Disaster Zone

Sometimes it is good to look back at how far we have come and then forward, to where we might be headed in the future. My guest today is Claire Rubin blogs at Recovery Diva, but has a much more extensive connection to all phases of the broader topic of emergency management. We talk in this podcast about a wide variety of topics, to include how professional emergency managers can continue to contribute after our paid careers are finished.For a more detailed list of Claire’s accomplishments, see this bio: Ms. Rubin is a consultant and social scientist with 44 years of experience in emergency management and homeland security. Her considerable experience in disaster recovery has made her a sought-after expert to conduct independent research, teach, and provide sound advice and counsel.  Her firm has produced a variety of educational products and services, most notably a monograph on disaster recovery, the Disaster Time Line series, and the Disaster Bookstore, www.disasterbookstore.com.Ms. Rubin was affiliated with The George Washington University’s Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management from 1998 through 2014.  During that time she was Co-Founder and Managing Editor of The Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.Ms. Rubin is the author or editor of five books and more than 100 articles for professional publications. She is a frequent speaker and lecturer on emergency management and homeland security topics in the U.S. and occasionally in other countries.  Among her recent activities was a multi-session effort to brief delegations of senior emergency managers from China, on the state of the practice of emergency management in the U.S.She created and has maintained for the past 13 years the blog on disaster recovery called Recovery Diva (www.recoverydiva.com). She also is the co-founder and moderator for three Facebook groups on emergency management. This episode is sponsored by AshBritt, a national rapid-response emergency management and logistics company. Celebrating its 30th year, AshBritt has led response efforts following 60 federally declared disasters across 30 states and has conducted more than 400 missions, successfully serving over 600 clients. AshBritt is the trusted emergency management contractor for cities, counties, states and for federal agencies, including the Department of Defense where AshBritt holds a pre-position debris management contract which covers 25 U.S. states.  Eric Holdeman is a professional emergency manager who is passionate about providing information that can help families, businesses & governments become better prepared for disasters of all types. Hear first hand expert insights from Eric on his Podcast, Blog & EricHoldeman.com. Please visit our sponsors!L3Harris Technologies' BeOn PPT App. Learn more about this amazing product here: www.l3harris.com Visit The Readiness Lab and learn about our Next Level Emergency Management training! https://www.thereadinesslab.com/Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by professionals for professionals: www.dobermanemg.com/impulseDoberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.comCheck out how you can use digital twins in your training, exercising, and planning using RSET https://rset.com/ For sponsorship requests, check out our Sponsorship Portfolio here or email us at contact@thereadinesslab.com

Typically, the Disaster Zone Podcast has had guests and topics about the positive uses of drone technology and how it can be used to advance the capabilities of first responder agencies, emergency managers and others like search and rescue groups. In this podcast we turn to look at the challenges of preventing either accidental and deliberate uses of drones that can harm operations or people. The guest for this podcast is Leo McCloskey who leads brand and marketing efforts for Echodyne  Leo is a frequent speaker on topics of technology and security, and has represented the company in the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) BVLOS and Counter-UAS Advanced Rulemaking Committees (ARC). Prior to joining Echodyne, he built and led marketing and product marketing teams in the US and Europe for a broad range of companies, from technology startups to established brands, with an emphasis in carrier and large enterprise service delivery architectures. We look at different technologies for detecting drones and explore more directly the role that radars can play in detection and then combining those efforts with other counter drone systems. This episode is sponsored by Bent Ear Solutions which offers comprehensive capabilities and deep industry knowledge necessary to help you solve the most complex issues of your organization. We advise public and private organizations on an all-inclusive approach to disaster preparedness that addresses governance, planning, operational procedures, technology implementation, training, and exercises in order to achieve a successful and sustainable program.Eric Holdeman is a professional emergency manager who is passionate about providing information that can help families, businesses & governments become better prepared for disasters of all types. Hear first hand expert insights from Eric on his Podcast, Blog & EricHoldeman.com. Please visit our sponsors!L3Harris Technologies' BeOn PPT App. Learn more about this amazing product here: www.l3harris.com Visit The Readiness Lab and learn about our Next Level Emergency Management training! https://www.thereadinesslab.com/Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by professionals for professionals: www.dobermanemg.com/impulseDoberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.comCheck out how you can use digital twins in your training, exercising, and planning using RSET https://rset.com/ For sponsorship requests, check out our Sponsorship Portfolio here or email us at contact@thereadinesslab.com

