5 Minutes to Chaos

Introduction Ashley Goosman is an experienced professional with twenty years of experience in the public and private sectors. She founded the Disaster Empire blog in 2019 to educate and engage fellow practitioners and added the podcast in 2022 to showcase thought leaders and innovators in the industry. In 2021, she co-founded Resilience Think Tank, an independent guidance and research provider for...

Introduction Kenn Honig is a Certified Emergency Manager, with over fifty years of experience in law enforcement, EMS, firefighting, and emergency management For over ten years Kenn served as a paramedic, and supervisor with NYC-EMS and other EMS agencies, receiving awards for Life Saving, Innovative Thinking, and Service Kenn spent 28 years as a police officer, supervisor, senior officer, ARFF cr...

Introduction Gabe Lavine has more than 19 years of experience in emergency services and management, public safety, first response, military combat arms, reconnaissance, specialized operations, diplomatic security, intelligence, special weapons and tactics, incident management team leadership, and recovery operations. He was an infantry and reconnaissance officer in the United States Marine Corps w...

Introduction Carley Fitzgerald, GISP, is an accomplished Geographic Information Science (GIS) Professional with 13 years of experience in the public and private sectors. With experience at transportation and engineering firms, as well as municipal, county, and regional government entities, Carley has a deep understanding of GIS applications across diverse industries. Currently serving as a GIS Man...

Introduction Tim Cohen has over 15 years of Crisis Management, Emergency Management, and Incident Management experience. His career includes 15 years as an open source intelligence analyst, international crisis response coordinator, manager of global operations for a global risk consultancy, emergency manager, and crisis management program manager. He has responded to kidnappings, natural disaster...

Introduction Tom Fargione joined FEMA in 2009 and served as Team Leader (SES) for the National Incident Management Assistance Team Blue from 2017 until his retirement in April of 2023. Tom was responsible for ensuring the team had the capability and capacity to respond immediately and effectively to the worst disasters likely to befall the country. In this role, he regularly engaged with the FEMA...

Introduction Ryan Caughill is an experienced Technology Disaster Recovery and Crisis Manager for M&T Bank. Additionally, Ryan is the Director of the Buffalo Naval Park Office of Disaster Management & Preparedness, an all-volunteer position. Ryan is a volunteer with the Sullivans Division and Training Ship Little Rock of the US Naval Sea Cadet Corps in Buffalo, NY where he is in year 15 and...

Introduction Ed McCrane has over 21 years of Emergency Response and Emergency Management experience and is currently serving as the Emergency Management Chief for Sarasota County, Florida. He is a Florida Professional Emergency Manager (FPEM) and has extensive experience in emergency management, including his role as the Region 4 Coordinator for the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM)....

Introduction Craig Biscuiti has a had a long career in the field of Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Management. Becoming a member of the youth squad of the Woodhaven Richmond-Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps. in 1986, he knew that he wanted to pursue a career in EMS. He became an EMT in 1991, and in 2002 obtained his Paramedic certification and is also a New York State certified Hazardous M...

Introduction -Tim Marshall is the Director of Public Safety for Steuben County New York. He has been an employee by Steuben County since September of 1997 serving as the Deputy Director of Emergency Services, then Director in 2012. Tim was appointed as Director of Public Safety in 2021. -Tim is a Certified Emergency Manager with the International Association of Emergency Mangers. He holds an Assoc...

Introduction - Lt. Steven Kanarian is a retired New York City Fire Department lieutenant. Assigned to the EMS Division Steve served as a Paramedic for 25 years. - Steve has supervised medical operations at many mass casualty incidents in New York City. - He was a Medical Specialist with FEMA New York Task Force-1 for 16 years. - Steve responded to both the 1993 and 2001 attacks on the World Trade...

Introduction David H. Fischler has worked in the public and private sectors in the emergency response and emergency management fields for over 50 years. His style of pre-incident relationship building has contributed to successful outcomes when significant events impacted his jurisdiction. Within the private sector, Dave has consulted for companies involved in federal, state and local emergency ma...

