Episode 2 takes our listeners across the country to explore how emergency management looks different depending on geography, population, and local government structure. Through conversations with Birch Barron in Eagle County, Colorado, Ian Hamilton in Santa Clara County, California, and Preeti Emrick in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, we unpack how hazards, resources, and community needs shape the way EM offices operate. This episode highlights the diversity of emergency management in the United States and the shared challenges that connect them all.

Season 3 opens with a dive into the idea shaping every corner of emergency management today: resilience. In this kickoff episode, we unpack what resilience really means in 2026: how it lives at the intersection of climate change, infrastructure, public health, mental health, logistics, and policy. We explore why resilience isn’t just a buzzword but a survival strategy for communities facing more frequent and more complex disasters. This season, we’ll take listeners across the nation to examine how hazard mitigation is evolving, how emergency management is adapting to new threats and new expectations, and why mental health must be treated as a core component of preparedness and recovery.  Season 3 is all about understanding resilience—and building it where it matters most.

In this special holiday episode, we explore resilience as one of the most meaningful gifts a community can give itself. We look at how preparedness programs for children build confidence and safety from an early age, break down how hazard mitigation protects lives while reducing long‑term costs, and highlight how continuity‑of‑operations planning keeps essential services running when disruptions occur. Together, these elements show that resilience isn’t created in a single moment — it’s built over time through planning, compassion, and the belief that the choices we make today can protect the people we care about tomorrow. 

This episode is dedicated to the memory of I. Michael Greenberger.

As we wrap up this season, we turn the spotlight inward with a hotwash—a structured reflection on what worked, what didn’t, and what we can do better next time. In emergency management, assessing and reassessing is not a weakness but a strength, and programmatic evaluations are the key to building resilience and sharpening response. Together, we revisit our themes, highlight our successes, acknowledge our challenges, and chart a path forward for an even stronger season ahead.

After disaster strikes, one of the most important missions is debris removal, which is essential to ensuring first responders can access people in need and marks the first step in recovery.  This episode unpacks how everyday “blue sky” trash systems transform under crisis, why cleanup is so time‑intensive and expensive, and what’s at stake if it’s delayed. From hurricanes to wildfires, we explore the wreckage left behind—and the resilience built when communities clear the way forward.

 In this episode of Hotwash, special guest Megan Timmins joins us to explore the power of collaboration in emergency management—from securing presidential elections to coordinating across FEMA regions and healthcare coalitions. We trace how funding streams like UASI helped build cross-border capabilities after 9/11, and how new models of partnership are emerging to meet today’s challenges. Megan helps us unpack why maintaining strong relationships is essential for data sharing, joint response, and long-term recovery. 

Monday, November 10, 2025, marks the fiftieth anniversary of the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior. Though widely understood as one of the worst maritime disasters in history, it has gained unique cultural resonance after being immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot’s song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” Today we reflect on the history of the Mighty Fitz and its crew, the final voyage, and some of the reforms that have been implemented in response to the tragedy.

In this episode of Hotwash, we explore the legal and public health foundations of vaccine mandates through the lens of the landmark Supreme Court case Jacobson v. Massachusetts. We unpack how the Fourth Amendment intersects with public health authority, and why vaccination programs have long been considered a legitimate exercise of state power. From smallpox to COVID-19, we trace the balance between individual liberty and collective safety in times of crisis.

In our final Halloween special, we sink our teeth into the viral origins of zombies—from fast-moving cinematic ghouls to real-world pathogens like rabies and cordyceps. We explore how zombie lore mirrors epidemiological principles and how public health campaigns, like the CDC’s zombie preparedness guide, use fiction to drive real-world readiness. It’s a chilling reminder that emergency planning is all about asking “what if”—even when the answer is undead. 

In our second Halloween special, we take flight into the world of bats—creatures both feared and essential. We explore how bats intersect with public health, emergency response, and environmental law. Join us for a quick rinse on the delicate balance between protecting ecosystems and preventing disease.