over 100 crisis leaders, feedback from thousands of disaster survivors, scientific insights from their background in cognitive psychology, and a shared passion to prepare the world to do disruption, stress, and uncertainty well.

Use code 'EMcommunity' for 20% off the Cards for Calamity and the Doing Well deck at www.hummingly.co

Todd DeVoe
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

Guest Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hummingly.co/
Website: https://www.hummingly.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolie-wills-91423695/
Blog: https://medium.com/hummingly
Video: https://vimeo.com/user110765676

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When you are thinking about leading in a crisis, it starts in the planning process. We can point to countless examples of when planning has saved lives. Rick Rescorla comes to mind as an example of someone who lead by planning. Plans may become useless, however, the planning process is priceless.

Join us this week as we talk with Bill Cunningham, a thought leader in the area of business disaster planning. As we discuss examples of emergencies that Bill's team responded to and helped resolve.

Todd DeVoe
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

Bill Cunnigham
Twitter handle https://twitter.com/wfcBERT
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/wfcunningham/
Website https://bertinc.org/
Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/BERTgroup

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As someone who's had the privilege of knowing Justin Kates for several years and sharing a seat with him on the board of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), I am thrilled to witness his ascent to the role of President for the 2023-24 term. Justin's election is a testament to his unwavering dedication and expertise in emergency management.

Justin is known for his thoughtful approach and steadfast commitment to the profession. His leadership at IAEM-USA marks a significant milestone, bringing his rich experience and strategic vision to the forefront. He keenly recognizes the importance of professional associations in advocacy and unifying our members' voices, a quality that makes him an ideal leader for our times.

Justin's background is as diverse as it is impressive. From leading emergency management in Somerville, Massachusetts, to his significant contributions in Nashua, New Hampshire, and as a Homeland Security Consultant for the State of Delaware, and in the private sector developing a program for Wawa Inc., his journey is a narrative of relentless dedication to public safety and emergency management. 

His academic credentials, with degrees from the University of Delaware and the Naval Postgraduate School, further bolster his professional stature. Beyond IAEM, Justin's role as Treasurer of the National Association for Public Safety GIS Foundation and his FEMA National Advisory Council membership highlight his broad influence in the field.

Justin’s leadership is a beacon of progress for IAEM-USA. His election as President is an honor and a reflection of the respect and trust he has earned across the emergency management community. I am excited and optimistic about the future of IAEM under his guidance, and I look forward to supporting his initiatives and vision in the coming year.

Supporters

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I was introduced to Fran Racioppi and knew that I had to get him on my new show. With my goal of introducing leadership ideas from all disciplines and sectors, who would not want to talk to a Green Beret. Today I am talking to Fran about the whole man concept of leadership and how that has driven the special forces community from the Green Beret, Navy Seals, and Air Force PJs.

Todd DeVoe
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

Fran Racioppi
Twitter handle https://twitter.com/francisracioppi?lang=en
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/francisracioppijr/
Website https://frsix.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/racioppifran/?hl=en
Youtube https://bit.ly/35FK9Ce

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Emergencies occur across the nation and are increasing

at an alarming rate over the past few years. In all situations,

procurement’s response is just as important as that of first responders. What is the role procurement teams are called upon to fill during a disaster?

Why do we need to be thinking about procurement leadership? because disasters dramatically interrupt established procurement processes and require a unique response from procurement officials that can only be effectively delivered with advanced preparation.

Todd DeVoe
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

Guest Links
Twitter handle https://twitter.com/Bobcat_EMEA
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/bobcat-company/
Website https://www.doosanbobcat.com/en/

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Climb and Lift is the groundbreaking segment on The Todd DeVoe Show. This episode Todd sits down with his friend, Carolyn Harshman the first openly gay President of IAEM.

Todd DeVoe
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

Carolyn Harshman
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynharshman/
Website http://www.carolynharshman.com/
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Phil Johnson is a highly sought-after business consultant and founder of the Master of Business Leadership (MBL) program credited with helping Fortune 500 company clients Phil's large corporate clients have until now been the primary beneficiaries of his breakthrough approach to mastering business leadership. The Servant Warrior Leader offers advice and a revolutionary approach to success that really works.

Todd DeVoe
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

Phil Johnson
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/PhilJohnson_MBL
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipjpjohnson/
Youtube https://bit.ly/3tecQyk
Website https://linktr.ee/PhilJohnson

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When we think about climate change, it can sound like something out of a movie, or something that you may hear about at a protest, or a political movement. This week we are talking to Patrick Marchman an award-winning program manager and planner specializing in resilience, climate adaptation and climate risk, climate-induced relocation and managed retreat, hazard mitigation, environmental planning, and sustainability.

