The Current of Emergency Management

On this episodes we talk about why we took a summer break which has a lot to do with summer conferences. We discuss the ones we went to, the benefits and some unconventional conferences that EMs may not go to often. We also spend time discussing the summer heat wave and wildfires that have created so many problems here in Texas this summer. Support the show

This is the second of two episodes with recently retired Master Gunnery Sergeant Justin Aiken who served in the United States Marine Corps for 31 years. Our initial plan was for this interview to be mostly focused around what lessons we could learn from someone who served at the highest level about leadership and training. However, to prepare for the interview, Master Guns Aiken spent weeks listening to all our podcast and doing independent research about the EM profession as a whole. We quickly realized we needed to soak up as much knowledge and wisdom as we could. So we didn't take breaks and didn't worry about time. The end result was just short of three hours soaking up knowledge and wisdom from someone who achieved the highest rank possible in the Marine Corps, in the most difficult job field to do it in, the infantry. Additionally, Master Guns Aiken was the senior enlisted infantry advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. There are only around 75 infantry Master Guns in the entire Marine Corps and only one is selected as the infantry advocate.In this episode we discuss the importance of the EM profession from out outsiders point of view, the importance of professional identity, and existing in the shadows vs. advocating for your profession. . Support the show

This is the first of two episodes with recently retired Master Gunnery Sergeant Justin Aiken who served in the United States Marine Corps for 31 years. Our initial plan was for this interview to be mostly focused around what lessons we could learn from someone who served at the highest level about leadership and training. However, to prepare for the interview, Master Guns Aiken spent weeks listening to all our podcast and doing independent research about the EM profession as a whole. We quickly realized we needed to soak up as much knowledge and wisdom as we could. So we didn't take breaks and didn't worry about time. The end result was just short of three hours soaking up knowledge and wisdom from someone who achieved the highest rank possible in the Marine Corps, in the most difficult job field to do it in, the infantry. Additionally, Master Guns Aiken was the senior enlisted infantry advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. There are only around 75 infantry Master Guns in the entire Marine Corps and only one is selected as the infantry advocate.In this episode we talk about leadership, training, burnout, mental health, and learn from Master Guns about 'Post-Traumatic Winning.' Support the show

There were some audio quality issues on the recording for this episode... The quality improves at around the 15 minute mark. In this episode, we interview Julie Elliot about her research and recently published article in the Journal of Emergency Management; Moved to partner: A case study of faith-based congregations in disaster response. Julie was first a field practitioner as the Emergency Management Coordinator for the University of North Texas before becoming a PhD Candidate at the University of Delaware. We speak about her experience as an EM at UNT and the preparedness programs she created there as well as what led to the decision to leave the field to become a researcher before diving into the focus of her research. Julie shares how this transition has led her to to have more questions than answers and how she hopes her research will benefit those still serving in the field. Link to Julies Article:https://wmpllc.org/ojs/index.php/jem/article/view/3353Contact Julie at: jhe@udel.eduSupport the show

On this episode, we had the opportunity to sit down with Jennifer Dunn, Warning Coordination Meteorologist from the Fort Worth Office of the National Weather Service (NWS-FW). We discuss her role within the NWS and the role of NWS as a whole. Of course, we dive into the coordination between NWS and local Emergency Management. We also discuss topics such as being colorblind and being able to interpret weather data, NWS products useful for more than just predicting weather, and the future of NWSChat. Support the show

On this episode, we talk about  defining what an Emergency Manager is and discuss the reasons why defining out job and scope of practice is becoming a topic of conversation more and more often. Additionally, we discuss the challenges of coming up with a common definition, discuss the scope of EM, and talk about why we think being interviewed by Joe Rogan would help us come up with a definition. App discussed on the episode: https://www.jesip.org.uk/#Support the show

Our first Episode of Season 2 covers the Columbia Space Shuttle Disaster on the 20 year anniversary. We had the opportunity to interview Irish Hancock, EM Administrator for the Arlington Fire Department, Office of Emergency Management. Irish was in his final semester at the University of North Texas when the disaster happened and was given the opportunity to intern with the Texas Division of Emergency Management in response to the disaster. Irish shares his experience being and intern on a national disaster and tragedy and discusses how that event still impacts his career 20 years later. This episode is sponsored by DragonForce, a mobile team collaboration platform that delivers mission-critical command and control and incident management capabilities. Visit dragonforce.us for more information. Use discount code 'CEM' for 50% off your initial setup fee. Reference Articles:https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/columbia-mission-ends-in-disasterhttps://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/reflections-loss-sts-107-space-shuttle-columbia-ten-years-agohttps://www.thinkreliability.com/case_studies/root-cause-analysis-the-space-shuttle-columbia-disaster/Support the show

