Disaster Zone

Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) are the facilities where governments and other organizations coordinate and manage their response to disasters. They are a critical element in being able to respond quickly and effectively. One aspect of 21st Century EOCs has to do with the integration of various technologies into these centers. In this podcast, my guest is Brendan McCluskey who is the Director of Emergency Management for King County (WA), which is the 12th largest county in the United States by population. He provides his perspective on how to organize an EOC and then we have more of an in-depth conversation about their recent technology upgrades costing over $2M to their King County EOC. If you are looking for a place to tour to see what is being done with EOC technology, this would be one place to have your list of facilities to visit. I’d add that the building is a combined EOC/911 Call Center and it too should be looked at if you operate from such a combined facility. 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.

Adrienne Williams-Octalien, is the Director of the Office of Disaster Recovery for the U.S. Virgin Islands. Except in her case the job was – and is – arguably more daunting, five years after back-to-back hits by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Both of them were ferocious Category 5 storms that destroyed everything from schools and hospitals to the energy grid and key hotels for the critically important tourism industry. Ms. Williams was tapped by Governor Albert Bryan Jr. just weeks after he took office in 2019 and has since been focused on managing upwards of $10 billion in federal disaster recovery funds for well over a thousand  projects big and small. In the podcast we discuss all the aspects of setting up and running billions of dollars of projects, from staffing to project management. 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.

This week’s Disaster Zone Podcast is a commentary from Eric Holdeman on the topic of Defunding Emergency Management. The title is there to get your attention and make everyone think about the grant rat race we are in as emergency managers. Whose role is it to fund state and local emergency management programs? Is it the federal government or is it the role of states and local governments? This is the topic that is explored in this commentary. Yes, Eric admits he has chased federal grants with the best of them!This episode is sponsored by Eric Holdeman and Associates, and keynote speaker Eric Holdeman. Eric is an accomplished public speaker who uses humor and information to both engage and enlighten audiences, both large and small. He has presented in plenary sessions for both national and regional conferences of 500 or more people. The following are topic areas that he can speak to:Social mediaEmergency Operations Center (EOC) Design, Construction and OperationFuture of Emergency Management is RegionalPandemic FluMedia is My FriendPublic EducationEric 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.

The podcast explores risk and crisis communications, focusing on topics such as hazard vs outrage, radiation exposure, understanding crisis details, improving communication, effective risk communications, and the power of sharing knowledge.

Wildfires are dramatically impacting state budgets as they deal with wildfire response, the damages from those fires and ways they might mitigate future wildfires. These are the topics we’ll cover in this podcast. Today’s podcast guest is Colin Foard is a manager with Pew’s fiscal federalism initiative, leading the project’s research into state and federal spending on natural disasters and other topics. He also engages stakeholders to improve understanding of the federal-state fiscal relationship and ensure that policymakers have data and evidence to inform their decision-making. In this podcast we explore how Wildfires: Burning Through State Budgets which is a report from The Pew Charitable Trusts. For those who listen to this podcast you can also sign up and attend a Webinar on How States Can Better Budget for Wildfires, being held on December 15, 2022.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.

Public Information Officers (PIO) had their work cut out for them in responding to the COVID pandemic. King County Washington was the first place in the USA that a death from COVID occurred. We explore all the challenges that came with the COVID response to a novel virus where everyone was flying a bit blind at first. The guest interviewed in this podcast is Meredith Li-Vollmer is the risk communication manager at Public Health – Seattle & King County where she has responded to a wide range of public health concerns, including the H1N1 flu pandemic, measles outbreaks, Ebola, and currently COVID-19. She is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Washington’s School of Public Health and has served on numerous national advisory roles for organizations including the National Academies, the National Association of County and City Health Officials, and the Center for Health Security. Meredith is also active in the field of graphic medicine, as a cartoonist and author of Graphic Public Health: A Comics Anthology and Roadmap.This episode is sponsored by Unearth. Unearth’s emergency response software connects field responders and the command center, equipping teams with mobile tools for rapid damage assessments, real-time incident tracking, and seamless information sharing. Empower field teams where their work actually happens - reducing response times, optimizing resource management, and simplifying reporting with a dynamic, map-based field operations platform.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.

Communications in disasters has always been an issue—across the board. In this podcast we dive into what makes communications so difficult in a disaster and how having communications options and redundancy is critical. Today’s guest is James Clevenger. He has been in the telecommunications industry for over 20 years, the past 15 of which he has supported both state and federal agencies and their missions. At Hughes, James leads government sales. To learn more about Hughes work to support first responders and communities during disaster scenarios, visit: https://www.hughes.com/what-we-offer/disaster-emergency-communications. The Blue Cell is a by-design crisis and consequence management consulting firm with a primary focus on education and training for government at all levels, non governmental agencies and private sector entities engaged in incident and emergency management activities.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.

Supply chains have become incredibly complex. In this podcast we have a supply chain expert sharing his insights on the history of supply chains in general and then how we have ended up with so much complexity, dependencies and interdependencies. Philip Palin is the author of Out of the Whirlwind: Supply and Demand after Hurricane Maria, published by Rowman & Littlefield (2019). Also author of Considering Catastrophe. Principal author of Catastrophe Preparation and Prevention series from McGraw-Hill. Principal author and editor of Strategic Playbook: Regional Catastrophic Preparedness and Supply Chain Resilience. Lead researcher and author of The Role of Groceries in Response to Catastrophes.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.

Daniel Kilburn is “America’s Save Your Life Coach.” He helps families open communications, create resiliency, and develop leadership by preparing for inevitable emergencies and natural disasters so they can protect themselves and live a life without fear. Earlier, Daniel interviewed Eric Holdeman about information sharing and his communications strategies which is the subject of this podcast. You can learn more about Daniel’s efforts by checking out Emergency Action Planning and his website at https://www.danielkilburn.com.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.

Managing a natural disaster, data breach, or crisis requires having a strategy in place—before the emergency strikes. A proactive approach with leaders who are knowledgeable, confident, and prepared for the spotlight is essential. After all, the reputation of your organization and your stakeholders are on the line. Susan Young is an award-winning story + speaker coach. She was an on-air radio news reporter and anchor for 10 years. She managed the Governor’s Office of Radio and Television in New Jersey for Gov. Christine Todd Whitman. Additionally, she I served as a PR Director for a statewide nonprofit. Susan provides leaders with critical communication, storytelling, and brand management strategies to ensure organizations are prepared and responsive.  The Blue Cell is a by-design crisis and consequence management consulting firm with a primary focus on education and training for government at all levels, non governmental agencies and private sector entities engaged in incident and emergency management activities.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.