Climate change is beginning to have significant impacts on our world. This means that emergency managers everywhere will need to step up to the plate and respond to an increasing series of disasters of all types. This commentary speaks to these challenges that the profession of emergency management is about to face. Merit is a first-of-its-kind, all-hazards, digital credentialing platform that equips emergency responders with innovative tools to securely manage their personnel on-site, no matter the situation. Merit's platform is relied on in mission-critical situations such as the Surfside building collapse and at secure Health and Human Service facilities and is trusted by a growing network of thousands of partners.Eric Holdeman is a professional emergency manager who is passionate about providing information that can help families, businesses & governments become better prepared for disasters of all types. Hear first hand expert insights from Eric on his Podcast, Blog & EricHoldeman.com. Please visit our sponsors!L3Harris Technologies' BeOn PPT App. Learn more about this amazing product here: www.l3harris.com Visit The Readiness Lab and learn about our Next Level Emergency Management training! https://www.thereadinesslab.com/Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by professionals for professionals: www.dobermanemg.com/impulseDoberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.comCheck out how you can use digital twins in your training, exercising, and planning using RSET https://rset.com/ For sponsorship requests, check out our Sponsorship Portfolio here or email us at contact@thereadinesslab.com

One of the personal and organizational constraining factors that limit our aspirations is the lack of funding. To accomplish anything requires money. Emergency management as a profession has become overly dependent on grant funding. However, there are other sources of funding that can be tapped. In this podcast we talk with an expert fundraiser. We discuss the challenges that come from even just thinking about asking for money and then transition to some tools you can use to get the money you need, personally, professionally, or perhaps in your volunteer work. Alana Scott is the podcast guest and the author of the book, How to Ask for Money by Alana Stott. Dynamis, a leading provider of information management software and security solutions, is a sponsor of this podcast. Eric Holdeman is a professional emergency manager who is passionate about providing information that can help families, businesses & governments become better prepared for disasters of all types. Hear first hand expert insights from Eric on his Podcast, Blog & EricHoldeman.com. Please visit our sponsors!L3Harris Technologies' BeOn PPT App. Learn more about this amazing product here: www.l3harris.com Visit The Readiness Lab and learn about our Next Level Emergency Management training! https://www.thereadinesslab.com/Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by professionals for professionals: www.dobermanemg.com/impulseDoberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.comCheck out how you can use digital twins in your training, exercising, and planning using RSET https://rset.com/ For sponsorship requests, check out our Sponsorship Portfolio here or email us at contact@thereadinesslab.com

If you think you know all about the capabilities of drones, you don’t know the half of it. In this podcast we explore the capabilities of drones to fly “inside of buildings” and not using GPS. My guest is Blake Resnick a technology star if there ever was one. We talk about the future of drone technology and the expected revisions to FAA rules and regulations which will open up the use of drones in so many different ways. We also do a deeper dive into his company BRINC and what their drones can do for public safety agencies. It is a very positive application of the technology.This episode is sponsored by AshBritt, a national rapid-response emergency management and logistics company. Celebrating its 30th year, AshBritt has led response efforts following 60 federally declared disasters across 30 states and has conducted more than 400 missions, successfully serving over 600 clients. AshBritt is the trusted emergency management contractor for cities, counties, states and for federal agencies, including the Department of Defense where AshBritt holds a pre-position debris management contract which covers 25 U.S. states.  Eric Holdeman is a professional emergency manager who is passionate about providing information that can help families, businesses & governments become better prepared for disasters of all types. Hear first hand expert insights from Eric on his Podcast, Blog & EricHoldeman.com. Please visit our sponsors!L3Harris Technologies' BeOn PPT App. Learn more about this amazing product here: www.l3harris.com Visit The Readiness Lab and learn about our Next Level Emergency Management training! https://www.thereadinesslab.com/Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by professionals for professionals: www.dobermanemg.com/impulseDoberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.comCheck out how you can use digital twins in your training, exercising, and planning using RSET https://rset.com/ For sponsorship requests, check out our Sponsorship Portfolio here or email us at contact@thereadinesslab.com

