The Emergency Management Network Podcast

This Episode of Theory-N2-Practice is brought to you by the Mid-Atlantic Center for Emergency Management & Public Safety (MACEMPS)!!!

In this episode of Theory-N2-Practice we talk about leadership through service and personal development with, Ms. Kathy L. Francis currently serves as the Frederick Community College Executive Director of Emergency Management Programs, as adjunct faculty, and as leader of the Mid-Atlantic Center for Emergency Management & Public Safety (MACEM&PS).

Ms. Francis directs the MACEM&PS to develop and deliver specialty courseware in emergency management and serves as the Postsecondary Affiliate for Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for the Maryland State Department of Education Career and Technology Programs. In May 2012, she earned a Master of Science (MS) in Management with the Johns Hopkins University Police Executive Leadership program, and in March 2016, she earned a Certificate of Completion in Crisis Leadership in Higher Education from the Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Kathy Francis Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathy-francis-ms-cem-mdpemp-514ab718/

Mid-Atlantic Center for Emergency Management & Public Safety (MACEMPS)
https://macem.org/Home.aspx
https://twitter.com/MACEMatFCC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Eembeddedtimeline%7Ctwterm%5Escreen-name%3AMACEMatFCC%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c1
https://www.linkedin.com/company/macemps/

Daniel Scott Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-scott-m-a-cem%C2%AE-empp-3-59a8a86a/
https://www.instagram.com/d_scott_overdeliver/
https://www.facebook.com/D.Scott.and.Associates/
https://twitter.com/Haven1981

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Homelessness has killed more people than natural disasters in California. Ten times more people will die on L.A.'s street in 2019 (~1,000) than died in the deadly 2018 forest fires (103). Over three years, more people will die on the streets of L.A. than in San Francisco's 1906 earthquake

I read a story about how an economic recession turned into a complete collapse of society. As interesting as the story was, I am not sure that a total failure would be the case; however, it looks like a page out of the book in many parts of California. The story follows a young man who had an excellent job in I.T., had a condo outside of Washington, D.C., and was living the American dream. As the economy worsened, he lost his job, house, and car. The story's hero was quickly living on the streets and had to learn how to live without a home. In the story, society fell apart, and social services, law enforcement, and other government services were discontinued because no one was left to pay taxes. 

Why am I sharing this story? Today we are looking at real unemployment numbers for men. They are struggling in the workplace. One in three American men with only a high school diploma — 10 million men — is now out of the labor force. The most significant drop in employment is among young men aged 25 to 34.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Government policy is important in guiding disaster preparedness, mitigation, and recovery. In turn, political scientists have devoted considerable attention to the study of hazards and disasters, including the impact of disasters on election outcomes, the capacity of disasters to help set the crowded government agenda, and the various organizational strategies used by emergency management agencies. This week Todd is interviewing Bonnie Kristian, The former Acting Editor and Chief of The Week Magazine and author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community.

Links:
Bonnie Kristian
Website: https://www.bonniekristian.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bonniekristian
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bonniekristianwrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonnie.kristian/

Todd DeVoe
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Public-Private Partnerships is an agreement between a public agency and a private sector entity. Through this agreement, the skills and assets of each sector are shared in delivering a service or facility for the use of the general public. As governments seek to upgrade infrastructure and address the challenges of climate change, among other objectives, the need for private-sector involvement has grown. When considering pricing risk in a comprehensive and transparent way, governments can tap into the true expertise of private players. Brian Barnier, Head of Decision Science and Analytics is focused on growing companies, investments, and countries, bringing practical insight to investors, boards, and management to help them bridge from strategy to execution. He accelerates improvement in business results through a "risk lens" that incorporates both growth and turnaround lessons learned across industries, professional disciplines, and countries.

Decision Science Analytics - https://decisionscienceanalytics.com/

If you would like to learn more about the Natural Disaster & Emergency Management (NDEM) Expo please visit us on the web - https://www.ndemevent.com

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Let's explore The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.

I was talking with Dan Scott on the Leader's Cafe about attitude. We got into a deep conversation on how we react to outside pressures, how we deal with them and how those external pressures can impact our team. As leaders, we put on a good face and motivate our team. Right?

Attitude is everything. A positive attitude starts within, and sometimes you need a kick start to get it going; everyone falls into a rut occasionally. We feel tired, depressed, unmotivated, and downright aggravated by everything we encounter. When we are in this spot, we must take care of ourselves. First, we need to recognize that we are in a rut. Sometimes we need to have someone tell us that we are there. 

In the field we have chosen to work in, we may feel we are letting down our team and the people we serve when we think about ourselves first. However, without self-care, we cannot help others. 

My friend Brian Colburn is a massive fan of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and shares the lessons he has learned over the years with me. He even got me The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People card deck that I keep on my desk to remind myself to read a card weekly. 

Brian says that habit #7, to sharpen the Saw, resonates with him the most. 

