How to Disaster

"The only way through this is together." -Jennifer Thompson

 

Episode Description: 

We've come so far! And we did it together! 

Thank you ever so much for being with us until this moment. 

 

In Season 1 &2, we've met incredible people who faced life-threatening and terrifying wildfires and yet proved themselves resilient and selfless emergent leaders. We've also learned priceless lessons on the power of community, being prepared as a family, and living with wildfires. But the learning isn't over!  

 

Now, we enter a new year and a new season. In this episode, Jennifer breaks down the goals of the How to Disaster Podcast and exciting features you'll surely love! This season, we are launching Take 5's, where the most memorable lessons, best moments, and inspiring messages from your favorite episodes are condensed in 5-10 minutes clips. Tune in as Jennifer shares what you can expect from Season 3!

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Highlights:

00:41: We've Come This Far!

02:38: What to Expect From Season 3

04:41 The Goals

"You are not alone if you're going through a disaster. What we share is humanity."  -Jennifer Gray Thompson

 

Episode Description: 

Two seasons have passed since you walked this journey with us on How to Disaster. As we close the season and welcome another, we want to express our eternal gratitude to you for the support and love you've shown for the show. 

 

In this episode, Jennifer sums up heartwarming lessons we've learned about humanity, disaster, and community. May these lessons inculcate in our hearts that we are not alone- we never are and we will never be. 

 

You can find all of our episodes conveniently located on our YouTube Channel page, or below in the following links to each season. Season Three will begin in 2022, and we're looking forward to bringing you many more professionals who have experience in the disaster response, recovery, community engagement, philanthropy, and public health sectors. 

 

Thank you again!

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

 

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

 

Find us on Spotify or at our distribution portal

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

 

Libsyn Distribution Portal

https://howtodisaster.libsyn.com

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Highlights:

00:37 The Story Behind How to Disaster

03:15 Show Up for Humanity 

"When the call for evacuation comes, take it seriously. When the fire is coming at you, you don't have any time." -Gary Jones

 

Episode Description: 

"All the big decisions in life are before you", says Gary Jones, a Woolsey Fire survivor. We have heard Gary's story in part 1 of this interview. This week, Jennifer and Gary  discuss practical lessons on survival, healing, and positivity. Tune in as Jennifer and Gary engage you in an insightful and fun conversation about the levers of recovery, rules and tips on rebuilding your property, and simple strategies for easier claiming of insurance. Most importantly, Gary shares how he was able to look at the positive side of things. A fire brings change and from that change comes the opportunity to make things better, acquire new things we can value, and create new memories we can fondly look back to. 

 

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Highlights:

03:18: What's It Feel Like Losing Everything? 

06:20: Document Everything 

10:20: Dealing with the Trauma 

19:49: Fire Can Be Beautiful

24:13: Fire Mitigation  

27:27: Take Warnings Seriously

"Let the timing flow, be open to finding your space. There is a room for everyone and a need for everyone to participate. We're at a critical point in human evolution where we don't have the luxury of waiting for everyone else to solve the problems. We have to do this together." -Jacqui Jorgenson

 

Episode Description: 

Majority of firefighters are volunteers. However, after risking their lives, they end up suffering behind the curtain- physically and emotionally. The trauma and health implications they have to go through go unnoticed. Compared to the level of work they do, the system owes them the respect, recognition, and assistance they deserve. This gap in the response system is an overlooked crisis that must be addressed if we are to move forward together. 

 

In this episode, Jennifer sits with Volunteer Fire Foundation CEO and Founder, Jacqui Jorgenson. Jennifer and Jacqui discuss the lack of support experienced by volunteer firefighters, the disparities in resources and funding between fire agencies, the deeper unmet needs they have to endure, and the negative effects of heroification. When we are in our darkest moments, volunteer first-responders come to our rescue without hesitation. Certainly, they deserve more than getting paid in gratitude. Tune in as Jacqui shares how you can take part in helping the helpers remain safe, healthy, and sane. 

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Highlights:

02:03: Stepping Into Something New

05:33: Who are the Volunteer Firefighters

11:50: The Percentage of Volunteer Firefighters

16:25: Unmet Needs 

25:27: Firefighters and Their Health

33:10: Be Careful Not to Push Them in Isolation

37:23: Stop Paying in Gratitude

43:09: Grant Scenarios 

47:38: Support Volunteer Fire Foundation

56:13: We Have to Do This Together!