Todd DeVoe Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/

Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/

Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

Patrick Marchman

Twitter handle https://twitter.com/marchmanpatrick

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmarchman/

Website https://www.kmsustainability.com/

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When we think about climate change, it can sound like something out of a movie, or something that you may hear about at a protest, or a political movement. This week we are talking to Patrick Marchman an award-winning program manager and planner specializing in resilience, climate adaptation and climate risk, climate-induced relocation and managed retreat, hazard mitigation, environmental planning, and sustainability.

Todd DeVoe
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

Patrick Marchman
Twitter handle https://twitter.com/marchmanpatrick
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmarchman/
Website https://www.kmsustainability.com/

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I want to take the time to introduce you to my new show and talk about the why and what this is all about. We have some great interviews and conversations in the pipeline, and we are looking to break some new ground with the Climb and Lift segment on the third Thursday of the month. And Don't forget the Baker's Dozen Book reviews on the first of the month. We hope to see you there!

LinkedIn Company- https://lnkd.in/gZX7VRRp
Substack- https://emnetwork.substack.c
Youtube: https://lnkd.in/ekz4h6a2
Twitter: https://lnkd.in/g36tepcR
LinkedIn Personal: https://lnkd.in/gPTFwwW
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

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Hear from the widest range of voices in Private, Non-Profit, and Public Service Leadership. Every week, join Todd DeVoe, as he explores leadership challenges, ideas, and principles with thought leaders,  thinkers, writers, policymakers, and those that make things happen. 

Introduction

Today, we are looking for a trusted voice to help process our thoughts and make sense of what is happening in our fast-paced world. As crises arise worldwide, disasters are becoming more destructive, supply chains are breaking, and climate change has exposed a vulnerability to increasingly complex impacts on the world economy and quality of life. The old way of doing things just is not working. Now Todd DeVoe is leveraging his network of thought leaders, thinkers, and doers worldwide to bring you answers to your questions. 

Todd is changing the world in meaningful ways and engaging others to join his effort in improving the profession of emergency management. The Todd DeVoe Show opens new ways of thinking and creates a blueprint for others to follow. Todd is not making minor tweaks around the edges, but instead,  he is creating a foundation for others to build on.

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Hear from the widest range of voices in Private, Non-Profit, and Public Service Leadership. Every week, join Todd DeVoe, as he explores leadership challenges, ideas, and principles with thought leaders, thinkers, writers, policymakers, and those that make things happen.

Links
Web - https://toddtdevoe.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoe

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Todd was a guest on the “THE SENSEI LEADER MOVEMENT” podcast talking about leadership. They got deep into the idea of what is leadership, and how do we develop into a leader.

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Today, my heart is full of gratitude and excitement. As we cross the three-year mark of our journey together, I want to reflect on our shared experiences and thank each of you for your unwavering support.

Three years ago, EMN was an idea, a spin-off from a podcast I was producing. The concept was simple yet ambitious – to deliver emergency management content in new and exciting forms. Looking back, I am overwhelmed by how much we have achieved together. Your engagement, feedback, and encouragement have been the driving force behind our success.

Our mission at the Emergency Management Network (EMN) has always been to serve the emergency management community with unwavering dedication and bring innovation to the forefront of our content and programs. As we look to the future, I am excited to announce several new and exciting initiatives in the pipeline, each carefully crafted to enhance your experience with us.

These upcoming programs are not just additions to our portfolio; they represent our commitment to staying at the cutting edge of emergency management. We understand that this field constantly evolves, with new challenges and advancements emerging regularly. We aim to ensure that you, our valued community, are equipped with the most current and comprehensive information available.

We focus on various formats and platforms to disseminate our content to achieve this. Expect more interactive webinars, in-depth interviews with experts in the field, and hands-on workshops that provide practical insights and skills. We are also enhancing our digital presence, ensuring that our content is accessible and engaging, whether you're reading our newsletter, listening to our podcast, or participating in our online forums.

In addition to these content improvements, we are also exploring partnerships with key organizations and thought leaders in emergency management. These collaborations aim to bring diverse perspectives and world-class expertise to our community, further enriching your learning and engagement with us.

