Volume 17 No. 6

June 2025

Hello Lucien,

Welcome to the June edition of Emergency Management Solutions.

It's been, without a doubt, a crazy month as the United States continues its downward slide towards authoritarianism. The federalization of the California National Guard and the activation of a detachment of Marines against the wishes of the Governor and the Mayor of Los Angeles was bad enough but to threaten to arrest or replace elected officials is over the line.

But of greater concern for emergency managers is the recent bombing of Iran. Regardless of the outcome of the shaky ceasefire, we can expect the pendulum to swing back to concerns over civil disturbances as citizens protest involvement in another potential war and over the potential for attacks by lone wolf terrorists. There are also concerns that the risk of terrorist attacks will provide an excuse the increased deployment of troops and further curtailment of civil rights which will in turn spark further civil unrest and more crack downs. With hurricane season started and the US emergency management system in tatters, the next few months may well be some of the most challenging US emergency managers have ever faced.

In this month's featured articles, both Tim Riecker and I look at the disruption of the US emergency management system and suggest ways to deal with the situation.

Be well!

The Future of the US Emergency Management System

Having been on the road practically every week this year has made blogging a bit of a challenge. I’ve had some engagement on LinkedIn, often in discourse on the issues facing disaster and emergency management brought on largely by the current administration.

You’ve probably heard of the concept of mushroom management, right? Keep people in the dark and feed them shit. That’s what we’re getting regarding the future of FEMA, which makes it extremely difficult for practitioners to chart a course ahead for this field. The only information we receive is poorly communicated intent and obfuscation. Those who are supposed to be representing the profession either aren’t asking the right questions or are being ignored.

Let’s take a look at this horrible bit of journalism from earlier in the month (I’ll note that most news outlets have been using the same quotes and generally haven’t brought us anything new either).

I’ll break this down a bit. First, the headline: Trump and Noem detail planned FEMA changes: ‘We’re going to give out less money’. Commentary: There is NO detail in the article or in anything the administration has communicated about this. Simply stating that they are going to give out less money leaves a whole lot of questions. Much of the narrative has been around funds associated with declared emergencies and major disasters, but there is a whole lot of other funding that FEMA manages. More on this later.

Click here to read the rest of this article

Used with Permission

Tim Riecker is a founding member, partner and principal consultant with Emergency Preparedness Solutions, LLC, a private consulting firm serving government, businesses, and not for profit organizations in various aspects of emergency and disaster preparedness.

Featured Video

Here is the direct link if you cannot see the thumbnail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj4j-zS2Hzk

National Emergency Management Awareness Month 2025: Informational Webinar

IAEM-USA 2nd Vice President Todd DeVoe, CEM, moderated a discussion with IAEM-USA President Carrie Speranza, CEM, IAEM-USA Government Affairs Committee Chair Mary Jo Flynn-Nevins, CEM, and IAEM Government Affairs Director Thad Huguley. Watch this webinar to learn what National Emergency Management Awareness Month is, who it is for, and how to participate. The panelists provide tips on effectively engaging with local, state, and federal officials.

Professional Development

Comment Summary: Request for Public Input on Experiences with FEMA Disaster Responses (DHS-2025-0013)

On March 25, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security posted a Request for Information (RFI) soliciting public comments “to gain an understanding of their experience with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during disasters.” The comments are intended to inform the work of the FEMA Review Council established by Executive Order 14180 on January 24, 2025. This document provides a high-level summary of the comments posted to the federal docket, as reviewed by staff of NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). At the conclusion of the comment period, the regulations.gov docket had received 11,708 comments. Commenters were overwhelmingly supportive of FEMA’s mission, of maintaining FEMA’s capacity, and of making good-faith reforms to improve support for people and communities across the disaster lifecycle. More than 99 percent of the comments expressed support for FEMA and urged the administration not to eliminate or diminish the agency. Of those 11,599 supportive comments, 210 provided tangible recommendations for improving programs or services.

From The Emergency Management Network

National Emergency Management Awareness Month

The International Association of Emergency Managers is excited to announce AUGUST 2025 is the inaugural National Emergency Management Awareness Month!

Starting in 2025, Emergency Management professionals will conduct a coordinated, industry-wide awareness and advocacy campaign in August each year to promote the capabilities of emergency management and the role of emergency managers in the United States (other countries can certainly participate, too!). EMN Media and the Emergency Management Network will amplify this campaign and help promote it.

Emergency management professionals are encouraged to reach out and meet with:
Elected local, state, tribal, territorial, and federal leaders.
Private sector and nonprofit leaders – healthcare, university, utility, and all other organizations.
Organizational or community decision-makers who may influence Emergency Management.