Washington State is one of the most high hazard states here in the United States. The emergency management leader there is Robert Ezelle who is the fifth senior state emergency management director in the nation. He serves as Director of the Washington Military Department’s Emergency Management Division (EMD), which is responsible for leading and coordinating mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery activities to minimize the impact of disasters and emergencies on the people, property, environment and economy of Washington State.  During his tenure, the State has successfully supported the response to and recovery from numerous major disasters to include the COVID Pandemic, the SR 530 Oso Landslide, the record-setting wildfire seasons of 2014 and 2015, and a host of devastating weather events. In this podcast we review what the state’s hazards are, how emergency management at the state level is organized and then get Robert’s take on a number of issues facing the State and how it is responding. This episode is sponsored by Bent Ear Solutions which offers comprehensive capabilities and deep industry knowledge necessary to help you solve the most complex issues of your organization. We advise public and private organizations on an all-inclusive approach to disaster preparedness that addresses governance, planning, operational procedures, technology implementation, training, and exercises in order to achieve a successful and sustainable program.Eric Holdeman is a professional emergency manager who is passionate about providing information that can help families, businesses & governments become better prepared for disasters of all types. Hear first hand expert insights from Eric on his Podcast, Blog & EricHoldeman.com. Please visit our sponsors!L3Harris Technologies' BeOn PPT App. Learn more about this amazing product here: www.l3harris.com Visit The Readiness Lab and learn about our Next Level Emergency Management training! https://www.thereadinesslab.com/Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by professionals for professionals: www.dobermanemg.com/impulseDoberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.comCheck out how you can use digital twins in your training, exercising, and planning using RSET https://rset.com/ For sponsorship requests, check out our Sponsorship Portfolio here or email us at contact@thereadinesslab.com

If you don’t know it, we are headed for a significant energy challenge in the near future. Too much demand for electricity, an outdated and aging electrical grid, and an imbalance for where the energy needs are and where energy is being generated. Which brings us to the topic of today’s podcast. How energy storage using batteries is a good choice for a number of applications, be it for a home, business or a utility. Tyler Hortin is CFO, Board of Directors Member and Co-Founder of American Battery Factory (ABF) and President of Lion Energy, Tyler Hortin has more than 20 years of financial, manufacturing, emergency preparedness and supply chain experience and more than ten years of energy storage experience. Hortin has worked at Lion Energy for more than five years and at ABF since its inception. In the podcast we discuss the challenges we are facing and what solutions exist. Merit is a first-of-its-kind, all-hazards, digital credentialing platform that equips emergency responders with innovative tools to securely manage their personnel on-site, no matter the situation. Merit's platform is relied on in mission-critical situations such as the Surfside building collapse and at secure Health and Human Service facilities and is trusted by a growing network of thousands of partners. Eric Holdeman is a professional emergency manager who is passionate about providing information that can help families, businesses & governments become better prepared for disasters of all types. Hear first hand expert insights from Eric on his Podcast, Blog & EricHoldeman.com. Please visit our sponsors!L3Harris Technologies' BeOn PPT App. Learn more about this amazing product here: www.l3harris.com Visit The Readiness Lab and learn about our Next Level Emergency Management training! https://www.thereadinesslab.com/Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by professionals for professionals: www.dobermanemg.com/impulseDoberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.comCheck out how you can use digital twins in your training, exercising, and planning using RSET https://rset.com/ For sponsorship requests, check out our Sponsorship Portfolio here or email us at contact@thereadinesslab.com