Our commitment to innovation also means we constantly seek feedback and ideas from you, our audience. Your input has been invaluable in shaping EMN's journey so far, and it will continue to guide us as we develop these new programs.

These new initiatives are more than just expanding our content. They represent our ongoing dedication to serving the emergency management community with the most relevant, informative, and engaging content. We are excited to embark on this next phase of our journey with you.

Your support becomes even more vital as we continue to grow and evolve at the Emergency Management Network (EMN). We humbly ask you to consider taking the next step in your journey with us by becoming a paid subscriber. 

Your subscription helps us keep the lights on and fuels our mission to bring innovative and essential emergency management content to our community. Every subscription goes a long way in ensuring that we can maintain the quality and frequency of the valuable resources you've come to expect from us.

 Additionally, if you find our content insightful and valuable, we encourage you to like and share it with your peers and colleagues. Your endorsements help us reach a wider audience and strengthen our community, allowing us to enhance our knowledge and preparedness in emergency management collectively. Your support, in any form, is greatly appreciated and plays a crucial role in our continued success and growth.

I want to extend my deepest thanks to each one of you. Whether you have been with us from the beginning or have recently joined our community, your support has been invaluable. You are the reason we strive to push boundaries and continuously improve.

We are excited about the future and are committed to bringing you the best in emergency management content. Stay tuned for more updates, and here's to many more years of growth, learning, and collaboration.

Thank you once again for being a part of our journey.

Supporters

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Today, we are at a pivotal moment in history. As the world watches with bated breath, nations grapple with crises that test the very core of their resilience and determination. The war in Ukraine has become a stalemate without an off-ramp, and the new conflict in Israel looks as if it may become long and drawn out. We look at the countless other situations many African nations have been in sustained armed conflict. We cannot forget the drug wars between the cartels and the government in Mexico. These conflicts serve as somber reminders of the unpredictable nature of our times.

The unexpected assault on Israeli soil has thrown the region into turmoil, leading to immense loss and heartbreak. These devastating incidents raise the age-old question: How can we manage crises effectively as global citizens and leaders? How do we ensure the safety and well-being of the innocent people?

Substack

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After a thoughtful hiatus, the “Disaster Politics” podcast is set to return, poised to continue exploring the intricate weave of policy, legislation, and disaster management. This pause allowed Jeff Schlegelmilch to reflect, recalibrate, and refine the content to ensure it remains as relevant and insightful as ever.

The reintroduction of the show promises to bring forth more enriched and diverse conversations, resuming its mission to dissect the interplay between political mechanisms and disaster-centric entities. The inclusion of Todd DeVoe as a new co-host is bound to infuse fresh perspectives and deeper insights into the dialogue, enhancing the podcast's ability to enlighten its audience on the multifaceted relationship between political processes, institutions, disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The show's return is eagerly anticipated by its audience, who await more enlightening explorations into the world where politics and disasters intersect.

The Crucial Intersection:

“Disaster Politics” is a forum that brings together key stakeholders from emergency management, politics, and non-governmental organizations to discuss and dissect how political institutions and processes shape their work. It navigates through the labyrinth of policies, uncovering how they intertwine with different phases of disaster management.

Jeff Schlegelmilch and Todd DeVoe:

Jeff Schlegelmilch is a well-versed expert in the field whose extensive knowledge enhances the discussions, bringing depth and various perspectives to each episode. Adding Todd DeVoe as a co-host expands the spectrum of expertise and insight available to listeners, providing varied and nuanced views on the interplay between politics and disasters.

Core Themes:

1. Legislative Impact:

The podcast illuminates how legislation can both aid and hinder disaster preparedness and recovery. It delves into the intricate webs of policies that govern response mechanisms and explores the implications of legislation on disaster resilience and management. It also analyzes the effectiveness of existing laws in mitigating the impact of disasters.

2. Policy Dynamics:

The discussions extend to the role of policy in shaping disaster response and recovery efforts. The podcast provides a comprehensive overview of how policy dynamics influence disaster management strategies and outcomes by considering the impact of political decisions and policy formulations.

3. Collaboration and Stakeholder Interaction:

The podcast emphasizes the significance of collaboration between different stakeholders involved in disaster management. It explores the synergies and conflicts that arise from interactions between governmental bodies, NGOs, emergency management entities, and the communities they serve.

4. Real-world Applications and Case Studies:

Each episode is enriched with real-world examples and case studies, which allow listeners to relate theoretical discussions to practical scenarios. These tangible examples illustrate the direct impact of political processes and institutions on the lives of individuals affected by disasters.

