In this episode of the Disaster Tough Podcast, host John Scardena shares candid reflections on the state of emergency management and calls for actionable solutions, not just commentary. Fresh from a deployment, John goes live and speaks directly to professionals facing job loss, early retirement, or career uncertainty—especially those impacted by changes at FEMA.He highlights the urgent need for strategic coordination in emergency services, challenging outdated norms and emphasizing why emergency managers are first responders, not second-class support. From the rise in demand for Readiness Lab’s gear to redefining EM branding, John shares how the field is shifting—and how we must embrace that change with confidence, unity, and standards.The episode also includes:

• A job support initiative for those laid off in EM
• A bold challenge to FEMA leadership to rise to public expectations
• A new vision for professional identity, training, and field standards
• A reminder that wins come in unexpected forms—“Don’t be mad if your boat can fly”

This is a must-listen for emergency management professionals, especially those seeking purpose, change, or new opportunities. Join the conversation around Next Level Emergency Management, strategic leadership, and real-world impact.

🎧 Keywords: Emergency Management Jobs, FEMA Layoffs, Strategic Coordination, EM Standards, First Responders, EM Careers, Readiness Lab, Disaster Tough Podcast, Next Level Emergency Management, Emergency Manager Branding

In this episode of the Disaster Tough Podcast, John catches up with the audience after his first break in six years. He breaks down the state of emergency management (EM), FEMA reform, and the urgent need for data-driven decision-making and brand standards. With growing concerns about the future of EM, this episode challenges outdated models, calls out inefficiencies, and pushes for a more strategic, structured approach.

The EM field is facing major challenges, from funding gaps to a lack of clear role definitions. Passionate debates online highlight growing concerns, but many conversations fail to focus on long-term sustainability. Emergency managers often struggle to define their role, leading to confusion among stakeholders and underfunding of essential programs. John predicts that without major changes, EM as a profession could fade within 10-20 years.

John challenges the style of approach for calls-to-action, using the airline industry as an example. Despite recent FAA incidents, year-over-year accident data remains stable, proving that two events don’t create a trend—media hype does. The same applies to emergency management: decision-making must be data-driven, not reactive to sensationalized narratives.To be effective, EM must be seen as the strategic coordination of emergency services, not just business management. John emphasizes the importance of branding, clear communication, and stakeholder engagement to secure funding and influence. Without a standardized role for EM professionals across industries, decision-makers struggle to see its value—leading to underfunding and a lack of dedicated resources.

John identifies six critical areas FEMA must address to overcome its challenges:

1. Funding & Budget Issues – Many disaster declarations are for minor incidents ($8M or less). FEMA needs a smarter approach to resource allocation.
2. Technology & Data Utilization – FEMA is severely behind in adopting modern technology for disaster response, coordination, and tracking.
3. Emergency Management vs. Auditing – 90% of FEMA operates like the "IRS of Disasters," focusing on compliance and funding rather than true emergency management.
4. Deployment & Workforce Structure – The current hiring and deployment model is inefficient, leading to wasted resources and burnout.
5. Enhancing EMI (Emergency Management Institute) – FEMA should focus on developing best practices for all industries, not just public safety, to elevate emergency management as a profession.
6. Strategic Coordination & Reform – FEMA must embrace long-term planning, efficiency, and structured leadership instead of reacting to crises with short-term fixes.

The Call to Action: Evolve or Become Obsolete

Emergency management must shift toward data-driven decision-making, strategic planning, and interagency collaboration. EM professionals need to embrace branding, marketing, and clear messaging to establish credibility and secure funding. The field must also attract multi-disciplinary stakeholders, including finance and logistics experts, to enhance operational efficiency.Emergency management is at a crossroads.

Without embracing innovation, technology, and strategic coordination, the field risks being phased out. FEMA and EM leaders must focus on efficiency, structure, and stakeholder engagement to secure long-term success. The world isn’t on fire—but without change, emergency management might be.

Listen, Watch, & Support DTP: www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links

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#emergencymanagement #disastertough #leadership #emergencyservices 
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One day after Inauguration Day in the United States, the Disaster Tough Podcast welcomes a former White House Medical Officer to the show.

Travis Kaufman served as a Medical Officer in the White House from 2016 to 2021. 

He has also served in the US Army for nearly 25 years in various capacities, including as an Aeromedical Physician Assistant and an Engineer Diver.  

He has also worked in medical education as an adjunct professor and Emergency Management professional at Lynchburg University.  

He currently serves as the Director At Large of the Colorado Academy of Physician Assistants.  

In this episode, Travis discusses the importance of balancing fluidity in job execution, while maintaining industry standards in the medical and emergency management fields.  

He and host, John Scardena also discuss what the Emergency Management field needs to do to evolve and improve itself as it grows in the world of response.

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Emergency Management for Dynamic Populations (DyPop): Hot Mess Express: An emergency management leadership course focusing on response tactics during terrorist attacks.

Hot Mess Express includes an immersive exercise during an intentional train derailment scenario. Register for DyPop here: https://www.thereadinesslab.com/shop/p/dynamic 

Doberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.com

Listen, Watch, & Support DTP: www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links Boost the signal with a $5 monthly donation! 

