The Emergency Management Network Podcast

What is Leadership? This may seem like a silly question. There are many books, podcasts, and classes on leadership, and that question must have been answered. However, the question, What is a leader keeps coming to the four. Some think of leadership as a formal role given to an individual with a title such as "manager" or "director." For others, a leader is a charismatic individual who can work th...

Studies have shown that women disproportionately suffer the impacts of disasters, severe weather events, and climate change because of cultural norms and the inequitable distribution of roles, resources, and power, especially in developing countries. Women make up the majority of the world’s poor and are more dependent than men on natural resources for their livelihoods and survival. Women tend to...

This Episode of Theory-N2-Practice is brought to you by the Mid-Atlantic Center for Emergency Management & Public Safety (MACEMPS)!!! In this episode of Theory-N2-Practice we talk about leadership through service and personal development with, Ms. Kathy L. Francis currently serves as the Frederick Community College Executive Director of Emergency Management Programs, as adjunct faculty, and as lea...

Cyberattacks are an ever-growing threat to critical infrastructures such as power, gas, water stations, and transportation control systems. Cybersecurity breaches can potentially have devastating physical and economic effects. Failing to plan for cyber threats as part of emergency management procedures is detrimental to national security and has become the focus of emergency management over the la...

I am the child of the cold war. Our movies were Red Dawn, War Games, Spies Like Us, and Stripes, just to name a few.  We practiced duck and cover, and we had fallout shelters in the basements of our schools. The threat of nuclear war was always there, and the fear was real.  Since the fall of the Soviet Union, nuclear war has become a conversation only old people talked about.  Russia and China be...

When a natural or human-caused disaster occurs, the process of how the situation is handled sets the tone of response and recovery. The goal of crisis/disaster management is to respond quickly and effectively to minimize damage and position your organization or jurisdiction for recovery once the crisis has passed. A successful process is proactive. It aims to reduce the delay in response and recov...

This Episode of Theory-N2-Practice is brought to you by the Mid-Atlantic Center for Emergency Management & Public Safety (MACEMPS)!!! In this episode of Theory-N2-Practice we talk about leadership through service and personal development with, Ms. Kathy L. Francis currently serves as the Frederick Community College Executive Director of Emergency Management Programs, as adjunct faculty, and as lea...

Homelessness has killed more people than natural disasters in California. Ten times more people will die on L.A.'s street in 2019 (~1,000) than died in the deadly 2018 forest fires (103). Over three years, more people will die on the streets of L.A. than in San Francisco's 1906 earthquake I read a story about how an economic recession turned into a complete collapse of society. As interesting as t...

Government policy is important in guiding disaster preparedness, mitigation, and recovery. In turn, political scientists have devoted considerable attention to the study of hazards and disasters, including the impact of disasters on election outcomes, the capacity of disasters to help set the crowded government agenda, and the various organizational strategies used by emergency management agencies...

Public-Private Partnerships is an agreement between a public agency and a private sector entity. Through this agreement, the skills and assets of each sector are shared in delivering a service or facility for the use of the general public. As governments seek to upgrade infrastructure and address the challenges of climate change, among other objectives, the need for private-sector involvement has...

Let's explore The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. I was talking with Dan Scott on the Leader's Cafe about attitude. We got into a deep conversation on how we react to outside pressures, how we deal with them and how those external pressures can impact our team. As leaders, we put on a good face and motivate our team. Right? Attitude is everything. A positive attitud...

Why should you become an avid reader? Join Todd and Marc as they discuss the benefits of reading. Reading can improves intelligence and lead to innovation and insight. Studies have shown that reading makes you smarter through a larger vocabulary, more world knowledge, and abstract reasoning skills. Reading is one of the quickest ways to acquire and assimilate new information. Many leaders believe...

In this episode of Theory-N2-Practice we talk about leadership through service and personal development with Tony Russell. Tony Russell is the Superintendent at the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston, Ala. As Superintendent, Mr. Russell provides executive level management and leadership for the CDP as it provides unique, hands-on training to more than 45,000 emergency responders a...

How Do We Take Emergency Management Seriously If We Do Not Support Research? There has been a debate about whether or not someone should have a college degree to be an emergency manager. The second side of the argument is whether we should have emergency management degree programs. For full disclosure, I am an emergency management educator. If you read or listen to the Emergency Management Network...

Join Todd DeVoe and Mark Benthien as they discuss why you should participate in the Great ShakeOut! Many areas of the globe are prone to earthquakes (see links below) You could be anywhere when an earthquake strikes: at home, at work, at school, or even on vacation. Are you prepared to survive and recover quickly? Great ShakeOut earthquake drills are an opportunity to practice how to be safer duri...

While working to become an Emergency Management GIS and digital communications specialist in 2017, Ginny experienced the impact of emergency communications gaps firsthand. Without relevant information and support, so many people were becoming more vulnerable to hazards, most significantly impacting underserved communities. Realizing that emergency managers are lacking the tools needed to facilitat...

One of the growing sectors in emergency management is in healthcare. Hospital emergency management is a unique position in the healthcare system. They manage the integration of planning and response efforts within the physical campus and must interact with outside emergency response, emergency management, and public health agencies. Kelly McKinney, the Assistant Vice President of Emergency Managem...

Thought Leadership  Over the last week, I have been thinking about reputation. I have a close friend who is beyond reproach and a very ethical person who takes a hit professionally. It has shaken them; they are struggling personally; however, has it impacted them professionally? Then I received a phone call from one of the people I mentor, and they told me how their office was turned upside down,...

EMPower is a group of emergency management women created to provide support, networking, and leadership skills to assist women in their emergency management career. EMPower hosts events, talks, and networking. Another aspect of EMPower is bringing resources and skills to help women level up in pursuit of executive level positions if desired. A key role is to provide speaking opportunities to women...

In this episode of Theory-N2-Practice we talk about leadership through service and personal development with Eric McNulty. Eric J. McNulty is Associate Director and Program Faculty at the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative (NPLI) at Harvard University and an Instructor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. His work centers on leading in high-stakes, high-stress situations. He...

On September 11, 2001, the world witnessed the most significant terrorist attack. For those working that day, it started normal, but by the end of the day, our world changed, and the way we did our job did as well. I was assigned to the Jefferson station in Los Angeles on the border of Colver City, down the street from the radio station KABC right off the I-10 freeway. This area is a bustling part...

We often hear it: “Sorry, it was just an accident.” And we’ve been deeply conditioned to accept that explanation and move on. But as Jessie Singer argues convincingly: There are no such things as accidents. The vast majority of mishaps are not random but predictable and preventable. Singer uncovers how the term “accident” protects those in power and leaves the most vulnerable in harm’s way, preven...

In this episode of Theory-N2-Practice we talk about leadership through service and being a contributing community partner through volunteering. Join us for a great discussion and most valuable insight from one of the best in the emergency management profession, with Isamar Garcia. Isamar is the Emergency Services Planner of Yolo County Office of Emergency Services. She is actively involved as a vo...

The question “what makes a good leader?” is at the forefront of every organization. Establishing a strong corporate culture creates happy employees and a more efficient work environment. It can also attract great talent that will help your organization prosper. Today we speak with former Special Forces Green Beret, Fran Racioppi, Chief People Officer at Analytix Solutions, and the Host of the Jedb...

We are four days into National Preparedness Month, and I am challenging all of you to make a difference in our profession. It sounds hard. However, it can be simple. Improving yourself and becoming a better you will make a better profession. Lead by example, and others will follow. This brings me to the person we all can follow as an example. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this...