Like many other organizations and professions, emergency management is working to improve its diversity. Diversity can come in many different forms, usually we think of race, but there are other cultural diversity aspects to consider. We are talking racial diversity in this podcast, with a focus on how emergency managers and their organizations can do a better job at expanding the diversity of their workplaces to better serve their communities. Vernon Owens, the guest on this podcast became an emergency manager in 2004. Since then he has worked at the local and federal levels of government in different capacities. He shares his personal story about his multi-faceted career he has had, from the military and being a martial arts entrepreneur and author. We then focus on how to better reach out to communities of color to recruit and retain a new workforce. This episode is sponsored by AshBritt, a national rapid-response emergency management and logistics company. Celebrating its 30th year, AshBritt has led response efforts following 60 federally declared disasters across 30 states and has conducted more than 400 missions, successfully serving over 600 clients. AshBritt is the trusted emergency management contractor for cities, counties, states and for federal agencies, including the Department of Defense where AshBritt holds a pre-position debris management contract which covers 25 U.S. states.  Eric Holdeman is a professional emergency manager who is passionate about providing information that can help families, businesses & governments become better prepared for disasters of all types. Hear first hand expert insights from Eric on his Podcast, Blog & EricHoldeman.com. Please visit our sponsors!L3Harris Technologies' BeOn PPT App. Learn more about this amazing product here: www.l3harris.com Visit The Readiness Lab and learn about our Next Level Emergency Management training! https://www.thereadinesslab.com/Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by professionals for professionals: www.dobermanemg.com/impulseDoberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.comCheck out how you can use digital twins in your training, exercising, and planning using RSET https://rset.com/ For sponsorship requests, check out our Sponsorship Portfolio here or email us at contact@thereadinesslab.com

It is always fun to talk to someone who is a leader within the emergency management profession. In this podcast we hear from Halil (Hal) Grieb who only recently started with G&H International as a Technical Project Manager. Prior to joining G&H International, Hal spent numerous years as a County Emergency Management director in both Jefferson County, Colorado and Alachua County, Florida. Eric Holdeman linked up with Hal back in 2011 when he was leading the effort to establish governance procedures for the use of social media. In this podcast we have a wide ranging discussion about the profession of emergency management, technology in general and how best to employ social media and get the support you need to maximize its benefits. This episode is sponsored by Bent Ear Solutions which offers comprehensive capabilities and deep industry knowledge necessary to help you solve the most complex issues of your organization. We advise public and private organizations on an all-inclusive approach to disaster preparedness that addresses governance, planning, operational procedures, technology implementation, training, and exercises in order to achieve a successful and sustainable program. Eric Holdeman is a professional emergency manager who is passionate about providing information that can help families, businesses & governments become better prepared for disasters of all types. Hear first hand expert insights from Eric on his Podcast, Blog & EricHoldeman.com. Please visit our sponsors!L3Harris Technologies' BeOn PPT App. Learn more about this amazing product here: www.l3harris.com Visit The Readiness Lab and learn about our Next Level Emergency Management training! https://www.thereadinesslab.com/Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by professionals for professionals: www.dobermanemg.com/impulseDoberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.comCheck out how you can use digital twins in your training, exercising, and planning using RSET https://rset.com/ For sponsorship requests, check out our Sponsorship Portfolio here or email us at contact@thereadinesslab.com

The United States population is aging. Baby Boomers are retiring and as they get older, there is a need for more facilities to care for them as their mobility decreases or they have more significant medical assistance. In this podcast we explore many aspects about the different types of elder care facilities and their emergency preparedness. At the end, we also have a brief considerations on how to go about choosing a facility for yourself or a loved one. The podcast guest is Norris Cunningham who is a Partner at Stoll Keenon Ogden’s Indianapolis office. He joined the firm in 2022. Norris is a practicing attorney and an experienced leader in the firm’s Health Care group. His focus is in health care dispute resolution including trial practice, regulatory advocacy, commercial litigation, and arbitration. Norris and his team advise health care providers, including skilled nursing and senior living facilities hospitals, physicians and physicians’ groups, and other health care professionals on a range of concerns in an ever-changing legal and regulatory environment.  Here’s a blog post that has an article that he wrote on a disaster topic: Long-Term Care Providers Need to Look at Their Disaster Plans.Dynamis, a leading provider of information management software and security solutions, is a sponsor of this podcast.Eric Holdeman is a professional emergency manager who is passionate about providing information that can help families, businesses & governments become better prepared for disasters of all types. Hear first hand expert insights from Eric on his Podcast, Blog & EricHoldeman.com. Please visit our sponsors!L3Harris Technologies' BeOn PPT App. Learn more about this amazing product here: www.l3harris.com Visit The Readiness Lab and learn about our Next Level Emergency Management training! https://www.thereadinesslab.com/Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by professionals for professionals: www.dobermanemg.com/impulseDoberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.comCheck out how you can use digital twins in your training, exercising, and planning using RSET https://rset.com/ For sponsorship requests, check out our Sponsorship Portfolio here or email us at contact@thereadinesslab.com