Disaster Tough Podcast

“A boring day is a good day” is a mantra that campus Emergency Managers like Debbi Fletcher live by every day. Debbi joins the Disaster Tough Podcast from Indiana University in Bloomington where she is the Director of Emergency Management and Continuity. She brings more than a decade’s worth of experience to the field from the campus side of things along with the government perspective in her prev...

Lightning in a Bottle: Drones for Good - Interview with Chief Eric Funkhouser “Work smarter, not harder,” is a saying that has been inspiring productivity for nearly 100 years. Chief Eric Funkhouser of the Bargersville Community Fire Department in Indiana has been doing just that for the better part of the past decade using drones in their rescue operations. As one of the first departments with a...

Granite countertops, or proper safety precautions for your home? These are the questions we explore in this week’s episode of the Disaster Tough Podcast featuring filmmaker George Siegal. George is responsible for the acclaimed documentary, “The Last House Standing” which explores why homes are still being built that CANNOT withstand the effects of a hurricane, fire, or tornado, despite the techno...

As the weather warms, so does the need for readiness and awareness from those living in the potential path of a hurricane. Hurricane Season in the United States spans from June 1 to November 30, and in an effort to promote readiness for this potentially perilous time, experts from all over the world have traditionally joined together at the National Hurricane Conference, and this week’s guest, Gre...

Benjamin Franklin once said, "Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” John looks ahead to The Readiness Lab's upcoming Emergency Management Response for Dynamic Populations Course being held August 1-5 in Atlanta and reflects on the SUSAR MSOC Conference of last week. Emergency Management Response for Dynamic Populations To register: thereadinesslab.com/dynamic-...

Technology continues to make life easier in many walks of life and Emergency Management is no different. Over the past decade, Heidi Hessler has been at the forefront of that effort as Co-Founder and CEO of Futurity IT. Their GIS and mobile enabled software tools aim to assist organizations in the way they communicate, coordinate and collaborate especially during disasters such as wildfires, flood...

When it comes to readiness for whatever emergency situation it may face, White Castle, Louisiana sets the standard very high! The main reason for this is the constant effort of White Castle's Mayor, John Morris III. Mayor Morris has been in office since 2018. In that time, he has guided his town through efforts to get power restored after seven days during Hurricane Ida, among other things. Mayor...

It has been said, “Good people make good places.” The Office of Vermont Emergency Management must be a great place to work as long as it is run by the likes of Director Erica Bornemann. Director Bornemann has been with Vermont Emergency Management for 16 years, starting out as a temp right out of college, and working her way up as an EM Planner, Program Specialist before becoming a Planning Sectio...

On the anniversary of the tragic Oklahoma City Bombing, we revisit the experiences of someone who was there as part of the USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) team, Joe Hernandez. Hernandez is a subject matter expert who has responded to consulted on the USAR efforts involved in some of the most well known and devastating disasters in US history including the Oklahoma City Bombing, 9/11, and others. Si...

“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data." This quote from the great fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes would accurately describe the the Emergency Management philosophy of David Mejia. David supports state and local governments during response efforts to major disasters including the COVID-19 Pandemic where he coordinated the effort to get millions of meals delivered to citizens...

As the Homeland Security Officer for the Atlanta Fire Department, Sergeant Nick Golden is very familiar with being "thrown into the fire" when it comes to handling Emergency situations. In addition to his current role with the Atlanta Fire Department, Nick is a paramedic, certified law enforcement officer, and emergency manager. Nick believes strongly in collaboration between agencies and professi...

What's the difference between a doomsday prepper and a Master of the Preparedness Arts? Practicality. The Preparedness Guy is an Emergency Manager who looks to help everyone be practically prepared for anything, and does so by taking his vast knowledge of readiness to the masses online. With thousands of followers on Instagram, his channel aims to educate everyone to prepare like pros and hence be...

Subject matter experts never stop learning, hence the need to always train. That is the theme of this edition of the Disaster Tough Podcast featuring Dr. Stephen Johnson. As a Defense and Security practitioner and CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, & Nuclear) expert, Dr. Johnson wears many hats. He provides strategic advice, training and education on CBRN, explosives, counter terrorism,...

The old saying, “There is no substitute for experience” is especially applicable in the world of Emergency Management. Col. Chris A. McKinney is the embodiment of this sentiment as he has been a part of many scenarios that would classify as "America's Worst Day". He has responded to many of the well-known disasters of the past few decades including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, an...

At South Metro Fire & Rescue in Centennial, Colorado, firefighters go above and beyond to get the job done .This sentiment is evident throughout the entire department, including the public information officers. “Crushing the Minimum Standard” is the motto of the Public Information Office at South Metro Fire & Rescue. Connor Wist and Eric Hurst are the ones responsible for bringing this mot...

A 30,000-foot view can be helpful when dealing with stressful situations like those found in the life of an Emergency Manager. Justin Pierce knows this all too well. While his leadership is based on the ground, it is instrumental in to those in the air as well, as he is responsible for making sure that one of the world’s most well-known and well-traveled airports is ready for whatever disaster or...

One of the most important elements of the response effort during a disaster is helping communities come together and work more effectively. Aaron Titus has been working for the better part of the last decade to change the philosophy behind how various organizations respond to disasters and get the job done. His online app, Crisis Cleanup, has been working to accomplish this for the better part of...

“A jack of all trades is a master of none, though often better than a master of one.” While this quote dates back to the times of William Shakespeare, this week’s guest, Zack Borst is a modern embodiment of this adage as a generalist in the fields of Emergency Management, Intelligence and Security. Along with his experience in the Emergency Management and Security fields, Zack is an expert in usin...

On January 3, 2022, a major snowstorm pounded several Eastern states dumping more than a foot of snow in some places, stranding hundreds of drivers along I-95 in Virginia for more than 24 hours and leaving more than 300,000 people in the region without power. As the Chief Regional Coordinator at the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Andy John was on the frontlines of the effort to get d...

Disaster Tough continues its strong start to Season 3 with Emergency Manager and Author, Kelly McKinney. Kelly is a longtime Emergency Manager and professional engineer who currently serves as the Associate Vice President of Emergency Management + Enterprise Resilience for NYU Langone Health. He has also lead Emergency Management teams for the American Red Cross and the New York Office of Emergenc...

Disaster Tough kicks off Season 3 with an entertaining interview featuring author, speaker, and educator, Eric McNulty. Eric is a Harvard professor who has been the Associate Director of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative (NPLI) for more than a decade. He is also the co-author of the bestseller, “You’re It: Crisis, Change, and How to Matter When it Matters Most”. In this episode, we t...

Matt is no stranger to emergency and disaster services. Throughout his career in Military Service, working in hospitals, or now with technologies that improve social services - Matt is an excellent example of a heart full of service during Christmas. He is also familiar with having family members in emergency services, after all his father is Joe Hernandez, USAR subject matter expert and practitio...

Kyle King is an expert at, “building more resilient communities and human capital at the intersection of crisis, conflict, and emergency management.” He has decades of experience with military and political organizations including those associated with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Kyle and our host, John Scardena discuss the differences between the US and Europe perspective of em...

Previous episode with great content! Chief Walt Lewis serves on the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Florida Task Force 4 team and operates as a District Chief for Orlando Fire. Chief Lewis has been able to successfully combine forces with his emergency management counter-parts, looking at the fire perspective and coordinating other stakeholders of the disaster lifecycle. In this episode we talk abo...

John Spencer is the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies for the Modern War Institute at West Point. John is a researcher and subject matter expert for the Mumbai Terrorist Attacks. He is also the host of the Urban Warfare Project Podcast.