Washington State is one of the most high hazard states here in the United States. The emergency management leader there is Robert Ezelle who is the fifth senior state emergency management director in the nation. He serves as Director of the Washington Military Department’s Emergency Management Division (EMD), which is responsible for leading and coordinating mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery activities to minimize the impact of disasters and emergencies on the people, property, environment and economy of Washington State.  During his tenure, the State has successfully supported the response to and recovery from numerous major disasters to include the COVID Pandemic, the SR 530 Oso Landslide, the record-setting wildfire seasons of 2014 and 2015, and a host of devastating weather events. In this podcast we review what the state’s hazards are, how emergency management at the state level is organized and then get Robert’s take on a number of issues facing the State and how it is responding.

This episode is sponsored by Bent Ear Solutions which offers comprehensive capabilities and deep industry knowledge necessary to help you solve the most complex issues of your organization. We advise public and private organizations on an all-inclusive approach to disaster preparedness that addresses governance, planning, operational procedures, technology implementation, training, and exercises in order to achieve a successful and sustainable program.

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.