Become a TRL Insider Member with a ton of extra content! 

#emergencymanagement #disastertough #leadership #emergencyservices 

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Creating resilient communities is the goal of today's guest in the Disaster Tough Podcast.  

JT White and Susanna Pho joined forces in 2019 to form Forerunner, a software platform designed to empower communities to prepare better, respond, and plan for future disasters and major incidents.

The company specializes in its floodplain management platform which is designed to automate workflows for professionals to manage their resources better.  

However, the company is continuing to work toward becoming an "All Hazards Resilience Platform."

In this episode of the Disaster Tough Podcast, Susanna and JT go back to their days as colleagues at MIT, and discuss how their idea for a company came about. 

They also discuss, among other things, how they work to lead a growing company from opposite sides of the country.  

To learn more about Forerunner and its platform, visit https://www.withforerunner.com/

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*Major Endorsements: L3Harris's BeOn PPT App.
Learn more about this amazing product here: https://www.l3harris.com/ 

Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by Professionals for Professionals: https://www.dobermanemg.com/impulse

Emergency Management for Dynamic Populations (DyPop): Hot Mess Express: An emergency management leadership course focusing on response tactics during terrorist attacks.

Hot Mess Express includes an immersive exercise during an intentional train derailment scenario. 

Register for DyPop here: https://www.thereadinesslab.com/shop/p/dynamic

Doberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.com

Listen, Watch, & Support DTP: www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links Boost the signal with a $5 monthly donation! 

Become a TRL Insider Member with a ton of extra content! 

#emergencymanagement #disastertough #leadership #emergencyservices 

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Learning from experience and dealing with physically and emotionally draining situations is necessary for anyone working in or adjacent to the Emergency management field.

Krista Haugen, National Director of Patient Safety for Global Medical Response does her best to do this daily.

As a longtime medical professional with extensive experience as a Registered Nurse, Master of Nursing, and Certified Medical Transport Executive, Director Haugen brings over 25 years of experience in emergency, critical care, and flight nursing.  

While often caring for others in crisis, Krista is no stranger to trauma herself, as she is also an EMS helicopter crash survivor.   

In this episode of the Disaster Tough Podcast, Director Haugen discusses the many lessons she has learned over multiple decades of emergency response and critical care, along with important attributes such as empathy, adaptability, and responsibility. 

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*Major Endorsements: L3Harris's BeOn PPT App.
Learn more about this amazing product here: https://www.l3harris.com/ 

Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by Professionals for Professionals: https://www.dobermanemg.com/impulse

Emergency Management for Dynamic Populations (DyPop): Hot Mess Express: An emergency management leadership course focusing on response tactics during terrorist attacks.

Hot Mess Express includes an immersive exercise during an intentional train derailment scenario. 

Register for DyPop here: https://www.thereadinesslab.com/shop/p/dynamic

Doberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.com

Listen, Watch, & Support DTP: www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links

Boost the signal with a $5 monthly donation! 

Become a TRL Insider Member with a ton of extra content! 

#emergencymanagement #disastertough #leadership #emergencyservices 

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Host John Scardena shares personal insights into 2024, providing the reminder of the importance of sacrifice through this one key element to ensure success: never allow a short term win for long term loss.

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*Major Endorsements:

L3Harris's BeOn PPT App.
Learn more about this amazing product here: https://www.l3harris.com/ 

Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by Professionals for Professionals: https://www.dobermanemg.com/impulse

Emergency Management for Dynamic Populations (DyPop):
Hot Mess Express: An emergency management leadership course focusing on response tactics during terrorist attacks. Hot Mess Express includes an immersive exercise during an intentional train derailment scenario. 

Register for DyPop here:
https://www.thereadinesslab.com/shop/p/dynamic

Doberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.com

Listen, Watch, & Support DTP: www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links

Boost the signal with a $5 monthly donation! 

Become a TRL Insider Member with a ton of extra content! 

#emergencymanagement #disastertough #leadership #emergencyservices 

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Good leaders usually allow do so alongside or from behind.

John Scrivani knows this well and has been putting this principle into practice for over three decades of service in law enforcement and Emergency Management.  

Director Scrivani's career started with the NYPD, and eventually landed with the New York City Medical Examiner's Office and later the NYC Office of Emergency Management. 

He then worked for two different NYC Mayors, coordinating operations for the response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Super Storm Sandy, and other major incidents.  

Scrivani then moved to leadership positions in the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.  

Today, he continues those duties as the Director of the Office of Safety, Security & Emergency Management Virginia Department of Transportation along with being a subject matter expert on the operational effectiveness of the Combating Terrorism Technical Support & Technical Support Working Group for the US Department of Defense.

In this episode of the Disaster Tough Podcast, Director Scrivani shares among other things, his experiences of being on the frontlines of some of the most devastating disasters of the past few decades, and how law enforcement and Emergency Managers can work more effectively together.

