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Jim has spent 3 decades in emergency management, including 12 years at the local level as director of the City of Seattle’s Office of Emergency Management and 8 and a half years as Washington State’s Emergency Management Division Director. Jim retired from state service in March 2013. Jim also served as President of the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) from January 2011 to October 2012. He is currently sole proprietor of “EM Northwest Consulting” based in Seattle.
Disclaimer
Information on this Blog is provided with the understanding that the authors and publishers are not engaged in rendering professional advice or services. As such, it should not be used as a substitute for consultation with an professional adviser. Opinions expressed here represent the viewpoints of individuals authoring the blog and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the Center of Excellence.
WTO riots and Y2K (1999) Podcast
Another Katrina, or Worse?
"Another Katrina, or Worse?" By Jim Mullen The recent statement by over 190 FEMA employees that another “Katrina moment” might be pending triggered some unhappy memories for this old-timer. By 2005, I had already spent several years decrying reductions in FEMA’s capability, first as a city EM director, then as Washington State’s Director of [...]
A FEW THOUGHTS
"A FEW THOUGHTS" ( I'm BA-AA-CK!) By Jim Mullen One lesson, above all others, should be learned, and applied, by elected officials in nearly every jurisdiction in the nation in the wake of the devastating flash flood in Kerr County, Texas and surrounding counties. Midst the offering of heartfelt condolences, local elected officials in the [...]
AFTER THE DISASTER–HAZARD AWARENESS
"AFTER THE DISASTER -- HAZARD AWARENESS" By Nancy Aird and Jim Mullen As the deadly results from the Texas Hill Country Catastrophic Floods grow, questions of fault will multiply on who had responsibility to warn local inhabitants of the danger. As is the case in most emergencies, emergency management will be pinpointed as a [...]
JIM’S “FINAL WARNING”
"JIM'S "FINAL WARNING"" By Jim Mullen Comedian Alan King punctuated his career with a televised comedy special called “ A Final Warning!” In that spirit, since this could well be my final blog entry, I offer the following admonitions to Emergency Management Directors/Supervisors: 1) Emergency management is a profession, not by dint of its credentialing [...]
A Full Circle
"A Full Circle" By Jim Mullen A Full Circle NOTE: An excerpt from my September 25, 2004, speech to the Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC) as a new state director: a different yet eerily similar time, it seems applicable once again as FEMA endures an overhaul of its mission with little regard for [...]
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 [...]
IS THIS A CHAINSAW I SEE BEFORE ME?
"IS THIS A CHAINSAW I SEE BEFORE ME?" By Jim Mullen A serious policy review to improve the nation’s disaster system should include a holistic analysis of the nation’s emergency management strengths and weaknesses. That isn’t what’s happening. The “FEMA Review Council’s” actual assignment seems limited to reducing the federal government’s financial (and [...]
EXPERIENCE VERUS YOUTH: A CAUTION
"EXPERIENCE VERUS YOUTH: A CAUTION" By Jim Mullen Older people, yes, like me, often marvel at the intelligence, energy and technological expertise that new hires bring to emergency management. Being “experienced” doesn’t mean one has all the answers; nor does being “smart, energetic and ambitious” guarantee a rapid ascent and automatic credibility within [...]
CHILDREN OF A COMMON MOTHER
"CHILDREN OF A COMMON MOTHER" * By Jim Mullen Though I am an American citizen, from 1959-1968 my legal residence was Vancouver, and later, New Westminster, British Columbia. After President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, Canada’s Prime Minister asked residents in Vancouver to turn on their porch lights at exactly 11 pm the night [...]
Whither FEMA? Whither Emergency Management?
Whither FEMA? Whither Emergency Management? By Jim Mullen FEMA is about to experience a radical reassessment of its mission, or even its reason to exist. Such a review is the prerogative of any incoming administration. It would serve the nation best if the professional emergency management community, as politically and socially diverse as it [...]
Two “Modest” Proposals
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ONCE REMOVED Two "Modest" Proposals By Jim Mullen As the Trump administration searches for greater efficiencies in “discretionary” funding, local and state governments must, of necessity, “step up” and invest more substantially in programmatic disaster mitigation, preparedness, and recovery. Happily, there are cost-effective measures could help prepare individuals and families to [...]
Light a Candle or …
Light a Candle or ... By Jim Mullen "Much of the strength and efficiency of any government in procuring and securing happiness to the people depends ... on the general opinion of the goodness of government, as well as of the wisdom and integrity of its governors." (Benjamin Franklin) Franklin was on to [...]
Mutual Aid in Times of Disaster: Navigating EMAC in Emergency Management
Mutual Aid in Times of Disaster: Navigating EMAC in Emergency Management By Jim Mullen Credit Note: the bulk of the information below is taken from the National Emergency Management Association. Note: The outpouring of mutual aid support to California’s wildfires, as well as North Carolina and Georgia and other disaster impacted states, is [...]
BUILDING EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT STAFF: A REFLECTION
BUILDING EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT STAFF: A REFLECTION By Jim Mullen By 2001, numerous national experts had cited Seattle’s emergency management team as one of the more creative and successful units in the country. A national conference invited me to present my concept of the ideal level of expertise, training and education for a municipal [...]
Political Hokey Pokey: Navigating Politics in Emergency Management
Political Hokey Pokey: Navigating Politics in Emergency Management By Jim Mullen In a world where politics can often feel like a chaotic game of “hokey pokey,” it’s vital to remember that emergency management is about serving all communities in times of crisis—regardless of political or social affiliation. We all remember that charming limerick from [...]