The question that pops up in my mind is this, “Is the denial of a Presidential Declaration based on the fact that there is this shifting of disaster responsibilities to the states that Trump promised, or is this about politics?”

The National Guard can be found in every state. They play a unique role in being both a federal and state government asset. In this podcast you will learn about the role of the National Guard in our national defense and also when disasters strike. Our guest represents not only the Washington National Guard, but also emergency management for the State of Washington. Therefore, we’ll also examine the anticipated challenges moving forward as FEMA reduces their support of states and local governments before, during and after disasters.

I found this story of interest on several fronts. Check out, Meridian, Idaho, Launches AI-Powered Drones for 911 Response

I believe that most Americans look at tragic international disasters and think to themselves, “Those poor people, the damages and lives lost are due to their living in substandard housing, in countries not as sophisticated as the United States. Thankfully, we live here in the USA where we are better prepared than them.”

Everyone is trying to read the tea leaves for the future of emergency management here in the United States.

So far, we have the following indications…all subject to change at the whim of President Trump.

Letters don’t accomplish much in the end. However, we have another indication that Congress is looking to push back on actions being taken to weaken the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) ability to provide services.  See this letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting they investigate the impacts such cuts in personnel will do to the effectiveness of the agency when it will be required to respond to future disasters.

Today is the first time I’ve heard or read anything about the New World Screwworm Fly  Maybe climate change is helping it march north out of Texas?

In the military we called it “unity of effort.” Getting everyone on the same page and pulling on the rope in the same direction. It is good leadership and it is good management that makes that happen. Putting the right people in the right positions with the necessary skill set and I’d add “mind set” to be a team player.

Find their full report at The Atlantic: “Battles Are Raging Inside the Department of Homeland Security.”

Many people have bemoaned the lack of understanding for what the threat of a 100 Year Flood means. From the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) there is this, “Risk Misconception: The "100-year" label is a statistical average based on historical data; it does not mean a flood will only occur once every 100 years.”

I get many emails from a wide variety of public relations people and topics. The one below is an example of something that is not directly in the realm of emergency management and disasters, but it is about insurance and the challenges insurers are facing in trying to figure out the future

An analysis of what has happened so far and what the future might hold by one of the senior professionals in the field of emergency management and homeland security.

Disaster Zone Podcast: Emerging Trends in Emergency Management and Homeland Security

The federal government, and that includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is making many different cuts to programs that support state and local communities. One of them is described here, FEMA Cuts Reimbursement Payments to Local Fire Departments

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) CORE employee saga continues. Check out, Unions Sue FEMA Over Work Force Cuts They Say Threaten Readiness

Maybe it is a fool’s errand to postulate who might replace the current Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS). However, it is clear that Kristi Noem has been “skating on thin ice” of late (pun intended). Tom Homan has been sent to Minnesota to take charge there and achieve better coordination with the Governor and local elected officials. He will also report directly to President Trump and not to his boss, Kristi Noem.

We live in a complicated world. The meaning of words can change over time and when ICE is in the news in Minneapolis, we get the following article about the Federal Emergency Management’s (FEMA) missive on words to use when it comes to winter weather.  Don’t say ‘Watch out for ice’: FEMA warned storm announcements could invite memes

A proposed piece of legislation doesn’t really carry any weight whatsoever. For example, from the Internet, “The U.S. Congress introduces thousands of bills each year, with recent Congresses seeing around 10,000 to over 17,000 total pieces of legislation (bills, resolutions) introduced per two-year session, though only a small fraction, often less than 10%, actually become law. For instance, the 117th Congress (2021-2023) introduced roughly 15,000-17,000 bills and other legislative items, while the 118th Congress (2023-2025) saw over 17,000 introduced, with about 600-1200 enacted.”

Electric utilities are not helpless in the effort to prevent wildfires. See this new report from a national laboratory, New PNNL Report Aids Utilities in Preparing for Wildfires

As we look to the future, we need to find new ways of providing financial relief when accidents and disasters damage or destroy private and public property. This podcast looks at the parametric insurance model. Might it be a more efficient and effective way forward to compensate loss?

The City of Seattle commissioned a study of its emergency management program. The consultant, BERK Consulting provided a verbal briefing to the Seattle Council committee responsible for emergency management in the city. King TV, a NBC affiliate covered the testimony in this story, Seattle warns [ed] its emergency management system is stretched thin ahead of major disasters  I believe this study was funded by the city itself.

The future of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and emergency management has been writ large and in the news since the beginning of the Trump Administration. Will FEMA be eliminated as a federal agency? Will FEMA be moved to Texas? How much funding will the federal government award via grants to states and local governments, before, during and after a disaster? Will the elimination of all mitigation grants continue into the future? What level of disaster will be supported by the federal level of government.