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Disaster Tough Podcast — Government
Disaster Tough Podcast

The Disaster Tough Podcast is for emergency managers, by emergency managers. We share stories, lessons learned, and tips to help you make informed decisions. Our host, John Scardena is a former Federal Emergency Response Official with Type 1 response experience. He now leads Doberman Emergency Management, from which this is being recorded. Our guests are also field experts who provide their insights in our conversation based podcast.
Discussions with emergency managers revolve around the entire disaster life-cycle. We provide solutions based on training and backed by data. We share experiences of emergency response and identify the lessons learned through our own version of after action reporting. This is conversation mode activated. We are known for flipping from serious to humor without warning. Try to keep up in our weekly podcasts!
About Doberman Emergency Management. We provide customized plans, mitigates hazards, delivers training, and supplies emergency products to meet the unique needs of clients. We identify and solve the Nation’s most complex incidents. That’s our job.

Copyright: © Copyright The Readiness Lab

Latest Episodes:

Lessons in Leadership by CalOES Chief of Response - Interview with Lee Dorey Apr 30, 2021

Show notes

We are calling Lee Dorey the George Washington of EM Leadership because of his amazing skill to lead in high stress environments. Lee has been in a Chief in almost every aspect of emergency management and response, he talks to us about his experiences, the great people he has worked with, and provides advice to emergency managers that will increase their influence, build a successful emergency management program, and produce favorable results in the face of disaster.

U.S. Special Forces MedEvac Pilot to Emergency Manager - Interview with Margaret Larson Apr 23, 2021

Show notes

Are you in the Military and are thinking about switching into emergency management? Are you in emergency management and want to increase your ability in decision making or leadership? Take note of Margaret Larson, she has major accomplishments to her name. She is a mother, an United States Army Veteran with 9 years active duty as a Special Forces Medevac Pilot, and an emergency manager. Her experiences and lessons learned are of high worth. She shares her experiences and advice on this week's episode!

The 'So What?' of Emergency Management - Interview with Former FEMA Admin, Craig Fugate Apr 17, 2021

Show notes

Craig Fugate led the Federal Emergency Management during the President Obama Administration. Craig famously used, 'So What?' as a way to help emergency managers prioritize tasks, created the Waffle House Index, and changed how FEMA staff operated in emergency (by making all staff members deployable emergency managers). Craig Fugate is a change agent and shares advice on how to improve in every phase of the disaster life-cycle. He know leads One Concern, focusing on mitigation through artificial intelligence. To view Craig's latest project, you can check out One Concern here: https://oneconcern.com/en/

The Purpose of Training - Interview with Jayson Kratoville Apr 09, 2021

Show notes

Jayson Kratoville is the Interim Director of the National Center for Security & Preparedness (NCSP). Jayson believes that change management is critical to the homeland security field as it adapts to new technologies and a dynamic risk environment. Effective training and exercises are critical tools, challenging participants to link their practical experience with new ideas and approaches in a way that shifts their mindset. Jayson has managed the development and delivery of training and exercise programs that have reached tens of thousands of practitioners across New York State's homeland security enterprise. He has also guided the NCSP’s strategic vision and implementation, contributed to rapid growth at the NY State Preparedness Training Center, and advised on the development of UAlbany’s College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity.

The DNA of an Emergency Manager - Interview with Kevin Pigg Apr 02, 2021

Show notes

Kevin Pigg is an expert practitioner of emergency management, serving in roles across the Local, State, and Federal levels. Kevin shares lessons learned and personal experiences on our show in the advice style format. We talk about the challenges, tasks, and personality that is required in this field. Essentially, Kevin Pigg lays out the DNA of an emergency manager.

Improving the Tempo of EM Through Data - Interview with Patrick Campion Mar 26, 2021

Show notes

Patrick Campion, owner of Preparedness Advisors, specializes in improving situational awareness through data science. Patrick understands first-hand the importance of emergency managers understanding and using data in their roles, both in blue sky operations and in grey sky operations. Whether your tracking grant dollars, or identifying gaps in mitigation, using data can make you more efficient and increase your success.

Fire Response and Oil Spill Hazmat Incidents - Interview with Eric Helpenstell Mar 19, 2021

Show notes

This Spring marks 11 years since the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. It marks 10 years since the Tohoku Japan Earthquake, Tsunami, and Fukushima Disaster, 30 years since the Kuwait Oil Fires, 32 years (almost to the date of this episode) since the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, and so many other major disasters that were major game changers in emergency management and disaster response.
Eric Helpenstell has been in the response, recovery, or post-recovery (mitigation phase) of many of these catastrophic disasters. He has a background of fire suppression in wildfires, involved with logistics during the Pandemic, and even worked to unify children and parents during the family separation policies of the US Boarder Crossing. Eric's experiences are extensive, his knowledge and advice is critical for the prevention of looming threats. A great reminder that training + experience + data is the right mix to become Disaster Tough.

Interview with United Kingdom's Chem/Bio Counter Terrorism Expert, Dr. Stephen Johnson Mar 12, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Stephen Johnson and host John Scardena discuss the intersection of emergency management and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) field activities. Steve provides advice on how to become an expert, talks about the differences between CBRNe and HazMat, and next steps to protect the public from these catastrophic events. We also talk about the Beirut Explosion on this week's episode.
Dr. Stephen Johnson's Current Activities
(as described from Cranfield University)
"Stephen Johnson is the Course Director for the MSc in Forensic Explosive and Explosion Investigation, which explores other hazardous incidents e.g. CBRN and Fire. He actively works with Police, Fire, OGDs and International Organizations on themes of terrorism, CBRNE, intelligence and forensic science. This has included the FCO, ICRC, London Fire Brigade, SO15 and the International Institute of Criminal Investigation. He teaches on or delivers the following courses:
Hazardous Forensics
Forensic Intelligence and Exploitation
Forensic Investigation of Explosives and Explosive Devices
Fire and Explosion Investigation
Counter IED Capability
Royal Engineer Force Protection Course
Terrorism Risk Management and Mitigation
He regularly lectures on Police CBRN courses around the UK, Imperial College London (On explosive devices), University of Rome Tor Vergata and previously at Georgetown University.
Steve's research investigates the exploitation of forensic evidence for intelligence purposes and ranges from CBRNE detection through to Open Source Intelligence. He has supported research with a wide range of British and American and International Universities. On CBRN he worked with Sussex, Bath and LSE on CBRN investigations in Syria. A significant phase of research was funded by Pool Re (The Government Terrorism Re-Insurance Pool), on modelling the impact and forecast of terrorism attacks.
Steve serves on a wide range of working groups, panels and advisory boards. He has provided comment for the media on CBRNE and terrorism.
He has currently taken a 2 year posting as the SO2 Training Policy (C-CBRN) heading up the Counter CBRN roadmap preparing the Field Army and wider Defence.

Interview with Jessi Nalepa Former FEMA Director of External Affairs Mar 05, 2021

Show notes

Messaging is everything. COVID-19 has shown us once again how incredibly important it is for us to understand how to work with media. Whether it's collaborating with stakeholders like CDC, FEMA, public health, and local emergency management groups, or managing and informing politicians, the handling of rumor control from the 24-hour news cycle like CNN, Fox News, CNBC and their local affiliates, and of course the onslaught of opinions on social media. Messaging impacts lives and emergency managers must understand this in order to be successful in disaster services.
Jessi spent nearly a decade in federal service. Most recently, she served as Director of External Affairs for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In this role, she managed the daily operations of the agency’s public affairs, strategic communications, congressional and intergovernmental affairs, as well as the Ready.gov campaign. During her tenure at FEMA, Jessi also served as the Director of Congressional Affairs where she was the agency’s principal liaison with the U.S. Congress and ensured that the agency’s priorities were reflected throughout the legislative and oversight process.
A proven crisis communications expert, Jessi effectively coordinated and led the FEMA’s external communications and engagements for over 234 Presidentially declared disasters, including the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic as well as some of the Nation’s most devastating hurricanes and wildfires.
Before her service in the executive branch, Jessi spent nearly seven years on Capitol Hill. She culminated her Capitol Hill career by serving as the Chief of Staff to U.S. Congressman Michael T. McCaul (TX-10), then Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.
Jessi Nalepa's current role is the Hagerty Consulting Communications Director responsible for driving the company’s external communications strategy and brand through effective media engagement, digital communication, as well as public relations and advocacy campaigns.

The Last House Standing Documentary -Interview with Director George Siegal Feb 26, 2021

Show notes

Emergency managers need to watch The Last House Standing Documentary. It shows in phenomenal detail how critical it is to build to our local environments and why that isn't happening now. Watch The Last House Standing Documentary at: https://www.thelasthousestanding.org/movie
Director's Statement:
As a former weatherman and reporter, I've covered countless stories about people who lost everything in natural disasters. Every year people lose their homes and many rebuild the exact same way. Most people have no idea if their insurance will actually get them whole again after a major disaster. If they have to evacuate, and their house is destroyed, many of the things that were lost can never be replaced. We roll the dice on where we live with no true sense of what the hazards really are. When you watch The Last House Standing you’ll meet people who are living the nightmare, and it doesn’t have to be this way.
This film is a wake-up call to everyone that we need to take control of our destiny and do whatever we can to protect our homes and lives.

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