The world is seemingly ripe with disasters in every corner of the globe. They also seem to be getting worse. Fran Racioppi down with Dr. Samantha Montano; a self-proclaimed Disasterologist and the author of Disasterology: Dispatches From The Front Lines of The Climate Crisis. Samantha holds a PhD in Emergency Management and is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Management at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. 

Fran and Samantha break down the Hazard Event Scale explaining what takes an event from an emergency, to a disaster, to a catastrophe. They talk about the driving factors behind the increase in catastrophic events and the effects of our socio-economic policy, decaying infrastructure, lack of policy, and population movement.  

Samantha also defines preparedness and shares what it takes to be a successful emergency manager, which government organizations are getting it right, and where we need more leadership with the courage to take action.

Learn more about Samantha at disaster-ology.com and on Twitter and Instagram @samLmontano. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

-0:00 Welcome to The Jedburgh Podcast

-4:59 Becoming a Disterologist

-6:50 The Hazard Event Scale

-11:01 The impact of our decisions on climate change

-17:21 Climate change as a threat multiplier

-25:07 Preparedness and emergencies bring people together

-30:48 Training Emergency Managers

-33:53 The role of FEMA, the Red Cross and non-profits

-42:26 Disaster Justice and the courage to act

-48:00 Disaster Lightning Round

-53:39 Samantha’s 3 Daily Foundations

Quotes: 

-”A Disasterologist is anyone who studies disasters. I’m working within the discipline of emergency management.” (5:05)

-”The way you plan for an emergency is going to look very different than the way you plan for a disaster, which is going to look different than the way you plan for catastrophes.” (9:12)

-”We have for decades, and in some cases for centuries, made decisions, written policies and made decisions…without thinking about the future.” (13:33) 

-“When you have multiple parts of the country that are all simultaneously in need, resources are strained.” (19:20)

-“I don’t need a survival kit because I have a purse.” (26:31.5)

-”You need someone who has a vision and who isn’t just checking boxes.” (31:21)

-”Respect is really at the core and the foundation of building trust with a community.” (32:17)

-”That is Emergency Management 101…you want as little bureaucracy as possible between you and the resources that you need.” (35:43) 

-”We are creating an emergency management system that does not only distribute aid equally to everybody, but actually disperses aid in an equitable way.” (43:02) 

Samantha’s Three Daily Foundations to Success:

-Start the day with coffee

-Live by the ‘to do’ list

-Be near the water to clear the soul

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions