Disaster Tough Podcast

Support our podcast, click here: https://www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links

It was once said that the best time to fix the roof is when the sun is still shining. - President Kennedy

John led a group of subject matter experts from Doberman Emergency Management, FuturityIT, and Nuharbor Security to look at physical security and cybersecurity access at the Univeristy of California - Irvine. This, "Wolf Pack," in concert with UCI Emergency Management and UCI Police innovated the hazard vulnerability asssement process through application developement, penetration testing, and on site surveys with recommendations. This is the combination of innovation and best practice.

Innovation is worth the potential push back from those who are unwilling to improve. They are a distraction... keep learning, keep improving. That is the point of being disaster tough.


Major Endorsements: L3Harris and the BeOn PPT App. Learn more about this amazing product here: www.L3Harris.com/ResponderSupport.

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

The Readiness Lab Podcast Network: Disaster Tough Podcast is part of The Readiness Lab Podcast Network

Support our podcast, click here: https://www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links

It was once said that, "Design is what makes the world beautiful. It is what makes the world understood." - Author Unknown

Landon and CJ are the co founders of Noble Creative Collective co. They are experts in the field of graphic design and are the "go-to" for all things related to The Readiness Lab.

In this episode we talk about the need for brand standards and consistency, and how that will impact your ability to communicate with the public and stakeholders.

The Readiness Lab has thrown out the trash of past EM related logos. We offer a new "icon" a symbol that simply explains who we are and what our purpose is. We work around the clock. We collaborate and support. We communicate and organize. We are emergency managers - unlike anyone one else in emergency services, yet can jump into any sphere of influence to move the needle forward.


Major Endorsements: L3Harris and the BeOn PPT App. Learn more about this amazing product here: www.L3Harris.com/ResponderSupport.

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

The Readiness Lab Podcast Network: Disaster Tough Podcast is part of The Readiness Lab Podcast Network

Support our podcast, click here: https://www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links

Drawing in the Media with Valuable Information

“Be brief, be brilliant, be gone.”

This quote has been attributed to a handful of famous public speakers in history including the likes of Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

No matter who first introduced the principle, the lesson it teaches still applies to the work of news briefings and getting vital and accurate information out to the media in times of crisis and disaster.

Longtime Public Information Officer, Prescott Nadeau returns to the Disaster Tough Podcast and in this episode, explains how he applies this art to his everyday work in media relations.

Prescott has been the PIO for the Williston Fire Department in Vermont for the past decade.
This is his second appearance on the Disaster Tough Podcast.

Major Endorsements: L3Harris and the BeOn PPT App. Learn more about this amazing product here: www.L3Harris.com/ResponderSupport.

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

The Readiness Lab Podcast Network: Disaster Tough Podcast is part of The Readiness Lab Podcast Network

Support our podcast, click here: https://www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links


Picking Up the “Slack” in EM Communications

A philosopher once said made the case for the importance of experience when he said, “Life can only be understood backward, but must be lived forwards.”

In this episode of the Disaster Tough Podcast, guest Mark “Whit” Whittington shares how his multiple decades of experience with the biggest technology companies in the country has led him to be on the cutting edge of emergency communications.

“Whit” is the Public Sector Vice President at Slack, North America. In that capacity, he has helped guide Slack to the forefront of emergency communications. One such step in that direction includes the recent agreement between Slack and the National Weather Service to create NWSChat 2.0.

Before joining Slack, “Whit” worked in upper management at some of the largest and most successful tech companies including among others, Oracle, Microsoft, and Amazon.

In this episode, “Whit” explains his gratitude for having a “ringside seat” to see how tech companies such as Slack can play a major role in disaster and emergency response. He has seen it firsthand over the years in situations such as “Digital Dunkirk” and the 2022 Kentucky Floods.

Major Endorsements: L3Harris and the BeOn PPT App. Learn more about this amazing product here: www.L3Harris.com/ResponderSupport.

Instinct Ready Everyday Readiness Kits. Learn more about Instinct Ready's incredible line of readiness products at: www.instinctready.com

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

The Readiness Lab Podcast Network: Disaster Tough Podcast is part of The Readiness Lab Podcast Network

Support our podcast, click here: https://www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”

Corporal Haley Evans of the Bella Vista Police Department in Arkansas has been putting this idea into practice since attending the Emergency Management Response for Dynamic Populations Course (DyPop) last year.

In this episode of the Disaster Tough Podcast, Haley goes into more specifics about what she learned and how she is applying it in her work in law enforcement.

Besides her six years of experience as a police officer, Haley also has a Masters Degree in Emergency Management. In her time in law enforcement, she has seen how proper coordination among police, Emergency Managers, and other first responders makes the overall response efforts more effective.

In this episode, she discusses the importance of all parties stepping back and working together. She also emphasizes how vital it is that the community is aware of what response efforts may look like to disasters and emergency situations.

Major Endorsements: L3Harris and the BeOn PPT App.Learn more about this amazing product here: www.L3Harris.com/ResponderSupport.

Instinct Ready Everyday Readiness Kits. Learn more about Instinct Ready's incredible line of readiness products at: www.instinctready.com

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

The Readiness Lab Podcast Network: Disaster Tough Podcast is part of The Readiness Lab Podcast Network

Support our podcast, click here: https://www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links

On February 3, 2023, 38 cars from a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in the small town of East Palestine, Ohio near the border with Pennsylvania.

Several of the derailed cars burst into flames, releasing the hazardous chemicals such as hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the air. More chemicals were released due to controlled burns.

Residents within a 1-mile radius were evacuated, and the emergency response has been handled by agencies from three different states including Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

In this episode of the Disaster Tough Podcast, Eric Helpenstell of Praetorian reacts to the disaster the response efforts from local response agencies and the Federal Government.

Eric is an expert in the field of fire response, particularly Hazmat situations.

Together with host, John Scardena, these two Emergency Management professionals and experts break down what exactly happened in this disaster, positive and negative lessons learned from the response efforts that can be applied to future incidents, and compare this incident to others he has seen in his multiple decades of experience in fire and Hazmat response.

Major Endorsements: L3Harris and the BeOn PPT App.Learn more about this amazing product here: www.L3Harris.com/ResponderSupport.

Instinct Ready Everyday Readiness Kits. Learn more about Instinct Ready's incredible line of readiness products at: www.instinctready.com

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

The Readiness Lab Podcast Network: Disaster Tough Podcast is part of The Readiness Lab Podcast Network

Support our podcast, click here: https://www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links

Forty-five years ago, this week, a train derailment and explosion in the small town of Waverly, Tennessee set in motion a chain of events that would change the way emergencies are managed in the United States forever.

Today’s guest on the Disaster Tough Podcast, Yasmine S. Ali, M.D. grew up in the area and knows the details of the disaster well. Her latest book, Walk Through Fire comes out today, and tells the story of the disaster and the experiences of those who lived through that day including her parents, who were the attending physicians at the local hospital in Waverly and treated many of the victims.

The situation began on February 22, 1978, when a 92-car freight train carrying hazardous materials passed through Waverly and derailed near the small downtown area, and exploded two days later when it was discovered that there was a small vapor leak in one of the cars.

In total, 16 people lost their lives in the explosion and the aftermath. Despite the damage and loss of life, many lives were saved due to the heroic efforts of local emergency responders and medical professionals, including Dr. Ali’s parents.

In this episode, she discusses the lessons learned from the disaster that can be applied to the modern world of Emergency Management and Response.

Shortly after this disaster, President Jimmy Carter and his administration signed an Executive Order creating FEMA to better coordinate disaster response efforts.

Major Endorsements:
L3Harris and the BeOn PPT App.Learn more about this amazing product here: www.L3Harris.com/ResponderSupport.

Instinct Ready Everyday Readiness Kits. Learn more about Instinct Ready's incredible line of readiness products at: www.instinctready.com

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

The Readiness Lab Podcast Network:
Disaster Tough Podcast is part of The Readiness Lab Podcast Network

Support our podcast, click here: https://www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links

It’s been said that good communication is the bridge between confusion and clarity.

