lessons

"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 political) responsibility for participating in disaster planning, mitigation, response and recovery, at the expense of local and state governments and public safety. You want evidence? Even before the FEMA Review Council convenes, draconian cuts were inflicted on programs that contribute materially to mitigation, preparedness, response and [...]

"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 an organizational hierarchy. The gap between old and new can create tension: beyond the obvious impediment to good working relationships, nuance and perspective are often lost when the communications divide is too wide. Young pros should balance impatience with respect for what they do not know [...]

"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 of the funeral.  Standing on the porch of our fourth-story apartment I was stunned to observe hundreds of lights switched on at precisely 11 pm! In our national grief, Canada had the US’s back. It wasn’t always that way.  The US’s encroachment on Canada’s natural resources [...]

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 is, were allowed to conduct a reasoned, professional review process to identify improvements.  But, couched in buzzwords like “efficiency” and “accountability” it is difficult to believe that anything resembling a reasoned, professional approach will be forthcoming. This proposed FEMA “review” builds on campaign-generated lies about FEMA’s [...]

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 navigate that uncertain and anxiety-prone period between a disruptive event and the restoration of whatever constitutes the jurisdiction’s new normal post disaster. Two initiatives might help: Targeted Exercises with the Public Consulting has its place. As someone who’s been there, done that, perhaps I should apologize [...]

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 something. And natural disasters are unique tests of natural resilience. Elected leaders are often judged harshly on the quality of their response to a crisis; a widely perceived failure to provide swift assistance to help communities heal undermines faith in our political system's stability. And yet, [...]

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 not an uncoordinated, spontaneous reaction. What the nation sees in major disasters is the activation of a “well- established capability of state-to-state mutual aid exists in the form the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). Ratified by the US Congress in 1996 (Public Law 104-321) 50 states, [...]

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 emergency management team. The question: How had Seattle’s staff been constructed? What combination of skills, education and experience were desirable? Diverging from other panelists’ focus on “professionalizing” of emergency management through degrees and certification programs, and an “accidental” emergency manager myself, it was an interesting opportunity [...]

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 our childhood. Essentially, it describes how we put the right foot in and then out, followed by the left foot, in and out, and so on.  It’s important to recall that this children’s dance had rules to be followed. One foot went first, then another, and [...]

Now What? By Jim Mullen As climate change impacts and political challenges grow, local and state governments must focus on building resilience. This article highlights the critical role of emergency management in preparing for future disasters. The federal election is over. A new Administration will assume the reins on January 20. There will be concern that federal budget priorities may not be geared toward resolving FEMA’s annual funding shortfalls despite evidence that successive administrations (and Congress) have failed to adequately provide sufficient resources on an annual basis, even in the face of increasingly complex events. However, local and state governments [...]