"Fire never has enough. It has an insatiable appetite." -Gary Jones 

 

Episode Description: 

"911 showed up six days later", says Gary Jones, a Woolsey Fire survivor. During a fire, you are on your own for days. So one of the biggest decisions we can make during a fire is to heed warnings immediately. On November 8, 2018, a bush fire was reported in Ventura County, California. The powerful Santa Ana winds caused this fire to accelerate and spread out. Gary ignored prior calls for evacuation, and this was one of the most regretful decisions he has made. He lost his property, three of his dogs, and nearly lost his life. In this episode, Gary relates the events of that terrifying day three years ago, and practical lessons he learned on heeding warnings as promptly as possible. Tune in as Jennifer and Gary engage you in a heart-wrenching conversation about being a fire survivor. 

 

 

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Highlights:

00:36: The Woolsey Fire

06:08: Running Away From a Fast Raging Fire

11:40: Seeking for a Refuge

15:50: The Lenght of Recovery 

20:47: Fire and Its Insatiable Appetite

23:38: Who Will Take Responsibility? 

"We have much worse wildfires due to everything that climate change has caused. We need to have a forward-thinking conversation, not a reactionary one." -Wendy Nystrom

 

Episode Description: 

We are living in a major historical event- climate change. And the best mechanism we have to combat this is community. By working together, we can overcome unprecedented events. Learn how your community can reduce the cost of preventive and mitigation measures while strengthening resiliency. In this episode, Jennifer interviews Wendy Nystrom, an expert on environmental and pollution risk management. One challenge faced by fire survivors is the lack of proper insurance. It is a lengthy and tricky process that sometimes causes more loss rather than support. Jennifer and Wendy address the pressing issue we face on insurance coverage, policies, fraud, climate change, giving more value to indigenous practices, and making the best use of the technology we have at hand. Wildfires will be a part of our life for the years ahead, but we can learn to live with them and craft sustainable strategies as a community. Beware of "predators", and save your community from cost, trauma, and grief. We all have a role and a responsibility in this. If you're wondering where to best start, tune in and find your match with this new "tinder" for fuel mitigation. 

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Highlights:

02:19: Insurance, Wildfires, and Loses

11:20: A Time For Action

17:53: A Tinder for Fuel Mitigation 

21:10: Down the Cost Up the Resiliency

29:32: Save Your Community from Cost, Grief, and Trauma 

38:08: Beware of "Predators"

45:11: Unprecedented Over Unprecedented Events

50:54: Think Beyond

"A fundamental principle of innovation is that if you want more diversity of ideas and possibilities, you need to have more diverse brains in the room. That's not a diminishment of anyone. In fact, that's an elevation of everyone."  -Amy Simpkins

 

Episode Description: 

Electricity is probably one of the most significant achievements of all time. The biggest industries down to individual residences all rely upon electricity for almost everything. But what if power grids suddenly fail? With the traditional grids getting outdated and less inefficient, this is likely to happen IF interventions keep being delayed. About ⅓ of energy is delivered to end-users; the greater fraction goes to waste. Moreover, outdated traditional grids continue to pose security, safety, and equity issues. How? In this episode, Jennifer sits with MuGrid Analytics CEO, Amy Simpkins to uncover this overlooked problem we have today.  Jennifer and Amy talk about the advantages of shifting from large centralized power plants that we use today to localized, distributed energy using microgrids. Learn how communities can maximize resiliency, advocate for energy equity, and ensure safety and security. The world needs a new way to define sustainability and renewable energy. Tune in and discover effective ways to pattern resilience metrics as Amy shares how to solve wicked problems with math and modeling!

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Highlights:

02:52: Microgrid- Definition and Benefits

06:35: The Danger of Traditional Grids 

14:55: How to Increase Resiliency 

17:52 Security Issues and the Political Landscape

23:42: Modeling Resilience Metrics

30:43: Energy Equity and Environmental Issues

35:11: The Advantages of CHP-Based Solution

41:46: Evolve with the New Energy Economy

43:38: Women Power

50:00: Define Resilience in Your Own Life

 "After every disaster, communities need to be rebuilt, but it shouldn't just be the powers from above that decide how that happens. There should be a participatory process for people to engage and reassess." -George Laws Garcia

 

Episode Description: 

What happens when politics enters into the disaster space? It depends on the community you ask, and for Puerto Rico, it's an unfair battle. For 123 years, Puerto Rico has been a territory of the US, yet is treated differently in Congress. This presents a huge challenge during a disaster. When Hurricane Irma and Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, they had to rely on other states to do the advocacy work since they do not have representatives in the Congress. Puerto Rico has faced and continues to face injustices in the system, but they are learning how to navigate politics and disaster as a community. 

Led by George Laws Garcia, Mirsonia Group helps their clients develop innovative and effective public policies. George is a bold advocate for Puerto Rico, especially in terms of legislative matters.  In this episode, George helps us navigate political aspects of managing natural disaster emergencies. Jennifer and George recount their own stories and observations about the government and federal laws, leadership during a disaster, biases and inequalities in resource allocation and action, flexibility in rebuilding, boosting resiliency and capacity, and investing in sustainable recovery. Be the author of your own resiliency story. Stay tuned until the end to hear three realistic and practical ways we can do to bridge the gap in public policies and disaster recovery. 

Connect with After the Fire: Recover. Rebuild. Reimagine.
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"Advocate for yourself as best as you can in terms of knowing what your rights are.  There's this element where you lack confidence as a survivor, you think that that person knows more than you do and that's not true." -Kendall Jarvis Esq. 

 

Episode Description: 

After a disaster, people go through two of the most complicated recovery issues at the same time: trauma and legal. It is almost impossible to make a sound judgment regarding financial matters amidst a traumatic event. And it's terrifying to make these decisions knowing criminals and exploiters are waiting to take advantage of your vulnerability. This week, Jennifer brings Kendall Jarvis, Esq. on the show to talk about helping disaster survivors and vulnerable communities receive the legal aid they deserve. As the Lead Disaster Attorney for Sonoma, Kendall has seen countless inequities, injustices, and unmet needs among survivors. In this episode, Kendal brings in her expertise in terms of navigating the legal aid appeal process, dealing with the primary and secondary impacts of a disaster, protection from fraud and tenant rights violation, and the injustices faced by undocumented communities because of the ironies in the immigration system. Recovery is a lengthy process. Tune in and learn practical ways you can do to advocate for yourself and your family.

Connect with After the Fire: Recover. Rebuild. Reimagine.

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Highlights:

02:41: The Biggest Recovery Issues 

12:02: The Appeal Process

21:20: How to Deal with Disaster Impacts

29:56: Fraud Awareness

34:21: Tenant Protection

47:15: Advocate For Yourself

58:05: The Injustices Faced by the Undocumented

"You're in that place where disaster hasn't hit you, but you know it's coming. Start training now." -Tennis Wick

 

Episode Description: 

The community often looks to public sector officials for everything, and any delay or failure often turns to blame. Most people forget that these officials are victims themselves. The only difference is that the public sector stands at the frontline despite their own loss. Disaster is a battlefield where many lives and properties could potentially be lost. In order to win, collective action is needed. In this episode, Jennifer and Sonoma's PRMD Director, Tennis Wick discuss effective approaches and systems that can help leaders and individuals make the transition from disaster response to recovery.  Tennis also speaks about ways to deal with misinformation, address contractor fraud, allocate funding wisely, meet the needs of thousands of victims, and help them get their life back together. Rebuilding and recovery is an exhausting process, and those at the forefront need to take time for themselves, otherwise they'll be drained completely. Hear how Tennis makes sure he keeps his physical and mental well-being at optimum level. Tune in and be disaster smart! 

Connect with After the Fire: Recover. Rebuild. Reimagine.

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

Highlights:

03:09: On the Disaster Frontline

08:01: Meeting the Needs

14:04: How to Approach Rebuild Projects 

21:07: The Role of a Block Captain

26:07: The Problem with Contractor Fraud

30:22: Be Disaster Smart 

38:48: Risk Mitigation is a Collective Effort

42:25: Start Training Now

45:15: How Helpers Can Help Themselves