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*Major Endorsements:

L3Harris's BeOn PPT App.
Learn more about this amazing product here: https://www.l3harris.com/ 

Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by Professionals for Professionals: https://www.dobermanemg.com/impulse

Emergency Management for Dynamic Populations (DyPop):
Hot Mess Express: An emergency management leadership course focusing on response tactics during terrorist attacks. Hot Mess Express includes an immersive exercise during an intentional train derailment scenario. 

Register for DyPop here:
https://www.thereadinesslab.com/shop/p/dynamic

Doberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.com

Listen, Watch, & Support DTP: www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links

Boost the signal with a $5 monthly donation! 

Become a TRL Insider Member with a ton of extra content! 

#emergencymanagement #disastertough #leadership #emergencyservices 

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Thinking ahead, talking through difficult situations, understanding you don't have all the answers, and working well with those who do, are all attributes of high-functioning emergency managers and response professionals.

As a former paramedic, and current Director of Emergency Management in Larimer County, Colorado, Lori Hodges knows this well.

In this episode of the Disaster Tough Podcast, Lori talks about her experience dealing with cascading impacts, transitioning between crisis mode and routine mode, and consequence management.  

Lori is also an author whose book, Shaking In The Forest: Finding Light in the Darkness, explains how to deal with the trauma that is certain to come when dealing with major emergencies.

Buy her book here: https://www.amazon.com/Shaking-Forest-Finding-Light-Darkness/dp/B0D2M115FX

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*Major Endorsements:

L3Harris's BeOn PPT App.
Learn more about this amazing product here: https://www.l3harris.com/ 

Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by Professionals for Professionals: https://www.dobermanemg.com/impulse

Emergency Management for Dynamic Populations (DyPop):
Hot Mess Express: An emergency management leadership course focusing on response tactics during terrorist attacks. Hot Mess Express includes an immersive exercise during an intentional train derailment scenario. 

Register for DyPop here:
https://www.thereadinesslab.com/shop/p/dynamic

Doberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.com

Listen, Watch, & Support DTP: www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links

Boost the signal with a $5 monthly donation! 

Become a TRL Insider Member with a ton of extra content!  

#emergencymanagement #disastertough #leadership #emergencyservices 

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At this time of year, when we express gratitude and give thanks for the good things in our lives, The Readiness Lab does the same.

We are grateful for the chance to hear this week from Safety, Health, and environmental expert Tim Page-Bottorf. 

Tim's influence in that space is widespread as a safety, health, and environmental expert. He is also a keynote speaker, author of three books, an adjunct instructor at two universities, and served for over two decades as the Director At-Large of the American Society of Safety Professionals.

His voice can also be heard online as the host of the “Storytelling in Safety Podcast” where safety and response professionals share stories from the field and lessons learned from successes and failures.

Before his work as a safety, health, and environmental expert, Tim served in the Marine Corps where he escorted fire responders to safely respond to the Kuwaiti Oil Fires during Operation Desert Storm.

In this episode, Tim expresses gratitude for the good and bad experiences he has had on the frontlines of safety and emergency response, and the lessons he has learned.

Also, don’t skip the first few minutes of the podcast as Tim and host John Scardena quickly bond over their love of Star Wars and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Listen to Tim's podcast here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/storytelling-in-safety/id1505112163 

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*Major Endorsements:

L3Harris's BeOn PPT App.  Learn more about this amazing product here:
https://www.l3harris.com/ 

Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by Professionals for Professionals: https://www.dobermanemg.com/impulse

Emergency Management for Dynamic Populations (DyPop): Hot Mess Express:
An emergency management leadership course focusing on response tactics during terrorist attacks. 
Hot Mess Express includes an immersive exercise during an intentional train derailment scenario. 

Register for DyPop here:
https://www.thereadinesslab.com/shop/p/dynamic 

Doberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training:
www.dobermanemg.com

Listen, Watch, & Support DTP: www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links

Boost the signal with a $5 monthly donation! 

Become a TRL Insider Member with a ton of extra content! 

#emergencymanagement #disastertough #leadership #emergencyservices 

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Frontline experience, training, and subject matter expert analysis.

These elements are vital in effective Emergency Management and response, and this week's guest in the Disaster Tough Podcast does them all.

Jeremy R. Urekew is a Hoist Rescue Paramedic and Emergency Manager and a subject matter expert (SME) in weapons of mass destruction.

In this episode, he and host John Scardena discuss the importance of interagency coordination and collaboration.

They also dive into the world of finance regarding funding Emergency Management and response efforts at various agencies.

They also discuss the myth that certification equals qualification, and how those two terms should actually be reversed for more effective response and functionality.
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*Major Endorsements:

L3Harris's BeOn PPT App.
Learn more about this amazing product here: https://www.l3harris.com/ 

Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by Professionals for Professionals: https://www.dobermanemg.com/impulse

Emergency Management for Dynamic Populations (DyPop):
Hot Mess Express: An emergency management leadership course focusing on response tactics during terrorist attacks. Hot Mess Express includes an immersive exercise during an intentional train derailment scenario. 

Register for DyPop here:
https://www.thereadinesslab.com/shop/p/dynamic

Doberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.com