Awareness month activities should center around educating and advocating for the profession, with emergency managers playing an active role. IAEM-USA will provide FREE instructional tools and "how-to" guides for members and others to use when scheduling and conducting awareness month activities, which will be added to their website’s page. Click Here For More Information

Disaster Researchers for Justice

Currently, there is no group of disaster scholars organized for the purpose of actively engaging with practitioners and policymakers. Nor is there an established channel for disaster scholars to voice their concerns over imminent hazards and failed disaster responses and recoveries. There is no centralized effort for scholars who wish to partner in solidarity with activist groups and networks, or to speak out with a united voice against all disaster-related injustices. Disaster Researchers for Justice (DRJ) is formed to address these needs. To achieve this DRJ seeks to serve as a space for global affinity groups aligned towards disaster justice.

Emergency Management Network

Emergency Management Network is an independent media organization dedicated to unlocking the knowledge of experts for the public good. We publish trustworthy and informative content in multiple media formats by emergency management experts for the profession and the general public.

Call for Papers

The Journal of Emergency Management Editorial Review Board invites the submission of papers supporting a special issue titled: The Future of Emergency Management

The goal is to bring together a broad discussion by thought leaders across the field about the future of emergency management, its form, function, funding, leadership, and responsibilities. Based on the recent political realities, JEM is in a unique position to effectively reimagine the field for the next 25 years.

Emergency management is a highly complex, multi-faceted, and multi-tentacled field. That is confirmed by 108 topics in nine categories, including Overarching topics in emergency management, Organizational Frameworks, Organizational Development, Leadership, Workforce Development, Policy Implications, Funding Implications, Operations Management, Higher Education, and Professional Development. This special issue is focused on the broader field of emergency management.

JEM also wishes to present various and diverse opinions, research, and forward-looking papers that help retool and support the growth and professionalization of emergency management.

The finished issue may be considered a road map for the future of emergency management. JEM hopes that policymakers will utilize this special issue to retool the field.

JEM is seeking 3500-4500-word papers. Papers will go through a modified review process in an effort to share many papers on this timely topic. As they complete peer review, they will be published on the JEM website under the special issue.

Deadline and details are located at this link: Call for Papers - The Future of Emergency Management | Journal of Emergency Management

Conferences and Webinars

50th Annual Natural Hazards Workshop

July 13-26, 2025

Broomfield, Colorado

Since 1975, the Natural Hazards Center has hosted the Annual Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop in Colorado. Today the Workshop brings together federal, state, and local mitigation and emergency management officials and planning professionals; representatives of nonprofit, private sector, and humanitarian organizations; hazards and disaster researchers; and others dedicated to alleviating the impacts of disasters.

DRJ Fall 2025

Building Resiliency Through Innovation

September 7-10, 2025

Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas

DRJ’s annual spring and fall conferences are the longest-running and best-attended business continuity events in the world. DRJ can help you protect your organization from today’s disruptions and tomorrow’s threats by exposing you to insights from industry leaders and giving you an early look at new BC technologies.

Attending DRJ will give you the tools you need to secure your organization’s data, increase resiliency, reduce downtime, and protect your stakeholders. By improving your ability to prevent and respond to disruptions, DRJ can save your organization money and time.

IAEM 73rd Annual Conference

Nov. 14 – 20, 2025

Louisville, KY

The goal of the IAEM Annual Conference is to improve knowledge, competency level and collaborative skills. IAEM accomplishes this by attracting relevant high-profile speakers to address current topics and practical solutions. Convening in tandem to this annual event, EMEX, IAEM’s Emergency Management & Homeland Security Expo, draws a myriad of exhibitors who are the top suppliers to the fields of disaster preparedness and homeland security.

From The Bookshelf

The Civil Disobedience Handbook: A Brief History and Practical Advice for the Politically Disenchanted

by James Tracy

Non-violent civil disobedience is an American tradition, an essential element of a working democracy. From the Bill of Rights to contemporary direct action tactics utilized by the Ruckus Society, this handbook outlines a brief history of social protest. Helpful resources and handy information are included, as well as tips on everything from getting arrested to manipulating the media.

About the Author

James Tracy is a long-time social justice organizer in the San Francisco Bay Area, and author of Dispatches Against Displacement: Field Notes From San Francisco's Housing Wars.

He co-authored with, Amy Sonnie,of Hillbilly Nationalists, Urban Race Rebels, and Black Power: Community Organizing in Radical Times (Melville House, September 2011). He is the founder of the San Francisco Community Land Trust and has been active in the Eviction Defense Network and the Coalition On Homelessness, SF. He has edited two activist handbooks for Manic D Press, The Civil Disobedience Handbook, and The Military Draft Handbook. His writing has appeared in Left Turn, Race Poverty and the Environment, Contemporary Justice Review, and the Political Edge, a City Lights Foundation anthology.

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Emergency Management: Concepts and Strategies for Effective Programs

Second Edition

by Lucien G. Canton

This book looks at the larger context within which emergency management response occurs, and stresses the development of a program to address a wide range of issues. Not limited to traditional emergency response to natural disasters, it addresses a conceptual model capable of integrating multiple disciplines and dealing with unexpected emergencies.

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Speaker's Corner

Looking for a speaker for your conference? I offer keynotes, seminars, workshops, and webinars, either in person or virtually. You can find more details and sample videos on my website.

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