The Current of Emergency Management (Cody Powell and Dr. Maribel Martinez-Mejia)

In this episode we discuss the future of the Emergency Operations Center. As Covid pushed us towards a more virtual environment, what lessons did we learn that will be useful into the future? We also discuss technology that was helpful and we will continue to use moving forward. 

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This episode was recorded from San Marcos Texas at the Emergency Management Association of Texas (EMAT) Leadership Symposium. We had the opportunity to interview Melanie Bartis; Senior Planner with Innovative Emergency Management (IEM) to discuss the benefits of using an outside contractor to assist with After Action Reviews, Continuity Planning, and other processes.

Melanie can be reached at melanie.bartis@iem.com if you would like to speak with her further about the services they provide. 

DISCLOSURE: The Current of Emergency Management is not sponsored by nor did the podcast or its hosts receive any form of compensation from IEM for this episode. This topic was our idea and we reached out to our guest for an interview. 

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In this episode we discuss how national and global events can have an effect on local Emergency Managers. The two main current events we discuss are the current conflict occurring between Russia and Ukraine as well as the trucker convoy that is taking place in the US. This topic presented the  opportunity to first speak about how the podcast got its name and the meaning behind the artwork. 

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In this episode we discuss EM education, licensing/ credentialing and answer questions from a listener who asked what we look for when hiring new EMs. 

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This episode is the first in what will be a several episode series where we discuss Burnout in the Emergency Management Profession and the factors that lead to it. Our discussions include why we think burnout exist and why it's an issue. 

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In this episode, we discuss cognitive bias and how it could potentially affect your job as an Emergency Manager. Specifically, we spend the majority of the episode discussing 'deformation professionnelle,' translated to mean, professional deformation. We also touch on other cognitive biases and their potential impact on Emergency Managers. 

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Nim Kidd, Chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management and Vice Chancellor of Texas A&M, sat down with us at TheConferenceTx to discuss recently announced programs in the State of Texas. The programs we discuss are the County Liaison Officers, EM Academy, and Constellation. Chief Kidd answered questions about the details of these programs including areas of concern for local EMs. 

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On this episode, we spend a few minutes recapping previous episodes before talking about planning for exercises. Specifically, we spend time talking about how to train OEM Staff and those who respond to the EOC often, and how the EMC is able to train without being part of developing the exercise. We also talk about our thoughts on being able to train to find the breaking point without setting your team up for failure. 

Video referenced in this episode:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKA4w2O61Xo

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In this episode we talk about taking on interns in the office. We discuss what they do, what they may benefit from, paying them, expectations, and why internships are valuable. We also go through the PowerPoint of a recent intern he was required to to complete on the last day of his internship. We discuss what he learned during his time and how applicable his new found knowledge of EM is in the real world. We were surprised by what an intern was able to learn in such a short period of time. 

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In this episode we had the opportunity to sit down with FEMA Region 6 Administrator, Tony Robinson. We talk about what it means to take an All-Hazard approach to emergency management, hurricane preparedness, public assistance, lifelines, and mitigation. Tony shares what he knows are pain points for local EMs and how FEMA is working to fix some of those. We speak about the importance of not only having private insurance but ensuring that insurance coverage is adequate. The episode is also packed with advice for local EMs. 

For more about Tony and his background: https://www.fema.gov/profile/tony-robinson

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On this episode, we discuss outdoor/ tornado/ severe weather/ air raid warning sirens. We begin with looking back in history with the development of the modern tornado warning system, the introduction of air raid sirens, and their transition to Outdoor Warning Sirens. Finally, we finish by reviewing an article and answering questions sent to us by a listener. 


