April is Emergency Communications Month, and our friends at CISA are honoring the nation's emergency responders and communicators, emphasizing the importance of emergency communications and the need to work together in building resilient, critical infrastructure. In keeping with the month's theme of resilient together, on today's episode, we are ta…

Voluntary agencies are typically some of the first organizations to respond and are often the last to leave a community, sometimes years after a disaster. The work of federal, state, and local governments is only part of the response and recovery puzzle. In fact, people showing up in times of need as volunteers are a critical piece to serving the n…

On April 8th, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. This is no doubt one of nature's most awe inspiring events. The moon passes between the sun and the earth completely blocking the face of the sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk. And while the skies will be graced wi…

In late 2023, FEMA's Office of Disability Integration and Coordination, or ODIC, released a new version of its training course IS-368.A "Including People with Disabilities in Disaster Operations." We don't always cover specific FEMA training courses on this podcast, but the purpose of this course is somewhat unique in that it really strives to incr…

FEMA is on the verge of making some of the most significant updates to survivor assistance in the last 20 years. Experiencing a disaster and the loss and displacement that it can bring is often one of the most profound and impactful experiences survivors might ever go through in their life. Beginning on March 22nd, FEMA will implement sweeping chan…

Natural disasters can be a stressful and traumatic time for anyone, but they can be especially devastating to vulnerable communities who have been historically underserved. Today, we'll discuss how FEMA is working to build resilience across the country by designating community disaster resilience zones. To explain more about this new and extremely …

Strengthening the emergency management workforce at the state, local, tribal, territorial, and national levels is crucial to building and maintaining a strong profession and keeping the public safe. This is such an important task that FEMA's administrator, Deanne Criswell, included strengthening the emergency management workforce in FEMA's latest s…

Fire dangers increase during the winter months and claim more lives than at any other time of the year. Deaths caused by fire are only part of the story as there are thousands of displacements when homes are destroyed, contributing to homelessness numbers across the nation. Unfortunately, the statistics on winter fire destruction are devastating, b…

January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a presidentially designated observance designed to educate the public about human trafficking and the role they can play in preventing and responding to human trafficking. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services theme for Human Trafficking Prevention Month 2024 is, "Activate connections to pre…

Heatwaves are on the increase and garner well-deserved attention from the media. While these extreme heat events are growing in frequency and severity, a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC, found that more deaths occur due to exposure to the cold. The CDC reports that in 2019, about 1,300 people died of hypother…

Our friends at the U.S. Fire Administration recently had the opportunity to screen the new documentary “Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire” with the film creators. Before the screening, the U.S. fire administrator, Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, sat down with one of the film’s participants, Margo Robbins, to get a better understanding of cultural fire and how …

In 2018, the Woolsey Fire consumed huge swaths of Los Angeles and Ventura County in California. The fire burned nearly a hundred thousand acres and destroyed thousands of structures. This was one of several fires in California at the same time. FEMA responds to disasters of all kinds - hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and others. But wildfires pose a…

This summer, we launched a four-part series in support of FEMA's #SummerReady campaign, where we're exploring the effects of extreme heat and how collaboration among local, state, tribal, territorial, and federal partners can lead to more educated communities. In this fourth and final episode of the #SummerReady campaign, we'll dive a little deeper…

This summer has been hot. We're seeing some of the hottest days on record, and the extreme heat is without borders impacting not just the United States, but countries across the globe. So welcome back to episode number three of our four-part series in support of FEMA's Summer Ready campaign, where we're exploring the effects of extreme heat and how…

Our nation's, roads, waterways, hospitals, and utilities support the millions of activities that people conduct each day to transact business, travel, communicate with friends and family, maintain health and safety and more. They also include the venues where people gather to learn, worship, shop or find entertainment. In other words, the heart of …

Disasters are devastating on multiple levels. Every year, our communities are affected by disasters which disrupt the mental health and wellbeing of millions of Americans. While the psychological effects of disasters on survivors and communities is well documented, the effects on responders can be dramatic. First responders, state and local officia…

Heat and Extreme heat continue to impact communities across the globe. We've seen more frequent events and cascading disasters over the past few years. Staying ahead of them requires that we review our response plans regularly and make adjustments as needed, but also think in terms of both the short and long term to ensure a whole community approac…