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

Why should you become an avid reader? Join Todd and Marc as they discuss the benefits of reading. Reading can improves intelligence and lead to innovation and insight. Studies have shown that reading makes you smarter through a larger vocabulary, more world knowledge, and abstract reasoning skills. Reading is one of the quickest ways to acquire and assimilate new information. Many leaders believe that reading across fields is good for creativity. And leaders who can sample insights in other fields, such as sociology, the physical sciences, economics, or psychology, and apply them to their organizations are more likely to innovate and prosper. Reading can also make you more effective in leading others.

Links
Todd DeVoe
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

Guest Info Here
Twitter handle : https://twitter.com/bonniekristian
Substack: https://substack.com/profile/4393438-bonnie-kristian
Website: https://www.bonniekristian.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonnie.kristian/

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Theory-N2-Practice we talk about leadership through service and personal development with Tony Russell. Tony Russell is the Superintendent at the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston, Ala. As Superintendent, Mr. Russell provides executive level management and leadership for the CDP as it provides unique, hands-on training to more than 45,000 emergency responders a year from state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies. He is also responsible for operations of the CDP’s 176-acre campus, which is home to the only training facility in the country where civilian responders can train in a toxic agent environment and the Nation’s only hospital training facility dedicated solely to preparing the healthcare, public health, and environmental health communities for mass casualty events related to terrorism or natural disasters.

Daniel Scott Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-scott-m-a-cem%C2%AE-empp-3-59a8a86a/
https://www.instagram.com/d_scott_overdeliver/
https://www.facebook.com/D.Scott.and.Associates/
https://twitter.com/Haven1981

Tony Russell & CDP Links:
https://cdp.dhs.gov/superintendent/biography
https://cdp.dhs.gov/
https://youtu.be/AdBXHm5vgv4

Mid-Atlantic Center for Emergency Management & Public Safety (MACEMPS)
https://macem.org/Home.aspx
https://twitter.com/MACEMatFCC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Eembeddedtimeline%7Ctwterm%5Escreen-name%3AMACEMatFCC%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c1
https://www.linkedin.com/company/macemps/

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

How Do We Take Emergency Management Seriously If We Do Not Support Research?

There has been a debate about whether or not someone should have a college degree to be an emergency manager. The second side of the argument is whether we should have emergency management degree programs. For full disclosure, I am an emergency management educator. If you read or listen to the Emergency Management Network, you know that I also write and research trends in emergency management. 

The field of emergency management is "the discipline and profession of applying science, technology, planning, and management to deal with extreme events that can injure or kill large numbers of people, do extensive property damage, and disrupt community life. When such events occur and cause extensive harm, they are called disasters" (Hoetmer, 1991). This definition eloquently defines emergency management, explaining what a disaster is, and exemplifies how academia and research provide conceptual and practical tools for emergency managers. Researchers tell us who we are, what we do, how and why we do the things we do, and provide guidance and advice as to where we should be going.

Emergency management relies on researchers to observe, evaluate, and provide references and reports offering recommendations; reflect on how and what we have done; and help us define, recognize, and understand the multitude of issues we face in emergency management. Dr. Carol Cwick argues that similar disciplines fund research through education programs and advance beyond a mere job to a profession. She continues by stressing that without higher education programs, the field of emergency management is doomed to disappear and be absorbed by public safety programs. Her full interview will be published soon. 

How do we take a field or discipline seriously if we do not research the issues and the programs' effectiveness? 

There are areas of study dedicated to the supply chain in the business world. They study disruptions, forecast needs and increasing product varieties, shorter product life cycles, ever-growing expectations of consumers, and rising cost competition due to globalization. The business makes forecasting essential to matching supply with demand. Hundreds of publications, TV news programming, think tanks, and thousands of books are dedicated to business research. You rarely hear people questioning the need for business and MBA education programs.  

Over the last few decades, Scholars researching emergency management have accumulated literature. This has opened great opportunities for further development of EM theories and strategies.

I was asked why we even care to do disaster research. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction estimates that globally from 2000 to 2012, disasters killed 1.2 million people, affected 2.9 billion others, and claimed $1.7 trillion in material damage. The United States has moved into a "new normal" of frequent, billion-dollar hurricanes, eight of the ten costliest occurring since 2004. The Department of Defense warns that climate change threatens national security and will cause global political instability due to "prolonged drought and flooding … food shortages, desertification, population dislocation, mass migration, and sea level rise." Not a week goes by without news of a new technological "accident" and the long-term malignant impacts of chemicals, radiation, plastics, and petroleum—the material markers of technological society—on our bodies, communities, and the planet.

How do Colleges and Universities Make A Difference In Emergency Management? 

Academic research looks beyond emergency management's immediate needs; the university's role involves exploring all phases of disaster.  As an institution of higher education and research, they, by definition, are responsible for contributing to the body of knowledge for emergency management. And to society as a whole. 