News Paper Article...

https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2022/05/14/sioux-falls-storm-weather-sirens-wind-derecho-paul-tenhaken/9764133002/?fbclid=IwAR2WZAmbmIf5dSRT6uRDFk48B5GNF1D8u0wKxK5U-HWDGo3Cg8HVfWs5Dzg

Video of storm...

https://www.argusleader.com/story/weather/2022/05/13/south-dakota-storm-damage-derecho-haboob-weather-updates/9761629002/

Background Article...

https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/92/5/2010bams3062_1.xml

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In this episode, we talk about EOC design and operations. We both share our experiences serving as EOC Managers in EOCs of very different sizes. We also go through the new FEMA document released this month, "Emergency Operations Center How-To Quick Reference Guide."

https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_eoc-quick-reference_guide.pdf

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This is our final episode of 2022 and the end of the first season of the Podcast. We spend time reflecting on topics we have previously discussed to see if we still feel the same way and remember the lessons learned. We also spend time discuss what is coming up in 2023. 

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Our first Episode of Season 2 covers the Columbia Space Shuttle Disaster on the 20 year anniversary. We had the opportunity to interview Irish Hancock, EM Administrator for the Arlington Fire Department, Office of Emergency Management. Irish was in his final semester at the University of North Texas when the disaster happened and was given the opportunity to intern with the Texas Division of Emergency Management in response to the disaster. Irish shares his experience being and intern on a national disaster and tragedy and discusses how that event still impacts his career 20 years later.

This episode is sponsored by DragonForce, a mobile team collaboration platform that delivers mission-critical command and control and incident management capabilities. Visit dragonforce.us for more information. Use discount code 'CEM' for 50% off your initial setup fee. 

Reference Articles:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/columbia-mission-ends-in-disaster

https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/reflections-loss-sts-107-space-shuttle-columbia-ten-years-ago

https://www.thinkreliability.com/case_studies/root-cause-analysis-the-space-shuttle-columbia-disaster/

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On this episode, we talk about  defining what an Emergency Manager is and discuss the reasons why defining out job and scope of practice is becoming a topic of conversation more and more often. Additionally, we discuss the challenges of coming up with a common definition, discuss the scope of EM, and talk about why we think being interviewed by Joe Rogan would help us come up with a definition. 

App discussed on the episode: https://www.jesip.org.uk/#

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On this episode, we had the opportunity to sit down with Jennifer Dunn, Warning Coordination Meteorologist from the Fort Worth Office of the National Weather Service (NWS-FW). We discuss her role within the NWS and the role of NWS as a whole. Of course, we dive into the coordination between NWS and local Emergency Management. 

We also discuss topics such as being colorblind and being able to interpret weather data, NWS products useful for more than just predicting weather, and the future of NWSChat. 

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There were some audio quality issues on the recording for this episode... The quality improves at around the 15 minute mark.

In this episode, we interview Julie Elliot about her research and recently published article in the Journal of Emergency Management; Moved to partner: A case study of faith-based congregations in disaster response. Julie was first a field practitioner as the Emergency Management Coordinator for the University of North Texas before becoming a PhD Candidate at the University of Delaware. 

We speak about her experience as an EM at UNT and the preparedness programs she created there as well as what led to the decision to leave the field to become a researcher before diving into the focus of her research. Julie shares how this transition has led her to to have more questions than answers and how she hopes her research will benefit those still serving in the field. 

Link to Julies Article:

https://wmpllc.org/ojs/index.php/jem/article/view/3353

Contact Julie at: jhe@udel.edu

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This is the first of two episodes with recently retired Master Gunnery Sergeant Justin Aiken who served in the United States Marine Corps for 31 years. 

Our initial plan was for this interview to be mostly focused around what lessons we could learn from someone who served at the highest level about leadership and training. However, to prepare for the interview, Master Guns Aiken spent weeks listening to all our podcast and doing independent research about the EM profession as a whole. We quickly realized we needed to soak up as much knowledge and wisdom as we could. So we didn't take breaks and didn't worry about time. The end result was just short of three hours soaking up knowledge and wisdom from someone who achieved the highest rank possible in the Marine Corps, in the most difficult job field to do it in, the infantry. Additionally, Master Guns Aiken was the senior enlisted infantry advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. There are only around 75 infantry Master Guns in the entire Marine Corps and only one is selected as the infantry advocate.

In this episode we talk about leadership, training, burnout, mental health, and learn from Master Guns about 'Post-Traumatic Winning.' 

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This is the second of two episodes with recently retired Master Gunnery Sergeant Justin Aiken who served in the United States Marine Corps for 31 years. 

Our initial plan was for this interview to be mostly focused around what lessons we could learn from someone who served at the highest level about leadership and training. However, to prepare for the interview, Master Guns Aiken spent weeks listening to all our podcast and doing independent research about the EM profession as a whole. We quickly realized we needed to soak up as much knowledge and wisdom as we could. So we didn't take breaks and didn't worry about time. The end result was just short of three hours soaking up knowledge and wisdom from someone who achieved the highest rank possible in the Marine Corps, in the most difficult job field to do it in, the infantry. Additionally, Master Guns Aiken was the senior enlisted infantry advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. There are only around 75 infantry Master Guns in the entire Marine Corps and only one is selected as the infantry advocate.

In this episode we discuss the importance of the EM profession from out outsiders point of view, the importance of professional identity, and existing in the shadows vs. advocating for your profession. . 

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On this episodes we talk about why we took a summer break which has a lot to do with summer conferences. We discuss the ones we went to, the benefits and some unconventional conferences that EMs may not go to often. We also spend time discussing the summer heat wave and wildfires that have created so many problems here in Texas this summer. 

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Summary

In this episode, Cody and Maribel discuss their absence from the podcast and express gratitude for the continued support from listeners. They reflect on the passage of time since the COVID-19 pandemic, recent changes in emergency management in Texas, including realignment and the introduction of new positions. They highlight the importance of productive busyness, discuss using ChatGPT for writing letters, the potential of AI,  the Enhanced Incident and Unified Management course, upcoming events and projects, concerns about TikTok and UAS, and electric vehicles and emergency planning. Maribel and Cody discuss their plans for the podcast in 2024 and express their excitement for the upcoming year. The hosts express their gratitude to the listeners for their support and feedback. The conversation concludes with closing remarks and anticipation for a fun 2024.

Takeaways

Changes in emergency management in Texas, such as realignment of regions and new positions, have impacted the field.

Productive busyness and effective coordination are essential in emergency management.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to enhance emergency management practices and improve decision-making.

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In this episode, Cody and Maribel discuss the recent AT&T outage and its impact on voting sites during an election. They introduce their guest, Daniel Blount, who has extensive experience in radio communications. Daniel shares his background in civil air patrol and ham radio and discusses the recent wildfires in the Texas Panhandle. The importance of redundancies in communications and the need for radio caches are also highlighted. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the balance between efficiency and preparedness in emergency management. The conversation explores the availability of radios and the challenges faced in obtaining them. It discusses different radio systems, the difference between simplex and repeated channels, and the use of patching at the console. The conversation also touches on building a communication platform, satellite communications, and the role of ham radio as a backup. It delves into packet radio and APRS, ham radio license classes, and the concerns of EMP and cybersecurity. The conversation concludes with the importance of backup communication options and the need for an immediate action plan and family. In this conversation, the topics discussed include communication redundancies, the use of drones and mesh networks for communication, the role of the Civil Air Patrol in emergency management, the integration of radios in aircraft. Other topics covered include the adoption of ICS by law enforcement, the importance of training and using communications effectively, the role of dispatch and EOC communication, the need for ham radio licenses in EOCs, and the organization of ham radio drills. 

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In this conversation, Maribel and Cody discuss various topics, including their faith and how it keeps them grounded and helps with their work-life balance in the field of emergency management and how respecting each other's faith and family is crucial in maintaining a strong relationship. They continue the conversation with discussing how their faith helps them avoid burnout and deal with the stress of the job. 

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In this episode we are simply introducing ourselves, this podcast, and we talk a little bit about how we came up with the idea  and what we plan to talk about. 

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We start off very simple in our first episode with a candid discussion on the differences of Emergency Management in the city vs. county and rural vs. urban settings. 

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