Disaster Zone

Technologies are available now that can help with many facets of emergency management and business continuity programs. This is an interview with Matt Bradley, Vice President, with OnSolve a company that specializes in providing a variety technological solutions. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the newest tool being added to help organizations obtain situational awareness very early in an event. F...

In this podcast Deanne Criswell, New York City’s Emergency Management Commissioner discusses how the city uses a variety of legacy warning systems along with new technologies to warn the public. New York City has a significant challenge with the level of diversity in spoken languages in the city and those issues are also addressed in the podcast. This episode is sponsored by The Blue Cell , a by d...

As the Covid pandemic continues raging and businesses are being cut back, many people are working from home. Besides working online with Zoom, people are doing more and more writing. But most people are not professional writers and many find writing challenging. This episode is an interview with Michael Buschmohle, an author, book editor, and international writing instructor. He will share his pro...

Eventually everyone in government or business will likely need to engage a consultant to assist their organization with an element of work that they need help with. This podcast is an interview with Brian Murphy, a Principal with BERK Consulting . We discuss a number of issues related to obtaining a consultant to perform work for you. What should you expect from a consultant? When do you use a RFP...

The coronavirus pandemic forced businesses and governments to close their physical office spaces and have people begin working from their homes, with little or no planning or preparation for this momentous change in how teams function. Betty Lochner, M.Ed., SPHR, CEO of Corner Stone Coaching and Training is the expert guest. In this podcast she shares 7 Tips for Leading Virtual Teams, a great reso...

Glen Woodbury is the Director, Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School. In this podcast we explore how the programs he manages have adapted to being all distance learning and how going forward, education and training can be shaped by leveraging technology. In the second half of the podcast we explore how emergency management is evolving as a profession and how eme...

In our age of disinformation, conspiracy theories, and alternative facts, talking with people we disagree with can be challenging. Sometimes these are people we’re trying to reach with vital information about emergency preparedness. This episode is an interview with Michael Buschmohle, an international business communications trainer for government agencies and emergency personnel, who will share...

No matter who you are, you can become active in helping get legislation passed. My personal experience has centered on legislation to advance disaster resilience.  The guest for this podcast is Jim Kastama. Jim has many years of experience as a Washington State legislator, first in the House and then in the Senate to include being a Committee Chairman. Today he serves as a City Councilmember for t...

Peter Gaynor is the currently serving Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator. In this podcast we learn about his career path in emergency management and FEMA’s 2020 response to the coronavirus, hurricanes and wildfires. He also comments on the New Building Resilient Infrastructure & Communities (BRIC). This episode is sponsored by The Blue Cell , a by design crisis and conseq...

Drones are becoming a critical piece of technology for any disaster response or emergency management function, however you cannot simply go out and just start flying a drone if you are a business. To maintain the safety of the national airspace, pilot and mission certifications are necessary to be in place for the aircraft and all your operational procedures. This episode is an interview with Char...

New York City is a very dense metropolitan area with a population of 8.4 million people living and working there. This podcast is a conversation with Deanne Criswell, the New York City Emergency Management Commissioner. You will learn all about their program, the top risks they face and how they are using technology to move forward in the 21st Century.  Her passion for what she does shines through...

The pandemic forced many governments and businesses to have employees work from home for months at a time. This is likely to continue well into 2021 and beyond. This podcast is an interview with Ray Pompon, with F5labs.com where we discuss cybersecurity threats and precautionary measures all organizations can take to prevent and respond to cyber-attacks. Dynamis , a leading provider of information...

This podcast is an interview with Edie Miller, an investigator with Logically.ai a UK based company that is focused on stopping the spread of disinformation and misinformation on the Internet. The conversation will cover topics such as, who is behind QAnon, what is its reach across the globe, and what are some of the misguided conspiracy theories that are propagated via people in its circle?  This...

2020 has been an unprecedented year in so many ways. COVID-19 and all its ramifications that echoed through our society from health, the economy, job losses, sports. Disasters have also been unprecedented in frequency and scope. Lastly, the politics of 2020 must be called unprecedented. With three months to go, more unprecedented events are sure to be revealed. Dynamis , a leading provider of info...

In this episode, Bud Backer, Fire Chief for East Pierce County Fire and Rescue shares his department’s experience in responding to September 2020 wildland urban interface fires. These fires could have destroyed hundreds of homes. Only quick action and luck prevented that from happening. Dynamis , a leading provider of information management software and security solutions, is a sponsor of this pod...

Beyond our personal lives, a house, our home is precious to us. When we see the wild land fires burning hundreds and even thousands of houses, these are individual families being impacted. This podcast is an interview with Sean Scott, a disaster recovery expert and author of the book, Red Guide to Recovery—a Resource Handbook for Disaster Survivors . In the interview he provides tips for disaster...

Much like the National Motor Vehicle Safety Act, we need to have a national strategy to reduce disaster deaths. Dr. Mark Keim is interviewed about the steps being taken and legislation being developed to nationally track disaster deaths and in so doing seek to reduce deaths overtime by implementing prevention and mitigation measures. You can find more information about Dr. Keim at www.disasterdoc....

In this digital age, we need a computerized information management system to better obtain situational awareness about a disaster. A system that collects and displays information helps with the allocation of resources. Through an interview with Hans Jochen Scholl, PhD, a Professor in the Information School at the University of Washington, this podcast examines what is needed, and also the current...

Health officials have been concerned about the intersection of the corona virus and the annual flu season here in 2020. This podcast is a conversation with Dr. Jeff Duchin, the Health Officer for Seattle-King County Public Heath about his concerns and what to expect concerning a COVID-19 vaccine. Dynamis , a leading provider of information management software and security solutions is a sponsor of...

There has been a concerted effort to disparage and cast doubt on the validity and security of vote by mail systems. In this podcast, Julie Wise, Director of Elections for King County, Washington State explains the physical and cybersecurity measures that are in place to protect a vote by mail system.  Dynamis , a leading provider of information management software and security solutions is a spons...

It seems crazy, but still there are people advocating that wearing a mask is not necessary despite the pleas of public health officials and scientists. They have seen the positive community results that come when everyone wears a mask. Wearing a mask is not for the benefit of the person with the mask on their face. It is for the benefit of those around them who could be exposed to asymptomatic peo...

In today’s world it is possible to have an electronic relationship that can lead to establishing digital trust between individuals. While making connections in person is best, you can do the same with all the different social media outlets available today. Eric Holdeman is a professional emergency manager who is passionate about providing information that can help families, businesses & govern...

The Coronavirus first became widely known to be here in the United States when the City of Kirkland, Washington State reported the first death from the virus. This edition of Disaster Zone is an interview with Heather Kelly, the Kirkland Emergency Manager. She recounts how they were notified about the virus and how the city leadership and emergency management reacted to that news. Eric Holdeman is...

You may be asking, “Why one more podcast?”  I have asked myself the same question. During this short episode you'll hear my rationale for starting a podcast and a preview of my first interview that will be coming shortly about the start of the coronavirus entry into the United States. That interview will be with Heather Kelly, the local emergency manager for the City of Kirkland, WA where the firs...