In addition to expanding education programs, institutions study the intersection of disasters and policy. An example of how research contributes to society is the studies completed on post-disaster homelessness.  

The roles of universities in research

Research may be one of the most misunderstood components of emergency management. It is often regarded by disaster responders as an esoteric undertaking carried out by individuals with little understanding of "the real world" and less understanding of disaster issues.

In reality, research into disasters is one of the most vital functions that can be carried out by those involved in such events. I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Daniel P. Aldrich, Director of the Security and Resilience Studies Program at Northeastern University. He researches post-disaster recovery. Aldrich's book "Black Wave: How Networks and Governance Shaped Japan's 3/11 Disasters" is an excellent example of how disaster research can shape policy and how emergency management professionals approach preparedness and recovery. 

I am not arguing that we need to have a bunch of academics lead the way. The best disaster researchers are practitioners with substantial experience in disaster response and planning because they know what questions must be asked. 

The research is to determine the truth about the event itself. 

As Craig Fugate stated, lessons learned and not implemented are lessons observed. Mistakes and missed steps will continuously be repeated without such efforts and application of the resulting knowledge to the disaster planning and response process.

Until the last decade, disaster research had been limited to narrative descriptions of the event(s) that precipitated the disaster, reports on the number of persons killed, injured, or displaced, and descriptions of what interventions were or were not applied. 

After Action Reports (AAR) could be a way for researchers to learn how to improve response and explore how effective planning and exercises are. Unfortunately, many of these reports have been biased and self-serving, as the responding agencies have performed them. 

AARs have had little value in eliminating or modifying hazards, reducing risks, improving capacities, reducing vulnerability, enhancing preparedness for responses to future events, or designing and implementing future relief activities. AARs do not give much insight into how the response and actions may affect future responses. 

Disaster research is performed retrospectively, after the impact phase, and during the recovery activities. This is because collecting information during a disaster has ethical considerations and may be deemed inappropriate. 

The design, acceptance, and implementation of such studies in these settings remain tasks for the future. Universities and other agencies should jointly consider and improve the above matter. 

Why Emergency Management Must Support Education Programs

The roles of universities span all phases of the disaster cycle. The university is essential during the impact, emergency phase, risk reduction strategies, preparedness, and mitigation. The roles of the university in disaster management include disaster education, relief, and support to the affected community, and grasping the situation from a research perspective. 

We also have significant roles in mid-term and long-term support, such as academic contributions, policy proposals, 

A university also has a role in educating, developing scenarios, and providing basic and advanced training. Furthermore, by establishing coalitions, it becomes possible for the university to do research suited to the needs of the particular community.

Universities provide a universe of knowledge and expertise that can be readily mobilized when needed. It is often in the interdisciplinary overlap of professional domains where the solutions lie. Universities can readily provide the breadth and width of skills conducive to finding the optimum solutions. 

With strong management skills and available assets, academia can make a significant and lasting contribution to the profession of emergency management.

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Join Todd DeVoe and Mark Benthien as they discuss why you should participate in the Great ShakeOut!

Many areas of the globe are prone to earthquakes (see links below) You could be anywhere when an earthquake strikes: at home, at work, at school, or even on vacation. Are you prepared to survive and recover quickly?

Great ShakeOut earthquake drills are an opportunity to practice how to be safer during earthquakes: "Drop, Cover and Hold On." ShakeOut also has been organized to encourage you, your community, your school, or your organization to update emergency plans and supplies and to secure your space in order to prevent damage and injuries.

Links
Todd DeVoe
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/ToddTDeVoe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddtdevoe/
Substack: https://emnetwork.substack.com/
Website: https://toddtdevoe.com/

Great ShakeOut
https://www.shakeout.org/
www.earthquakecountry.org

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe

While working to become an Emergency Management GIS and digital communications specialist in 2017, Ginny experienced the impact of emergency communications gaps firsthand. Without relevant information and support, so many people were becoming more vulnerable to hazards, most significantly impacting underserved communities. Realizing that emergency managers are lacking the tools needed to facilitate meaningful and equitable mass engagement with their communities, she became a woman on a mission to build the tools that were so needed. In 2018 Ginny turned this problem into P.h.D. research at Oregon State University and in 2019 created a startup, HazAdapt Inc., to build the solutions. Now, Ginny is proud to present the first results of their hard work, HazAdapt, the Humanity-Friendly Hazard Guide and Emergency Assistant. HazAdapt is a free app and web tool built to boost community resilience from the bottom - up.

HazAdapt Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginiakatz/
https://www.hazadapt.com/


Daniel Scott Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-scott-m-a-cem%C2%AE-empp-3-59a8a86a/
https://www.instagram.com/d_scott_overdeliver/
https://www.facebook.com/D.Scott.and.Associates/
https://twitter.com/Haven1981

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe