Emergency Management Podcast
Expert insights on emergency management, disaster preparedness, and building resilient communities. Our podcast features technical information and interviews with experts across the profession.
Fresh off the mic
The new All Hazards Hour cohost Dan Nelson highlights the importance of preparedness and response in the face of natural disasters. Dan introduces the new addition episode of the All Hazards Hour, where he discusses significant emergency management news. This weeks focus is on Hurricane Isaias, federal disaster declarations, the Great Shakeout Earthquake Drill, and insights on emergency preparedness.
In this episode of The All Hazards Hour, host Morgan Greenwood sits down with Will Baumann, a public safety GIS specialist, to explore how GIS helps emergency managers make informed decisions before, during, and after disasters. How GIS has become an essential tool in modern emergency management, supporting everything from disaster preparedness and mitigation to response and recovery operations.Will shares his journey into the GIS profession and explains how mapping technology has evolved far beyond creating maps. Today, GIS serves as a powerful decision-support tool, helping emergency managers visualize hazards, identify vulnerable populations, allocate resources, and maintain situational awareness during rapidly changing incidents.Discover some common misconceptions about GIS, how GIS professionals work behind the scenes to transform complex datasets into actionable information that supports incident commanders, emergency operations centers, and community leaders.This episode examines the role GIS plays during disaster response operations, including severe weather events, flooding, and other emergencies, how accurate and timely geospatial data can improve coordination, support evacuation planning, identify impacted areas, and provide decision-makers with the information they need to prioritize response efforts.Whether you're an emergency manager, planner, public safety professional, GIS specialist, or simply interested in how technology supports disaster operations, this conversation offers valuable insight into the growing importance of geospatial information in emergency management and community resilience.Join us as we discuss the intersection of technology, data, and emergency management with Will Baumann, and learn how GIS continues to transform the way communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
When disasters strike, effective coordination can mean the difference between chaos and an organized, life-saving response. In this episode of Technical Tidbit, we take an in-depth look at Emergency Support Functions (ESFs), one of the most important frameworks used in emergency management across the United States. From hurricanes and wildfires to major public health emergencies and complex, multi-jurisdiction incidents, ESFs serve as the foundation for bringing together government agencies, non-governmental organizations, private sector partners, and critical infrastructure stakeholders under a common response structure.The episode begins with an introduction to the concept of Emergency Support Functions and their purpose within the broader emergency management landscape. Listeners will learn how ESFs were developed to improve coordination during large-scale incidents that require extensive interagency collaboration. Rather than organizing disaster response around individual organizations, ESFs group capabilities and resources by function. This approach allows responders to focus on mission requirements such as transportation, communications, public works, mass care, logistics, public health, and search and rescue, regardless of which agency is providing the support.TakeawaysESFs are a backbone of coordination and disaster response in the United StatesESFs provide a way to organize organizations around common objectives and missions
SummaryEmergency management does not happen in a vacuum. Across preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery, elected officials play an important role in setting priorities, establishing policy, approving budgets and supporting the resources communities need to prepare for and respond to disasters.In this episode of the All Hazards Hour, we talk with Alaska Representative Bill Elam about the role elected officials play in emergency management and public safety.Representative Elam represents House District 8 on the Kenai Peninsula and previously served on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly. His background also includes firefighting and EMS, information technology, infrastructure, telecommunications and healthcare systems.Bill shares his experience working with emergency service areas, funding fire and EMS infrastructure, supporting mitigation projects and addressing emergency communications challenges. We discuss why emergency managers need to clearly explain the risks, costs and benefits associated with preparedness and mitigation projects, particularly when competing for limited public resources.The conversation also explores Alaska's Ready, Set, Go evacuation messaging and the effort to establish consistent evacuation terminology across the state. Bill discusses his involvement with Senate Bill 192 and the importance of giving communities and residents consistent information during an evacuation.We also talk about wildfire mitigation, fire breaks, emergency communications, radio coverage and the relationship between local emergency services and elected officials.Beyond emergency management, Bill shares his perspective on public service, community involvement and working through disagreements with integrity. One recurring theme throughout the conversation is the importance of finding common ground and recognizing that elected officials and emergency managers are ultimately working toward the same goal: protecting people and property.ResourcesReady, Set, Go! – Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire ProtectionAlaska's Ready, Set, Go framework provides guidance for preparing for wildfires, staying informed and knowing when to evacuate.Alaska Ready, Set, Go!https://www.forestry.alaska.gov/fire/rsgLocal Elected and Appointed Officials Quick Reference Guide – FEMAA FEMA guide outlining the role of local elected officials before, during and after disasters, including preparedness, response, recovery, mitigation and coordination with emergency managers.FEMA Local Elected and Appointed Officials Guidehttps://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_npd_local-elected-officials-quick-reference-guide_2025.pdfAlaska Evacuation Planning – Alaska DHS&EMAlaska's evacuation planning resources provide guidance for communities developing evacuation plans and coordinating emergency response.Alaska DHS&EM Evacuation Planninghttps://ready.alaska.gov/plans/EvacuationsElected Officials Guide to Emergency Management – National Emergency Management Association (NEMA)This guide for elected and appointed officials emphasizes their leadership role in emergency management. Helping to understand emergency management as a core government function. NEMA – Elected Officials Guide to Emergency Management
Overview:This episode begins with a solemn reflection on September 11, 2001, honoring the lives lost and the first responders and emergency personnel who answered the call that day.Next, we examine a timely Congressional Research Service report, “Understanding State Capacity for Emergency Management,” and its implications for the future of emergency management in the United States. As Congress and the administration consider changes to FEMA and the federal disaster assistance system, a central question emerges: Can states take on greater responsibility for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery?States already lead emergency management within their jurisdictions and manage the vast majority of incidents without federal assistance. However, the capacity to do so varies significantly from state to state. Differences in organizational structure, staffing, funding, preparedness programs, mutual aid agreements, and experience managing federal assistance can all affect a state's ability to absorb additional responsibilities.These differences could become increasingly important if the federal role in disaster assistance changes. Some states may be well positioned to assume additional responsibilities, while others could face significant challenges, particularly where emergency management agencies operate with limited staffing and resources or rely heavily on federal funding.The discussion also examines the role of insurance, public assistance programs, and disaster recovery, highlighting that emergency management capacity is about much more than what happens during the initial response. The ability to sustain recovery and help communities rebuild is equally important.As policymakers debate the future of FEMA and federal disaster assistance, this report provides an important framework for considering what states can realistically be expected to do. The bottom line is straightforward: before responsibilities are shifted, we need to understand whether the capacity exists to carry them out.Takeaways:State emergency management capacity varies significantly across the United States.States already manage most disasters, but their ability to assume additional responsibilities is uneven.Staffing, funding, organizational structure, mutual aid, and disaster experience all influence state capacity.Changes to FEMA and federal disaster assistance could affect states and communities very differently. Resources:Understanding State Capacity for Emergency ManagementThe Congressional Research Service examines state emergency management organization's capacity in the context of potential changes to FEMA and federal disaster assistance.Read the CRS reportNational Preparedness ReportFEMA's National Preparedness Report examines national preparedness capabilities, risks, and gaps across federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments.Read the National Preparedness ReportNational Preparedness: Additional Actions Needed to Address Gaps in the Nation's Emergency Management CapabilitiesThe Government Accountability Office examines persistent gaps in emergency management capabilities and the role of FEMA preparedness programs and grants in addressing those gaps.Read the GAO report