Heat and extreme heat continue to impact communities across the globe. We've seen more frequent events and cascading disasters over the past few years. Staying ahead of them requires we review our response plans regularly and make adjustments as needed, but also think about both the short and long-term to ensure a whole community approach to keepin…

Federal government-wide disaster planning dates to the Cold War era Federal Response Plan, and similar documents, that describe how the United States would respond to nuclear war and severe disasters. This singular plan was maintained and updated after the Cold War ended. However, following the attacks of September 11th, 2001, it was deemed insuffi…

FEMA has some tremendous programs to help firefighters and, in turn, assists with the safety and security of our communities around the country. We do this through our support to the fire community via the U.S. Fire Administration and the specialized training that occurs at the National Fire Academy. But, and the subject of today's episode, we also…

Emergency managers play a critical role in successfully navigating disaster response and recovery. But there's another player whose efforts are just as critical – and that’s local elected and appointed officials. As leaders in their communities, they make significant policy, resource, and communication decisions prior to, during, and after disaster…

To accomplish FEMA's mission, we work with governments at all levels to ensure the agency is helping people before, during, and after disasters. One special relationship that federal agencies, such as FEMA, have is the relationship with tribal nations, since the federal government has a treaty and trust relationships with tribes. In that same vein,…

Since the 1950s, the U.S. Army maintained stockpiles of chemical munitions that were produced as a way to deter the threat of chemical attacks from foreign adversaries. In 1985, under the direction of Congress, the Army began destroying the aging chemical weapons, while ensuring that the communities surrounding the eight stockpile sites across the …

Flooding is America's number one natural disaster affecting 99% of U.S. Counties since 1996. Just one inch of water can cause roughly $25,000 of damage to one's home, and most homeowners don't know their flood risk or what they have currently covered in the event of a flood. Even more concerning, rises in extreme weather have made flooding more and…

FEMA's Office of Disability Integration and Coordination serves to ensure our commitment to equity and inclusion for persons with disabilities before, during, and after disasters. On this episode, we catch up with Director Sherman Gillums, Jr. to explore his first hundred days in office, discuss the improvements that are being made in our program d…

A little over 10 years ago, congressional leaders responded to the growing need for water resources intelligence by having NOAA Build a National Water Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The center is charged with developing and providing this new generation of water prediction services for the entire nation. These services help to inform essential emer…

For emergency managers across the country, the Emergency Operations Center, or EOC, can be home base. It's a place for deconflicting challenges, finding solutions and coordinating efforts to a host of emergencies facing their communities. For many, the EOC is also a physical location, but in recent years, jurisdictions are finding ways to make thei…

In recent decades, wildfires have ravaged many areas of the country, especially the Western United States. Scientists note that climate change will worsen ongoing drought conditions, which will in turn increase the frequency and intensity of wildland wildfires. When the flames are extinguished, a new threat arises - flooding after fire. After large…

On this episode, we celebrate a great partner in emergency management. Joe Kelly, Director of Minnesota's Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management for the last 11 years, will be retiring at the end of December. Like many who serve in emergency management, the last few years have brought many unique challenges. So, we explore how Min…

In late October, FEMA released the National Continuous Improvement Guidance. The guidance provides an approach to conducting consistent and rigorous continuous improvement activities before, during, and after real world incidences. Emergency managers and other whole community partners can use this document to effectively strengthen their continuous…

A big part of FEMA administrator Deanna Criswell's strategic plan centers around instilling equity in emergency management. With this renewed focus, we are delighted to introduce FEMA's first National Tribal Affairs Advocate, Kelbie Kennedy, to the podcast. Since joining FEMA in October 2022, Kelbie has brought a wealth of knowledge about Indian Co…

In addition to our ubiquitous role in responding to and recovering from disasters and emergencies, FEMA also administers numerous grant programs aimed at increasing the capacity of the nation's emergency management system. Part of that administration is understanding the challenges our state, local, tribal, and territorial partners face when applyi…

