Today, we continue our series on food safety and security during the COVID-19 pandemic with guests Joe Reardon, Assistant Commissioner for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and NCBRT Subject Matter Expert; Lorenzo Alba, Jr., Executive Director of Casa de Peregrinos Emergency Food Program; and Jeff Witte, Secretary of Agriculture for State of New Mexico and NCBRT Subject Matter Expert. In this episode, they discuss the impact of the pandemic on food distribution to those in need, the effects that food processing slowdowns have on the supply chain, and the safety measures their own agencies have implemented to keep employees safe. The final episode in this series will be published on February 9.

On today’s podcast, we begin a new series on food safety and security during the COVID-19 pandemic. On this episode, Ashley talks to Joe Reardon, Assistant Commissioner for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and NCBRT Subject Matter Expert; Lorenzo Alba, Jr., Executive Director of Casa de Peregrinos Emergency Food Program; and Jeff Witte, Secretary of Agriculture for State of New Mexico and NCBRT Subject Matter Expert. They discuss the challenges they faced at the onset of the pandemic and the logistical changes their agencies or organizations had to make. The next episode in this series will air on Tuesday, January 26th.

Happy Holidays from the LSU NCBRT Preparedness Podcast crew! Today’s episode features a Year in Review conversation with our entire podcast team. Together, we discuss what goes on behind the scenes during the planning and production process, the lessons learned from building a podcast from scratch, and some of our favorite moments from the last few months. From the entire team at NCBRT, thank you to all of our listeners and subscribers in 2020, and we are looking forward to the exciting conversations planned for 2021!

This week, we finish our follow-up conversation with Seguin, TX police chief Terry Nichols and Hennepin County, MN Sheriff’s Office chief of staff Rob Allen about the changes that the pandemic has brought to their agencies. They discuss responder resilience within their departments, the pandemic's effect on crime rates in their areas, how the social justice events of the summer have allowed them to connect with their own communities, and the overall lessons that COVID-19 has taught them.

In this episode of the LSU NCBRT Preparedness Podcast, we catch up with the guests of our second podcast series to discuss how the ongoing pandemic has affected the workforce operations of law enforcement. This week, Seguin, TX police chief Terry Nichols and Hennepin County, MN Sheriff’s Office chief of staff Rob Allen discuss how their operations have changed since April 2020. They discuss how their workplaces have adapted to working from home or increasing virtual working. They also talk about challenges like “COVID fatigue” among both the public and law enforcement, the constant changing of information about the virus/public health guidelines, and how they’ve handled COVID cases within their own departments.

This week, we are rebroadcasting our second ever episode of the LSU NCBRT Preparedness Podcast. Beginning on December 8th, we'll be airing a follow-up series with these guests where we will check in with them to see how the response has been since we last spoke.

In the second episode of the LSU NCBRT Preparedness Podcast, we talk to Seguin, TX police chief Terry Nichols and Hennepin County, MN Sheriff’s Office chief of staff Rob Allen about how coronavirus is affecting emergency responders’ internal operations. What are the plans in place if an officer tests positive for coronavirus? How are emergency response agencies taking necessary precautions to ensure safety on the job? How are service calls changing in the face of a pandemic and social distancing?

In this episode, we finish our follow-up conversation with Tom Davis, Police Chief, Lynnwood Police Department; and Scott Parker, Captain, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office about the COVID-19 response in Washington state. They discuss how they view their responsibility in communicating accurate COVID-related information from a central source and avoiding the politicization of the pandemic. They also talk about the development and distribution of a potential vaccine, the possibility of a third spike, and how the pandemic's permanent impact on the public health and emergency management fields.

In this episode, we catch up with Tom Davis, Police Chief, Lynnwood Police Department; and Scott Parker, Captain, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office about how the COVID-19 response in Washington has evolved since our first conversation in March. This week, we discuss law enforcement’s role in providing accurate COVID information, their plans for tracking infections within departments, the importance of collaboration among departments to remain proactive during the pandemic, and how they are looking ahead to both the upcoming flu season and a potential COVID vaccine.

This week, we are rebroadcasting our very first episode of the LSU NCBRT Preparedness Podcast. Beginning on October 27th, we'll be airing a follow-up series with these guests where we will check in with them to see how the response has been since we last spoke. 

In this episode, we talk to Tom Davis, Police Chief, Lynnwood Police Department; Cherie Harris, Police Chief, Kirkland Police Department; and Scott Parker, Captain, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office about the COVID-19 response in America’s first epicenter: Washington state. They share their insights on dealing with the crisis in Washington and offer advice on how other states can be proactive in their responses as the pandemic spreads. The conversation topics breakdown is listed below:

Local Responses: 03:02 Administrative Concerns and Employee Wellness: 19:10 Resource Management and Mutual Aid: 30:08 Workforce Capacity Planning and Planning Thresholds: 40:30 Arrests and Court Closure Considerations: 47:17 Recommendation and Actions: 51:32

For more information on LSU’s National Center for Biomedical Research and Training and our available resources on COVID-19, please visit our website at ncbrt.lsu.edu.

This week’s episode of the podcast finishes up our three-part series focused on suicide prevention in the emergency responder community. We discuss reducing the stigma around mental health and the resources that are available to a responder. Today we welcome back our co-host Dr. Carolyn Coarsey of the Family Assistance Foundation and guests Dr. April Foreman, board member of the American Association of Suicidology, and behavioral health specialist Sarah Bernes from the International Association of Fire Fighters.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to 741741. Both of these confidential resources are available 24/7.

Here are some other resources recommended by our guests:

1. Suicide Prevention Resource Center

2. American Association for Suicidology

3. International Association of Fire Fighters