Introduction John Gibb has 40 years of local, state and consulting emergency management and homeland security experience. As an emergency management and homeland security agency head in New York State, he served four governors. He led and managed the integration of state level cyber security, counter terrorism, emergency management, fire service and interoperable communications functions when New...

Introduction Marc Kadushin started his emergency service career by volunteering with the Salvation Army Disaster Services and through career progression rose to the position of Assistant Commissioner of Emergency Response and Communications for the New York City Department of Transportation. Key Positions Assistant Commissioner of Emergency Response and Communications, NYC Dept. of Transportation...

Introduction Jim Reid has over 40 years of Emergency Response and Emergency Management experience. His career includes 20 years as a United State Air Force Firefighter/Fire Officer, County Fire Marshal, Deputy Sheriff Commander, Director Emergency Management, Executive Director Department of Public Works and Director of the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management. He has responded to te...

Introduction Bill Johnson is a nationally recognized leader in healthcare, public safety, and emergency management. He is the former Director of the Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management. Throughout his nearly 11-year tenure, he guided the County in its response to several major disaster incidents, including COVID-19 (2020), Tropical Storm Isaac (2012), Hurricane Matthew (2016), Hurri...

Introduction Robert is a private sector emergency management and resilience professional that develops, leads, and revitalizes business continuity programs at global scales. For more than 20-years, Robert has built resilience programs in the telecommunications, manufacturing, and financial services sectors. From data center fires to earthquakes to hurricanes Isabel, Charlie, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne,...

Introduction Adam Montella, MPA, MHS-V, CMP is an internationally recognized subject matter expert, speaker, and writer on numerous topics relating to emergency management, business continuity, physical and cyber security, homeland security, public health, disaster response, and recovery. With over 35 years of direct disaster experience, Mr. Montella has worked at or as an advisor to local, state,...

Introduction In this insightful podcast episode, a panel of experts delves into the intricate world of crisis management, dissecting its core elements and offering valuable insights. The discussion begins by defining crisis management as the strategic process of identifying, mitigating, and resolving a wide range of disruptive events that pose significant threats to an organization's people, opera...

Introduction Jonathan Reeves is a collaborative emergency management leader with experience developing emergency plans, partnerships, training, and exercises to minimize dangers to the community. Jon is experienced in providing strategic direction and effective roadmaps for organizations to be prepared, equipped, and trained for disaster consequences, mitigate the effects, and recover from impacts...

Introduction Zachary Goldfarb is the principal of Incident Management Solutions, Inc., a New York-based certified emergency management consultancy. Chief Goldfarb has served in many capacities during his 25-year career with the New York City Fire Department, retiring as an EMS Deputy Chief/Paramedic. The author of the New York City Emergency Medical Action (Disaster) Plan, he served as an EMS comm...

Introduction Chris Mailliard is a practiced Emergency Manager with experience in emergency preparedness, Incident Management, mass casualty care, rescue, tactical emergency casualty care, and mass violence/active shooter preparedness planning and response.   Key Positions -Manager of Safety, Security and Emergency, Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center -Disaster Response Specialist III, IEM -Emer...

Introduction Dr. Stephen Hoptay is a Law Enforcement and Emergency Management executive with extensive corporate and public sector experience at senior levels in the areas of corporate security, risk assessment, and crisis management. Dr. Hoptay is a skilled communicator with a proven track record of motivating and manage multiple teams. He is a leader with a strong sense of mission accomplishment...

Introduction With 35 years of public service, Phil Parr has had the opportunity to respond to many of the nation’s largest and most complex disasters, both as a local and Federal responder. Throughout his career Phil served in progressively greater leadership roles, gaining knowledge and expertise at each level. As a FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO), he has responded to and successfully han...

Introduction Greg Wayrich brings more than 30 years of EMS and Emergency Management (EM) experience to his role as a hospital and healthcare Emergency Manager. Greg started his journey as a volunteer EMS provider in a small coastal town on Long Island, NY. Greg enjoyed over 20 years as a paramedic in his home town which helped him achieve a number of EM positions in the healthcare sector. Key Posi...