The National Advisory Council, or NAC, consists of 35 members representing a wide range of geographic and professional backgrounds and is tasked with advising the FEMA Administrator on all aspects of emergency management. The NAC held its first meeting of this year, in June, in Boise, Idaho. Members shared progress reports from the equity working g…

Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9th in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and caused devastating damage. This tragic event inspired numerous changes in fire policies throughout the nation. On this episode we talk with Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, the U.S. Fire Administrator abou…

Investing in partnerships is critical to increasing the nation's resiliency. The 'Resilient Nation Partnership Network' released the Building Alliances for Equitable Resilience Resource in April, the result of a significant collaboration by 26 partners across the fields of equity and resilience. On today's episode, we're going to highlight an audio…

As we kick off National Preparedness Month, we're discussing the new and improved FEMA mobile app and discussing how it can provide crucial information to keep communities informed before, during, and after disasters.By Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

The launch of the National Initiative to Advance Building Codes and implementation of the FEMA Building Codes Strategy have created an opportunity to discuss building codes and their importance for creating a more resilient nation. In this episode, we will discuss “resilience” through the lens of building codes and the potential impact of the Natio…

On this episode, we’re highlighting the State of Colorado and their successful partnership with voluntary organizations to set up a donations management and resource center following the Marshall Fire that burned over 6,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,000 homes in Boulder County in late December 2021. The partnership is a shining example of how…

In 2012, FEMA created Wireless Emergency Alerts to send alert and warning messages through the agency’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. On today’s episode, we’ll talk about the countless ways Wireless Emergency Alerts have saved lives with Antwane Johnson, who has led the program since the beginning.…

On today's episode, we meet with members of the National Hurricane Program at the 2022 National Hurricane Conference to talk about how they work together to analyze forecast information and coordinate with emergency managers to assist them in making the best decisions to protect lives and property in their communities when hurricanes threaten.…

A successful disaster response depends of the partnership of the whole community, including the tremendous support of voluntary organizations and the faith community. On today’s episode, we explore how leveraging the many strengths of neighborhood partners can ensure success before, during, and after disasters.…

On this episode, FEMA remembers Hurricane Agnes on the 50th Anniversary of the storm by looking back at the impacts to the Mid-Atlantic and looking ahead to predicting the future effects of hurricanes in the region. We discuss how Hurricane Agnes shaped the field of emergency management and the how emergency managers today are still using lessons t…

Climate change represents a profound crisis for our nation. On today’s episode, with National Heat Awareness Day upon us, we talk with three experts from FEMA about the challenges of extreme heat and why FEMA has made Climate Resilience one of our top strategic goals.By Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

On this episode, we sat down with two State Public Information Officers to discuss the importance of getting lifesaving information to the public during disasters. Greg Robinson, from the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, and Malary White, from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, highlight the challenges and successes they have seen dur…

As hurricane season approaches, we sat down with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham at the National Hurricane Conference to discuss how the agencies collaborate to share vital weather and preparedness information during a storm.By Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

On this episode, we take a deep dive into FEMA's Strategic Goal #1: Instilling equity as a foundation of emergency management. We’ll talk with Associate Administrator Anne Bink about how FEMA is continually and deliberately choosing to use an equity lens in everything that we do.By Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

In celebration of FEMA's 43rd Anniversary, we are relaunching the FEMA podcast by sitting down with Administrator Deanne Criswell to discuss her background, as well as agency priorities in the midst of expanding demands on the emergency management community.By Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

A year ago, Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated Puerto Rico, and since that time, FEMA, and numerous federal partners and the government of Puerto Rico have undertaken one of the largest post disaster reconstruction and humanitarian efforts in U.S. history. Major portions of the island’s infrastructure are being rebuilt as federal agencies support…

Large earthquakes in populated areas make the news, but many people don’t realize that earthquakes actually happen every day, all over the world. The National Earthquake Information Center in Golden not only monitors these earthquakes, they initiate an earthquake response protocol designed to give first responders and recovery staff critical inform…

Did you know more than 60% of Americans have less than $1,000 in savings, making it extremely difficult to recover from an emergency—whether it is a natural disaster or a broken water heater?When people hear about disaster preparedness, regardless of the hazard, we often do not focus much on the financial aspect and financial preparedness. Having a…