This is our final episode of 2022 and the end of the first season of the Podcast. We spend time reflecting on topics we have previously discussed to see if we still feel the same way and remember the lessons learned. We also spend time discuss what is coming up in 2023. Support the show

In this episode, we talk about EOC design and operations. We both share our experiences serving as EOC Managers in EOCs of very different sizes. We also go through the new FEMA document released this month, "Emergency Operations Center How-To Quick Reference Guide."https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_eoc-quick-reference_guide.pdfSupport the show

On this episode, we discuss outdoor/ tornado/ severe weather/ air raid warning sirens. We begin with looking back in history with the development of the modern tornado warning system, the introduction of air raid sirens, and their transition to Outdoor Warning Sirens. Finally, we finish by reviewing an article and answering questions sent to us by a listener. News Paper Article...https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2022/05/14/sioux-falls-storm-weather-sirens-wind-derecho-paul-tenhaken/9764133002/?fbclid=IwAR2WZAmbmIf5dSRT6uRDFk48B5GNF1D8u0wKxK5U-HWDGo3Cg8HVfWs5DzgVideo of storm...https://www.argusleader.com/story/weather/2022/05/13/south-dakota-storm-damage-derecho-haboob-weather-updates/9761629002/Background Article...https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/92/5/2010bams3062_1.xmlSupport the show

In this episode we had the opportunity to sit down with FEMA Region 6 Administrator, Tony Robinson. We talk about what it means to take an All-Hazard approach to emergency management, hurricane preparedness, public assistance, lifelines, and mitigation. Tony shares what he knows are pain points for local EMs and how FEMA is working to fix some of those. We speak about the importance of not only having private insurance but ensuring that insurance coverage is adequate. The episode is also packed with advice for local EMs. For more about Tony and his background: https://www.fema.gov/profile/tony-robinsonSupport the show

In this episode we talk about taking on interns in the office. We discuss what they do, what they may benefit from, paying them, expectations, and why internships are valuable. We also go through the PowerPoint of a recent intern he was required to to complete on the last day of his internship. We discuss what he learned during his time and how applicable his new found knowledge of EM is in the real world. We were surprised by what an intern was able to learn in such a short period of time. Support the show

On this episode, we spend a few minutes recapping previous episodes before talking about planning for exercises. Specifically, we spend time talking about how to train OEM Staff and those who respond to the EOC often, and how the EMC is able to train without being part of developing the exercise. We also talk about our thoughts on being able to train to find the breaking point without setting your team up for failure. Video referenced in this episode:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKA4w2O61XoSupport the show

Nim Kidd, Chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management and Vice Chancellor of Texas A&M, sat down with us at TheConferenceTx to discuss recently announced programs in the State of Texas. The programs we discuss are the County Liaison Officers, EM Academy, and Constellation. Chief Kidd answered questions about the details of these programs including areas of concern for local EMs. Support the show

In this episode, we discuss cognitive bias and how it could potentially affect your job as an Emergency Manager. Specifically, we spend the majority of the episode discussing 'deformation professionnelle,' translated to mean, professional deformation. We also touch on other cognitive biases and their potential impact on Emergency Managers. Support the show

This episode is the first in what will be a several episode series where we discuss Burnout in the Emergency Management Profession and the factors that lead to it. Our discussions include why we think burnout exist and why it's an issue. Support the show

In this episode we discuss EM education, licensing/ credentialing and answer questions from a listener who asked what we look for when hiring new EMs. Support the show

In this episode we discuss how national and global events can have an effect on local Emergency Managers. The two main current events we discuss are the current conflict occurring between Russia and Ukraine as well as the trucker convoy that is taking place in the US. This topic presented the  opportunity to first speak about how the podcast got its name and the meaning behind the artwork. Support the show

This episode was recorded from San Marcos Texas at the Emergency Management Association of Texas (EMAT) Leadership Symposium. We had the opportunity to interview Melanie Bartis; Senior Planner with Innovative Emergency Management (IEM) to discuss the benefits of using an outside contractor to assist with After Action Reviews, Continuity Planning, and other processes.Melanie can be reached at melanie.bartis@iem.com if you would like to speak with her further about the services they provide. DISCLOSURE: The Current of Emergency Management is not sponsored by nor did the podcast or its hosts receive any form of compensation from IEM for this episode. This topic was our idea and we reached out to our guest for an interview. Support the show

In this episode we discuss the future of the Emergency Operations Center. As Covid pushed us towards a more virtual environment, what lessons did we learn that will be useful into the future? We also discuss technology that was helpful and we will continue to use moving forward. Support the show