Disaster Podcast

We tackle a difficult topic on the Disaster Podcast this week. We look at the challenges associated with gun violence and mass shooter event prevention. Guest Gary Christmann comes on to talk about the issues around stress for first responders after such events.

In today's episode we bring the Disaster Podcast regulars together to talk about preparing for summer disasters and heat related injury and illnesses associated with this time of year.

Gary Christmann has over 28 years of paid and volunteer experience in several areas within emergency services. He worked for the St Louis Emergency Management Agency for 18 years within the Department of Public Safety. Mr Christmann was the Deputy Commander of the Missouri Disaster Response System (MoDRS). Currently he is the Lead Deputy Commander of the State MO-1 DMAT/DMORT and a board member for the Interstate Disaster Medical Cooperative (IDMC). So, what does a guy like this do for fun? He’s s storm chaser!

This week on the show we bring you Jason Friesen from TrekMedics.org. Trek Medics International is a 501c3-registered nonprofit organization dedicated to improving emergency medical systems in communities without reliable access to emergency care. They make their services available to all communities, regardless of race, religion or creed.

Adam Midden is a financial crimes expert working to stop human trafficking. He comes on the show to talk about trafficking around disaster situations and what human trafficking victims might look like when encountered by first responders.

In this episode of the Disaster Podcast, we invited author John Enright to join us. John has been involved in humanitarian relief missions since soon after the fall of the Soviet Union. He's been engaged in all levels of the process from procurement, to implementation, to on-site delivery. He's even driven some of the trucks himself.

In this episode of the Disaster Podcast, we asked Dr. Joe Holley to come on the show and give us a review of managing and treating blast injuries. Whether it's from a wartime situation, terrorist act, or residential gas explosion, there are some things every medical professional should keep in mind about the nature of injuries from explosions.

Kimberly Holley, wife of show regular and sponsor, Dr. Joe Holley, comes on the show to talk about her recent trip to Alaska to train her USAR dog on cold weather USAR. She talks about some of the lessons learned and how a team from temperate Tennessee fared in the cold of Alaska.

Dan Zehner from NHERI (Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure) joins us to talk about new programs and research around wind damage to structures. We talk about the recent shift in deadly tornadoes to the U.S. South from the midwest.

Dr. Joe Holley recounts his recent trip to a USAR FEMA training center in California. The evolutions and scenarios presented the attendees, both educators and students, with a variety of very difficult and unique situations. Joe talks candidly about how strange disaster response is when compared to so-called "typical" EMS and Fire responses in a community.