FEMA/DHS

Sung to the tune of Here Comes Santa Claus. Yes, I know it is Halloween season, but I can’t get the tune out of my head. The only thing “Frankenstorm” Sandy will likely be delivering are huge lumps of soggy ...

I recently met with a group of boathouse owners at our local marina that recently suffered a fire killing two boat owners, destroying the large boathouse and 12 large pleasure boats.  In prepping for my presentation I came across one ...

I hit the links today, determined to shake off the cobwebs accumulated during a gray Pacific Northwest winter.  After three holes of hackin’, choppin’ and basically suckin off the tee, I stood on the fourth tee box hanging my head.  ...

Emergency Management Magazine hosted an All Hazards Stakeholders Summit in Seattle today.  I believe this is the second year of these “summits”, bringing together the best and brightest stars in Emergency Management to motivate, inspire and educate.  It was fun ...

This week’s announcement of the Red Cross and Dell’s collaboration in opening an innovative digital operations center is a giant step forward in incorporating social media efforts in crisis response.  The Red Cross has been a thought leader and champion ...

The other night an impromptu Twitter chat erupted among a few of us #SMEM stalwarts.  The subject; credentialing social media volunteers who assist during disasters.  Conventional emergency management practice requires people register with their local emergency management (EM) agency before ...

In one of his recent blog posts for Emergency Management Magazine, Eric Holdeman declared the debate over as it relates to the need to use social media tools in emergency management.  I’m not so sure the debate or discussion is ...

This week I flew to Washington D.C. along with three fellow thought leaders in the use of social media for emergency management/response.  Brian Humphrey, Lead PIO for LAFD, Mark Basnight, PIO for Charlotte, North Carolina FD, and Denis Gusty, DHS ...