Public Information Officers (PIO) had their work cut out for them in responding to the COVID pandemic. King County Washington was the first place in the USA that a death from COVID occurred. We explore all the challenges that came with the COVID response to a novel virus where everyone was flying a bit blind at first. The guest interviewed in this podcast is Meredith Li-Vollmer is the risk communication manager at Public Health – Seattle & King County where she has responded to a wide range of public health concerns, including the H1N1 flu pandemic, measles outbreaks, Ebola, and currently COVID-19. She is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Washington’s School of Public Health and has served on numerous national advisory roles for organizations including the National Academies, the National Association of County and City Health Officials, and the Center for Health Security. Meredith is also active in the field of graphic medicine, as a cartoonist and author of Graphic Public Health: A Comics Anthology and Roadmap.

This episode is sponsored by Unearth. Unearth’s emergency response software connects field responders and the command center, equipping teams with mobile tools for rapid damage assessments, real-time incident tracking, and seamless information sharing. Empower field teams where their work actually happens - reducing response times, optimizing resource management, and simplifying reporting with a dynamic, map-based field operations platform.

Eric Holdeman is a professional emergency manager who is passionate about providing information that can help families, businesses & governments become better prepared for disasters of all types. Hear first hand expert insights from Eric on his Podcast, Blog & EricHoldeman.com.