Amanda Nalley’s Post

Thank you Peter T. Gaynor CEM® Essential reading for elected officials, appointed jurisdictional leaders, business owners, chambers of commerce, and the public at large. (Yes, the Emergency Management professionals should read it too; it is saying the quiet part out loud that is understood by most in the field). Burnout and its impact on the individual, their team, and their family are well-documented (I've experienced them myself and discussed in other posts). I push this to a wider audience as disasters and, more importantly, how well we respond to and recover from them, directly determine how well our communities endure. The long-term economic impacts of a devastated community and population can last decades, and feed into a downward spiral for those persons and businesses who once lived and thrived in that community. Disasters happen, and are doing so more frequently. How well we move forward when they do is linked to those who ensure we are best prepared, and who respond on-the-ground or in emergency operations centers. If they are not there, or are burned out and not making the best decisions possible, we will all suffer the long-term impacts. #burnout #emergencymanagement #disaster #smallbusiness #community #economy

This is such a great article by Peter T. Gaynor CEM®. We are all exhausted, constantly overworked, and our profession as a whole is understaffed, underpaid, and underappreciated, yet we still persist. The demands on us have increased significantly, and will continue to increase, stretching our capacity to the limit. Just In the past two weeks alone, my team responded to three storm events without a single day off. Even when I had sick day, and an approved day off, I found myself having to work. Disaster fatigue is real, response burnout is real, and we are losing dedicated professionals to better opportunities. I equate emergency managers to teachers; we don’t do this to get rich—it’s our passion, it’s something that’s built into our DNA. However, to continue protecting our communities, we need proper funding, support, and recognition. Thank you to Pete for highlighting this critical issue to the public, and thank you to all my fellow responders for your relentless passion and sacrifice. We need to continue to advocate for the resources we need to continue to do what we do! #EmergencyManagement #EmergencyPreparedness #DisasterResponse #FirstResponders #Advocacy

Whew! I live in Detroit, and we had not (and have not) recovered from the flooding disaster of 2021, which was a disaster in the midst of a pandemic. The high winds, tornadoes and flooding disaster of August 2023 (Disaster 4757) was not federally declared until 168 days after the storm; we still had not recovered from the previous disaster to a meaningful capacity. By the time Emergency Management boots were hitting the ground in Detroit, it was more than 6 months since the flooding. People had to go through the winter with no furnaces or hot water tanks owing to water intrusion and flooding in their basements. By the time the help came, we were 8 months post disaster… and the damages to our homes had worsened exponentially. From cracked foundations from hydrostatic pressure, mold infestations from leaky, soggy basements that have rendered some homes unfit for human beings to live in, the consequences are steep! I agree with Peter T. Gaynor, that the responders are exhausted. I would also like to add that the survivors are traumatized, sick from living in unhealthy homes and overall feeling defeated. We are all running on fumes. This is certainly not sustainable. Not for the communities affected by disasters and not for the responders.

Current reality of #emergencymanagement There are only a few organizations I’ve seen that really understand the magnitude that emergency management plays before during and after a disaster. If your organization wants #communtiy #resiliency then you’d better step it up with your emergency management programs.

"A study reviewing the state of the disaster workforce published in the Journal of Emergency Management in 2021 found that half of the respondents felt burned out or overextended (at high risk of burnout), reporting symptoms of high emotional exhaustion and cynicism as well as reduced efficacy on the job." We need support in this field. Real support, not generic corporate wellness training and reminders about selfcare. Something has to change, and ASAP, if our field is going to be ready for the next decade's spate of bigger, badder disasters.

On September 11, 2024, Rick Patterson of DCMC Partners delivered a key presentation at the Texas Electric Cooperative Association's Materials Management Conference. His focus was on federal procurement processes and wildfire mitigation grant opportunities for cooperatives—a timely and critical topic given the increase in severe wildfire seasons since 2020. Rick shared actionable insights on how cooperatives can navigate federal support options and strengthen their wildfire resilience. With wildfire risks growing each year, these strategies are essential for protecting communities and ensuring long-term operational stability for cooperatives. DCMC Partners is proud to support these efforts with expert guidance on crisis management, disaster recovery, and preparedness. #WildfireMitigation #Cooperatives #FederalGrants #Procurement #CrisisManagement #DCMCPartners #TexasElectric #DisasterPreparedness

In challenging times, collaboration is key. Because only together can we build true disaster resilience. The first day of the European Civil Protection Forum has reconfirmed the EU civil protection community's commitment to continuing: - joining forces against future challenges; - investing in disaster prevention and preparedness; - strengthening Europe's crisis response and management. Thank you all for coming and contributing your ideas. 🙏 What are your key takeaways from the event? Leave them in a comment below! #CPForum2024 #EUCivilProtection

Some of the most rewarding experiences of my career as a civil servant have come from deployments. In total, I spent more than three years working in austere conditions, in war zones, side by side with members of our own military, partners from allied countries, and foreign government leaders from both established and developing nations. The conditions, at times, were brutal; the work was invariably difficult; and, though I came through it relatively unscathed, I am also very much aware of how lucky I am to be able to say that. It was humbling, and hard, and both physically and emotionally exhausting—and still, I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. And I would absolutely do it again. It’s hard to explain, but work like that—the mission, at its most immediate and visceral level—is addictive. Today, at DHS, we need people to join our ranks and provide immediate assistance, not to a foreign nation, but to our neighbors and fellow citizens affected by unprecedented natural disasters. It’s not a war zone, but the conditions might be similarly challenging and austere. In many places, people don’t have power, roads, or public services, and they may only have the shelter, food, and water they can bring with them. Even if conditions are less austere—the work is sure to challenging. If you’re in my network, and you’re eligible—especially if you’ve never done anything like this before—I encourage you to apply. The one thing that I can guarantee is that you won’t regret it. And, if you’re the kind of person I am, and many of my best friends and colleagues are—you might even find it to be addictive.

This is an important bill to provide tribes access to federal Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAG). The Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 amended the Stafford Act to provide Federally-recognized tribes the option to request their own Presidential emergency or major disaster declaration, independent from states. Adding the FMAG option is the next logical step to protect tribal sovereignty in emergency management practices.

Find out more about protecting your documents in preparation for disasters via our new blog post from NLCPAs. Just click below.