A Note to Readers of Emergency Management Once Removed

“A Note to Readers of Emergency Management Once Removed:”  

By Jim Mullen

The Center of Excellence for Homeland Security and Emergency Management , host of “Emergency Management Once Removed” for nearly a decade, faces an uncertain future. I must thank the Center’s Linda Crerar, Kelli Hale, Jasmine May and Nancy Aird for their patience with me over these 10  years. I ‘d also be remiss if I did not acknowledge the men and women of Seattle OEM and WA EMD whose talent and dedication made me better than I otherwise would have been. And I am indebted to Trina Sheets, Karen Langdon and Matt Cowles and the rest of the outstanding staff of the National Emergency Management Association – they advocate for the emergency management discipline with “candor and class.”

That said, here is some unsolicited advice to emergency managers pondering current and future challenges:

The emergency management discipline is too important to be left solely to  emergency managers; it’s  more like a “bridge” connecting varied public and private interests – and a nonpartisan bridge at that. Emergency managers care not a whit whether an impacted individual or group is White, Black, Gay, Straight, Documented or Undocumented – we are that portion of society that identifies human beings in need as our singular priority.

Future endeavors by emergency managers must include direct interaction with citizens in exercises, using on-line technology and bypassing the white noise emanating from the political sphere that surrounds most high visibility exercises. We need to develop an ongoing, programmatic relationship with our public using the tools of technology available to us.

We must also pursue development of formal recovery structures in our respective jurisdictions that recognize the challenges impacting our social and economic equilibrium that will confront a post-disaster environment. Said structure must include those participants from the private sector that would be called upon to help manage rebuilding, restoring and healing. Recovery exercises should be as rigorously conducted as are response-oriented exercises.

In writing “Emergency Management Once Removed”, I am aware that at times I have annoyed, angered and frustrated people – few, regrettably, have done me the courtesy  of engaging me in a dialogue about where we disagree in substance. I’m always willing to consider a rational reaction to what I put out there.  My door as an emergency management director was always open to staff or others who wished to discuss, even question my actions. It’s called freedom of speech – those who disagree with me have it too, and that has allowed our nation to soar above its flaws, giving hope to the world. Much of that appears at risk these days, but only if we stop talking, listening and acting in a spirit of cooperation, respectfully accepting our differences of opinion.

I’ll not say goodbye, just yet, and will continue to exercise my freedom to speak as long as I can. Y’all should too! Difficult as these times are, don’t surrender in advance!