november blog

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 [...]

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 [...]