How to Disaster

"You need to be prepared for all sorts of scenarios as to what comes into play." -Louie Delaware

 

Episode Description: 

Homes are meant to be safe havens. They're the places we retreat to in times of need and they help us avoid the brunt of a disaster.

 

The structure and design of our home says a lot about how resilient it is when a disaster strikes. Of course, our goal should not only be to make our homes resilient, but also as livable as it can be. After all, it is where we build our memories and our future.

 

In this episode, Jennifer interviews Louie Delaware, the Founder of Living in Place LLC. Living in place is the leader in professional building, designing, and medical education. Their mission is to connect people and improve their quality of life by providing the highest quality of accessible, healthy, and safe building standards.

 

Join in as Jennifer and Louie discuss how we can weave resiliency into designing a house for people with disability, how to make it more livable and safer  without sacrificing style, what modifications can we make to reduce the peripheral damage of our home due to smoke exposure, how to make an exit plan for emergencies, and why we should prepare in advance for future needs.

Connect with After The Fire USA: 

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

01:42 Living in Place— Connecting People

05:21 Building Homes for the Disabled Population

12:31 Resiliency and Home Design

17:59 Resilient Home with Style

23:16 How to Make Your Home Safer and More Accessible

28:10 When Power is an Issue

34:06 Making a Plan Out

38:33 Anticipating Future Needs

44:00 Take Care of Your Future Self

"[Helping] is a passion that goes deep. If we could steer that passion towards funding for the nonprofits that needed to do what they know they need to do, we can facilitate product donations at a much, much higher level." -Jim Alvey

Episode Description: 

One of the biggest problems with donated goods is that a lot of them end up in landfills. This is because people often donate items that they no longer need or want, without considering whether or not someone else could actually use them. This thoughtless act, although coming from a genuine desire to help, results in what we call 'secondary disaster'. 

 

Therefore, we have to make sure that our intentions are truly meeting a need. The key is to have the right goods for the right people at the right time. 

 

This is the goal of Good360, the global leader in product philanthropy and purposeful giving. Their mission is to connect organizations who want to donate with nonprofits who actually need that specific help. 

 

In this episode, Jennifer sits with Good360's VP of Disaster Recovery and Philanthropy, Jim Alvey. Jennifer and Jim discuss how to close the 'need gap' in product donations distribution and identify the unmet needs for a community's long-term recovery. They also talk about the disadvantages of unsolicited goods and the short attention span of donors and the public, the importance of rebuilding at the right pace, Good360's partners, and building resilience into recovery.

Connect with After The Fire USA: 

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

02:44 Doing Social Good with Good360

08:00 Donations and Disaster Response

15:38 Right Goods, Right People, Right Time

22:51 Employing Tech in Disaster Response

26:53 Right Rebuilding at the Right Pace

35:40 Closing the Gap Between Impact and Recovery

40:11 Facilitating Donations at a Higher Level

45:09 Resilience Response

52:57 #Undaunted 

 "It's really exciting to think about what could be done when the generator is not the problem." -Will Heegaard

Episode Description: 

 

Rebuilding a community after a disaster is a lot like building a house. You have to make sure that the foundation is strong and secure, and you have to make sure that you're using the right materials for the job. The best way to do this is by rebuilding back with green energy in mind. 

 

However, many people reason that this is not a practical step as green energy sources like solar generators can get expensive. But is it really? 

 

Green energy is clean, renewable, and sustainable—and that means it's more resilient than traditional power sources like coal or nuclear plants. And because it's kinder for the environment, we're actually helping fight climate change, which reduces the intensity and frequency of disasters we experience. So in effect, rebuilding with green energy is more cost-effective in the long run. 

 

However, having sufficient funds can be hard for a disaster-stricken community. So how can we finance this big project?

 

In this episode, Jennifer interviews Will Heegaard, the Operations Director of Footprint Project, a non-profit organization that brings sustainable power generation to disaster affected communities.

 

Listen in as Jennifer and Will talk about what microgrids are, how they can be a great tool for disaster response, and how to get the funds needed for these projects. They also discuss the gaps in the disaster response space, how we can break the negative loop of causing another disaster, how we can normalize green energy in the community, and Will's advice to find motivation in moving towards progress despite huge challenges. 

Connect with After The Fire USA: 

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebuildNorthBay/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/erTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

01:47 Building Back Greener with Footprint Project

10:04 Footprint Project's 3 Power Up Programs 

17:33 Equity and Rebuilding Greener

27:22 Break the Negative Loop

35:41 Benefits of Cleaner Power Systems

44:57 Climate Resiliency Programs

51:59 Helping Normalize Green Energy

55:52 Something Better

"It's really based on how people maintain their properties. They're all the homes that look identical but they're actually different." -Stuart Mitchell

Episode Description: 

Fire is one of the most destructive disasters that can happen to a home. It can take just minutes for a fire to completely destroy everything you have worked so hard for. Therefore, fire mitigation practices should start in our homes. This means that we need to be prepared for the worst and have a plan in place.

 

This week, Jennifer interviews Fire Mitigation Advisor, Stuart Mitchell. Jennifer and Stuart discuss how we can make our homes self-defended, what tools and resources can help us be better prepared for fires, what we should know about landscaping and fires, what we can do to minimize the effect of ember casts, how we can turn our pools into assets, how we can be organized as a community to help each other in times of need, and more!

Connect with After The Fire USA: 

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebuildNorthBay/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/erTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

04:59 Where Mitigation Begins

12:26 Redundancy of Alert Notifications

18:42 Landscaping Habits and Fire 

28:58 How to Deal with Ember Casts

36:44 Make Your Pool an Asset

43:04 How to Prepare for Evacuation

50:27 When Communication Breaks Down

55:15 When Asked to Leave, Leave

58:47 Home Hardening and Insurance

01:03:20 It All Comes Down to Maintenance

"We can't meet this challenge as individual organizations. We need to band together and create a voice." -Steve Crout

 

Episode Description: 

Every community is different, and every community's needs are different. But one thing that all communities have in common is the need to build disaster resilience—and that's where CANVAS for Recovery and Resiliency comes in. 

 

Co-founded by our host, Jennifer Thompson and CityTech Strategy Group's President, Steve Crout, CANVAS' main mission is to help communities prepare for disasters through cross-sector collaborations. They work with local leaders, community members, and organizations that are experienced in the disaster recovery and mitigation space to help advocate for local communities affected by disasters. Together, they aim to "listen locally, act regionally, and reform nationally". 

 

Listen in as Jennifer and Steve discuss the inspiration behind this initiative, what resiliency means, where the focus should be when it comes to building community resilience, how we can keep the continuity in disaster preparedness, how we can better address compound disasters, what makes fundings hard to access, and how leveraging the 5G network can help improve communication during a disaster. 

Connect with After The Fire USA: 

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebuildNorthBay/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/erTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

02:15 Could We Do More?  

11:55 Keep the Continuity in Disaster Preparedness

16:39 Barriers to Accessing Fund

20:53 CANVAS for Disaster Recovery and Resiliency

26:23 Equity in Disaster

28:49 Addressing Compound Disasters

33:19 Improving Communication During Disaster 

 "The significance of the average person understanding the consequence of what's coming is huge." -Michelle Luckett

 

Episode Description: 

Every community is unique. It's not just about the geography or demographic, but also the way a community responds to a disaster. So it's important that we take the time to assess our community's resilience.

 

Community resilience is about bringing together all of the resources and people in our neighborhood to make sure that everyone has what they need to survive in the case of a disaster. As part of this, it's important to make sure that we, ourselves,  are prepared for any kind of emergency, and that everyone in the community is, too— down to the most vulnerable ones. 

 

In this episode, Jennifer interviews Michelle Luckett, the CEO of Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies/ BRACE. Michelle answers the question, what do we rebuild first— businesses or residences? She also shares practical steps that small businesses and ordinary citizens can do to prepare for compound disasters and strengthen their resiliency, and the secret to staying in the resiliency and recovery space long-term.

 

In order to initiate recovery, most people require assistance. However, in a disaster, it's a challenge to qualify for one. And even if we do, it will probably take a long time before we get our hands on it. This can be discouraging, especially if we've lost both our homes and our jobs— that sense of loss that drives many to hopelessness. Listen in as Michelle shares a less known provision that displaced workers can take advantage of and what to do to qualify for it. 

Connect with After The Fire USA: 

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebuildNorthBay/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

03:45: BRACE and Its Focus Goals

14:52: How Small Businesses Can Prepare for a Disaster

22:21: A Provision for Displaced Workers

29:31: What to Rebuild First— Business or Residence

36:27: Dealing with Compound Disasters

39:18: How to Build Community Resilience

44:35: How to Approach the Next Decade

52:11: Mental Health for First Responders

"There's no place on the globe that is safe from climate-based disasters. So. it's all of our jobs to not engage in magical thinking at all, but instead to lean all of the ways in to figure out how we are going to get to the other side  and when the worst happens, how we recover, rebuild, and reimagine." -Jennifer Thompson

 

Episode Description: 

Welcome to the FOURTH season of How to Disaster Podcast!

We are truly humbled by everyone's support throughout the past three seasons. We have been blown away by your enthusiasm for this mission and how you've stuck with us from the beginning. You are our inspiration behind what we do. We appreciate you very much!

This season, we're excited to bring you inspiring stories from the front lines, new perspectives, and more conversations with experts and community members about what it means to recover, rebuild, and reimagine after a wildfire. We'll also hear how wildfire recovery is evolving and how we can work together to protect people and property in the face of a wildfire.

We hope you continue listening, sharing, and supporting the podcast. We're always looking for ways to grow so please let us know what you think, and we'll keep listening for your feedback.  We hope you enjoy this season as much as the past ones.                                        

We look forward to sharing this new season with you!

 

You can find all of our episodes conveniently located on our YouTube Channel. Below are the links to each season: 

 

Season One: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGiVHREZs3hRazzvZw5-5TNp34f9yEbdq

 

Season Two: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGiVHREZs3hRaoPtRnNOkf6Qz0TQnj7n6

 

Season Three:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AURoOcmEwvk&list=PLGiVHREZs3hTQujvz8vgNTCjXE1MMMvRv 

 

Take 5's: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTGlo3O84sg&list=PLGiVHREZs3hTHIUEp1OGHfh9zr6D2V9GY 

 

Find us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qf4grpRpMbegzl56vM4fM?si=CeHOPe8nSumMahhIexJKkA&dl_branch=1

 

Find us on Our Libsyn Distribution Portal:

https://howtodisaster.libsyn.com

Highlights:

00:32 Thank You! 

01:22 A Glorious Privilege

02:18 A Wonderful Couple of Years

"Be safe, be prepared, and be ready." -Jennifer Thompson

 

Episode Description: 

Three seasons have passed and it's been an incredible journey! 

 

As we take a moment to reflect on the past three seasons, we want to say a big, big thank you to all of you!!

 

We are so grateful for the community of people who have supported us along this journey— from those who watched us grow from the ground up to those who helped us find our voice and purpose, your support has been unwavering. We couldn't have done it without you! 

 

Join Jennifer as she highlights remarkable episodes and guests who brought us unforgettable lessons from season three, and her touching message of appreciation to all who made this success possible. 

 

We're excited about all the amazing things coming up in season 4 and we hope that this new season will be even more rewarding than the last. We're so glad to be able to continue this journey with you, and we hope that you'll stick around for it!

You can find all of our episodes conveniently located on our YouTube Channel. Below are the links to each season: 

 

Season One: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGiVHREZs3hRazzvZw5-5TNp34f9yEbdq

 

Season Two: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGiVHREZs3hRaoPtRnNOkf6Qz0TQnj7n6

 

Season Three:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AURoOcmEwvk&list=PLGiVHREZs3hTQujvz8vgNTCjXE1MMMvRv 

 

Take 5's: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTGlo3O84sg&list=PLGiVHREZs3hTHIUEp1OGHfh9zr6D2V9GY 

 

Find us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qf4grpRpMbegzl56vM4fM?si=CeHOPe8nSumMahhIexJKkA&dl_branch=1

 

Find us on Our Libsyn Distribution Portal:

https://howtodisaster.libsyn.com

Highlights:

00:20: A Big Thank You to All! 

02:48: Season 4:  What to Expect

04:17: Be Safe, Be Prepared, and Be Ready!

"For every animal we rescue during an incident, we are all together going to save hundreds and thousands through education and preparedness." -Julie Atwood

 

Episode Description: 

When an emergency strikes, we all want to do our best to take care of each other and our homes. But sometimes, the victims of a disaster are not humans—they're our beloved animals. 

 

Our pets, livestock, and animal companions are part of our family, and losing them in a disaster is painfully devastating. But in an emergency, it can be hard to keep track of what's happening and what you need to do. There is no time for anything during a wildfire. We may only have minutes to get out of the house and into safety before the fire engulfs it completely. 

 

So, how can we make sure that our animal companions are taken care of during a disaster?

 

In this episode, Jennifer sits with Horses and Livestock Team Emergency Rescue/HALTER Project founder, Julie Atwood. Julie started the HALTER Project in 2013 to provide local communities across the US with the resources they need to ensure the welfare of their animals during emergencies. 

 

Listen in as Jennifer and Julie share how to determine what we need and how much we need in terms of food, water, medication, sanitation, and documentation— both for us and our pets, how to plan for evacuation with our animals during the pandemic, and how to ensure the safety of our animals if we have no choice but to leave them during evacuation. They also discuss why we should set multiple plans in place in case of an emergency, how to failsafe everything in a disaster, and how to prepare for communication fails. 

 

 

Connect with After The Fire USA: 

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebuildNorthBay/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/erTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

02:27: When There's Nowhere to Go

11:17: Why Have Multiple Plans in Place

24:26: What You Need and How Much You Need  

32:02: Evacuating with Your Animals During a Pandemic

36:49: Taking Care of Your Livestock and Large Animals

49:14: Preparing for Communication Fails

57:50: Know the Warning Signs

01:07:20: The Odin Story

"Doing it now at your leisure is much better than doing it at haste during an emergency." -Katherine Hammack

 

Episode Description: 

In disaster preparedness, the need for resilient buildings is often overlooked. Resilient buildings are those that can withstand the effects of a disaster and continue to function as needed. They include things like emergency communication systems and energy efficiency measures that ensure that utilities aren't compromised by damage. By taking steps now to make our buildings more resilient before disaster strikes, we'll be better equipped when it does hit—and that can make all the difference between staying safe or not.

 

And when it comes to resilience, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and PEER (Performance Excellence in Electricity Renewal) certifications are some of the most important building standards in existence today—and they're gaining traction fast. LEED is a globally recognized rating system that provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings, while PEER is the world's first certification program that measures and improves power system performance and electricity infrastructure. 

 

These certifications indicate that our buildings are safer, more energy efficient, more reliable, and more innovative than conventional buildings. It means less strain on the environment, more security to people, and less building cost! In addition, when a disaster strikes, we won't have to worry about whether or not our buildings will be able to handle it. These certifications are proof that we understand how the building industry fits into our world—and how it can help us make sure we're all prepared for whatever comes our way.

 

Listen in as Jennifer and Hon. Katherine Hammack, the Senior Director of Green Building Council Inc. (GCBI) discuss more about these certifications and how they can help us be more resilient in the era of mega disasters. 

 

Connect with After The Fire USA: 

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebuildNorthBay/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

02:03: GBCI and Its Role in Sustainable Building

07:42: Sustainable Building vs Unsustainable Building

10:41: How CLT Wood is Making a Difference

17:12: Go Above Building Codes

21:06: The True Cost of Unsustainable Building  

26:43: Rebuilding After a Disaster with the LEED and PEER  Standard

29:03: Microgrids Contribute to Resilience

34:16: Build Back Better

40:27: Adapting to Disaster

44:00: NOW is Better than LATER