While bridges run above the ground, this week’s guest on the Disaster Tough Podcast is working to take this concept underground to the world of pipelines.

Lindsay Sander is the CEO and Creator of Buxus, an app designed to improve two-way communication between pipeline operators and emergency responders and is proving to be a valuable planning and response resource for pipeline emergencies.

The app has been available for a little over a year. In that time, Buxus has proven valuable in providing information to Emergency Managers and Responders. Its capabilities include interactive pipeline maps, potential hazards, pipeline-specific information on what is being transported by the pipeline, and emergency response actions that may need to be taken. Its clients include various fire departments and Hazmat teams around the country from big cities to smaller communities.

In this episode Lindsay and host John Scardena discuss the benefits of having such information at your fingertips compared to previous processes, and how this app can be one more tool in the toolbox for effective emergency response.
The Buxus app is FREE to emergency responders, and is available to download for both Apple and Android in the App Store and on Google Play Store respectively.

Major Endorsements:
L3Harris and the BeOn PPT App.Learn more about this amazing product here: www.L3Harris.com/ResponderSupport.

Instinct Ready Everyday Readiness Kits. Learn more about Instinct Ready's incredible line of readiness products at: www.instinctready.com

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

The Readiness Lab Podcast Network:
Disaster Tough Podcast is part of The Readiness Lab Podcast Network

Support our podcast, click here: https://www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links

Famous TV scientist, Bill Nye once said, “Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t.”

This was the idea motivating the efforts of this week’s guest on the Disaster Tough Podcast, Lt. Martin Killion.

Lt. KIllion has been a Public Safety Instructor for Marshall County Schools in Guntersville, Alabama for the past decade.

Before moving over to the educational side, Lt. Killion worked for fire and police departments along with EMS.

In 2022, Lt. Killion was tasked by his supervisor at the school district with finding the best Emergency Management training and education possible. As a result, he sought out and attended the Emergency Management for Dynamic Populations (DyPop) Training and Certification presented by The Readiness Lab.

In this episode, Lt. Killion talks about how he is applying the education he received at DyPop last year to his work in educating the next generation of Emergency Management and Response professionals.

Major Endorsements:
L3Harris and the BeOn PPT App.Learn more about this amazing product here: www.L3Harris.com/ResponderSupport.

Instinct Ready Everyday Readiness Kits.Learn more about Instinct Ready's incredible line of readiness products at: www.instinctready.com

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

The Readiness Lab Podcast Network:
Disaster Tough Podcast is part of The Readiness Lab Podcast Network

For sponsorship requests: [email protected]
or visit our website: https://www.thereadinesslab.com/disaster-tough

Support our podcast, click here: https://www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links

When describing the role or job description of an Emergency Manager, "Ambassador" or "Diplomat" might be the right terms, after all. Those are the words that come to mind for this week's guest on the Disaster Tough Podcast, Dillon Taylor.

Dillon wears many professional hats. For the past four years, he has been working for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM). He entered the organization as the Deputy Director of External Affairs & Policy, and currently serves as Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel. He also has a background in emergency response, having started his career working as a firefighter in Arizona before attending law school.

In this episode, Dillon talks about what his priorities are professionally within VDEM. He also explains more about how he believes Emergency Managers are diplomats and ambassadors as opposed to responders or project managers. He also talks about the organizational structure of VDEM, and how they are innovating the way Emergency Management Departments function.


Major Endorsements:
L3Harris and the BeOn PPT App.Learn more about this amazing product here: www.L3Harris.com/ResponderSupport.

Instinct Ready Everyday Readiness Kits.Learn more about Instinct Ready's incredible line of readiness products at: www.instinctready.com

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

The Readiness Lab Podcast Network:
Disaster Tough Podcast is part of The Readiness Lab Podcast Network For sponsorship requests: [email protected] or visit our website: https://www.thereadinesslab.com/disaster-tough