The Disasterfield Show

The conversation on the Disaster Field Show delves into the unique role of Yukon First Nations Wildfire in emergency management, focusing on their innovative approach to wildfire response, community engagement, and the importance of building a strong culture among their teams. Nick Moro and Dalton Demares discuss the challenges and successes in training indigenous youth, the significance of leader...

Veteran fire captain and tech evangelist AJ Johansson joins Cole and Newt on The DisasterField Show to talk about the evolution of emergency response, from paper maps and radios to the evolution of the TAK platform, drones, and next-gen situational awareness tools. Drawing from three decades on the fireline, AJ breaks down where communication fails, how technology can prevent tragedy, and why the...

In this conversation, Matt Wallace, the executive director of the International Disaster Response Network (IDRN), shares his extensive experience in disaster response and the importance of local networks. He discusses the evolution of IDRN, the significance of community resilience, and the challenges faced in North American disaster response. The conversation emphasizes the need for effective comm...

Cole and Newt dig into the hard part of modernization: adoption. They unpack why promising tools stall—siloed training, clunky handoffs, and process friction—and map out how to make technology actually useful in the chaos of real incidents. From interoperability and comms to standards, procurement, and fieldcraft, this episode turns buzzwords into a practical checklist for public safety and emerge...

Cole and Newt go deep on “The Big One” referring to the catastrophic earthquake that will shake the west coast of North America. The realities are glaring and the only way to prepare is to talk about what is being done to augment strategies, solutions and plans.

Cole and Newt sit down with Shawn Tronson , Emergency Management Coordinator for Splatsin in Enderby, BC—Canada’s first Indigenous community to join the Disasterfield Network. Shawn shares on-the-ground experiences, what’s working in community preparedness, and the gaps that technology and training must close. The conversation covers trust, sovereignty, and data-sharing, and why Splatsin chose to...

Host Cole Fouillard (founder of VEXSL, delivering the Disasterfield Global Multi-User Coordination System), co-host Steve “Newt” Newton (40+ years in emergency management and wildfire operations), and special co-host Talia Rose (commercial insurance broker) kick off the series with where they came from, why they stayed in the fight, and what “readiness” actually looks like across industry, public...