Aim and Impact:

“Disaster Politics” seeks to elevate the discourse surrounding disaster management and political processes, fostering an enriched understanding of their interconnectedness. It aims to generate informed conversations and encourage reflective thinking on the political dimensions influencing disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.

Through engaging and thought-provoking discussions, the podcast establishes itself as an essential resource for professionals in the field, policy-makers, and anyone with a keen interest in understanding the political landscape surrounding disasters.

The “Disaster Politics” podcast, with its enlightening dialogues and in-depth analysis, serves as a beacon for those exploring the complicated terrains of disaster management and politics. Jeff Schlegelmilch and Todd DeVoe, with their extensive knowledge and experiences, are bridging the gap between policy, legislation, and disaster management, helping listeners understand how politics can shape the trajectory of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. This invaluable resource is a learning tool and a catalyst for change, encouraging informed discourse and reflection on the multifaceted relationship between disasters and politics.

Supporters

http://thebluecell.com/index.html

https://uard.university/

https://www.fraem.org/

https://www.iaem.org/

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I have been intrigued by the concept of the Overton Window for a while now. Initially because of its profound implications for social policy. The framework offers us a way to understand how cultural shifts happen, how ideas once considered radical can become accepted norms, and how policy change occurs. As I delved deeper, I realized that this concept has an equally significant application in an area of crucial importance—disaster policy and creating a culture of preparedness.

So, let’s explore the framework known as the Overton Window and how it can be utilized to foster more robust and effective approaches to managing disasters.

For those unfamiliar, the Overton Window is a term that has been applied to a concept that public policy thinker Joseph Overton used to describe the ideas tolerated in public discourse. In essence, it's a conceptual spectrum between 'unthinkable' and 'popular,' marking out the ideas that are politically feasible at any given time.

When we speak of disaster policy, we encounter various views influenced by social, political, and economic factors. However, the effectiveness of any disaster policy is significantly constrained by what is considered politically and socially acceptable. Herein lies the power and applicability of the Overton Window.

The Status Quo

Let's start by examining the current Overton Window regarding disaster policy. Most importantly, immediate response measures, such as deploying emergency services and relief funds, are widely accepted. These are within the 'safe' zone of the Overton Window.

However, more proactive, long-term strategies—such as infrastructural improvements to withstand natural hazards or allocating funds to predictive modeling of disasters—are often viewed as 'radical' or 'impractical.' These initiatives are outside the Overton Window, so they struggle to gain political or public support.

Shifting the Window

So, how do we shift the Overton Window in the context of disaster policy? How do we make the 'radical' become 'sensible,' and the 'sensible' become 'popular'?

First, awareness and education are critical. Disasters aren't just acts of God or unfortunate coincidences; they result from human choices—where we build, how we build, and how we prepare. We can start changing perceptions through academic research, public discourse, and, most importantly, the education system.

Second, we must leverage the media effectively. The media has an unparalleled ability to influence public opinion, for better or worse. By presenting well-reasoned, factual accounts of proactive disaster policies' benefits, we can shift the window of what's acceptable.

Case Studies

Now, let's consider some case studies to illustrate these principles. After Hurricane Katrina, there was a noticeable shift in the Overton Window surrounding disaster preparedness. The horrific aftermath and inadequacies in the response efforts were highly publicized. As a result, there was a brief but significant window during which the public and politicians alike were more willing to consider proactive disaster policies.

Countries like Japan, which experience frequent natural disasters, have managed to shift the Overton Window to include comprehensive educational programs about disaster preparedness from an early age. Earthquake and tsunami drills are as common as school fire drills, making them a 'sensible' part of the policy spectrum.

Creating a Culture of Preparedness

So, what does this mean for creating a culture of preparedness? It means that such a culture only forms after a period of time. We must first expand the Overton Window to make proactive, long-term strategies politically and socially palatable. Creating a culture of preparedness requires us to normalize the discourse around subjects such as risk mitigation, infrastructure resilience, and emergency planning.

By expanding the Overton Window, we can make proactive approaches to disaster policy not just 'thinkable' but 'popular' and 'policy-implementable.' This transition will take a lot of work, but it's necessary for our communities' long-term safety and resilience.

The need for effective policy is evident as we confront a future that promises more frequent and severe disasters. By understanding and applying the Overton Window concept, we can work towards creating a culture of preparedness that will save lives and protect our communities' economic and social fabric.

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