Donald Patterson is a retired SWAT commander, FBI National Academy graduate, and nationally recognized emergency management instructor. Across a 30-year career, he led tactical operations during mass shootings, wildfires, and high-risk manhunts, gaining firsthand experience in crisis leadership and real-world strategy. Today, he trains emergency response leaders through FEMA’s National Emergency Management Advanced Academy.

Bear in the Dragon’s Shadow is Patterson’s debut thriller. It combines espionage, cyberwarfare, and military precision into a story that feels as urgent as today’s headlines. Drawing from his real-world background, Don brings unmatched authenticity and intensity to the genre.

• Read Don’s Book: Bear in the Dragon’s Shadow: Where Deception Meets Strategy
• Join the Disaster Discourse Book Club
• Check out the Disaster Discourse Bookshop

  Visit My Partners and Friends

  Aspiring Emergency Managers Online (AEMO): Empowering and supporting the next cohort of emergency management professionals through networking, training, mentoring, other career support resources and job opportunities.

  Emergency Management External Affairs Association (EMEAA): A collaborative community serving as thought leaders in the advancement of crisis communications, external affairs outreach, and emergency management.

  PREPPR: The complete exercise platform for emergency management. Design. Deliver. Document. From scenario to AAR - one platform. Your expertise. No busywork. No overtime. **I recently joined the PREPPR team as an advisor. I think this is a fantastic tool that levels up exercise delivery. I specifically chose this platform because it empowers not replaces the emergency managers who do great work.

  HazAdapt: Helping a community get prepared is tough, especially with small teams and limited resources. The reality is that most people look for help in the moment, and that's why I recommend HazAdapt. HazAdapt is an award-winning emergency and disaster safety app that puts step-by-step preparedness, response, and recovery guidance in people’s hands. It is 100% free, works offline, and is used in all 50 states. Make it easier to adapt to hazards. I use it for myself and my family

Take your seat at the Roundtable.

Full video and show notes including links to books, research, references, and more can be found here.

Aspiring Emergency Managers Online (AEMO): Empowering and supporting the next cohort of emergency management professionals through networking, training, mentoring, other career support resources and job opportunities.

Emergency Management External Affairs Association (EMEAA): A collaborative community serving as thought leaders in the advancement of crisis communications, external affairs outreach, and emergency management.

Pierce College: A leading educational institution providing specialized training and degrees in Emergency Management.

Sign Language Interpretation by SpokenHere: A language services provider specializing in translation and interpretation to ensure messaging reaches every community, regardless of language barriers.

And Me! More specifically, the State of Disaster show. My thanks to friend of the show, Dr. Sarah Miller for stepping in for me as the host and doing a great job.

Show Hosts & Guest:

Brandi Hunter

Vincent Davis

Dr. Sarah Miller

Dr. Sherman Gillums Jr.

As I announced last week, I am a media partner for this year’s Disasters Expo Miami. In this episode, I interview Molly Schwerdt and Evie Poole, who are representing the incredible Disasters Expo and Resilient City marketing team. Of course, we talk about the Disasters Expo and that the Resilient City Expo is coming to Miami for the first time this year.

We also talk about the immense work, logistics, and communication that it takes to put on such a complex event, and the parallels with emergency and disaster management. We also talk about the application of marketing tactics within emergency management because I can’t help myself. If you’re a premium subscriber, you can read my publication on the topic of applying marketing and sales tactics to the way we communicate with our communities. It’s in the archive at stateofdisaster.com.

You can get your free tickets, see the video, transcript, and more here.

This episode is a collaboration with some old friends, some new friends, our wrap up of the emergency management trends of 2025, and our thoughts about what we’ll see more of this year.

This was hosted by the fantastic Kyle King and our friends at Crisis Lab. You can find the original episode post on their site, and panelist info on my Substack. Please follow all of them! If you are a State of Disaster premium subscriber, I have pulled all the mentioned research, initiatives, people, places, and things and put them in this week's premium show notes section on stateofdisaster.com

Some Show Updates:

I am a media partner with this year’s Disasters Expo in Miami. Disaster Expo USA is the nation’s leading event, uniting government agencies, first responders, industry suppliers, and innovators dedicated to protecting communities and critical infrastructure. And it is coming up pretty quickly, March 4th and 5th. But if you’re interested in going for free, here is your link for Free Disasters Expo Miami Tickets.

Thank you as always to my partners:

Aspiring Emergency Managers Online (AEMO)

Emergency Management External Affairs Association

If you would like to be a partner or sponsor of State of Disaster or the Disaster Discourse Book Club, I have just finalized the packages for the rest of this quarter. Send an email to matt@stateofdisaster.com or click this link to book a meeting with me.

Arthur J. Simental is a Homeland Security and Emergency Management Professor Researcher, Consultant, and Emergency Management Historian. Mr. Simental is the Founder and CEO of Simental Industries, LTD, and Disaster Gaming, an Emergency Management Consulting Firm and Disaster Research Collaborative.

Mr. Simental is also a research associate for Sam Houston State University's Institute for Homeland Security and a former public health advisor for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mr. Simental has over 16 years of service in government, homeland security and emergency management and emergency services across all levels of government and the private and nonprofit sectors in homeland security, emergency management, healthcare, public health, space and defense, security, education, and critical infrastructure. Wow. Mr. Simental is a published author, disaster war gaming creator, and certified emergency manager with the Colorado Emergency Management Association and International Association of Emergency Managers.

In this episode, we talk about Arthur's new concept of a United States Emergency & Disaster Management Congress to advance the professionalization of emergency management through a unified national standard and shared governance.

To learn more about the Congress, you can visit the website or fill out this interest form.

You can get 50% off your subscription to State of Disaster and watch the video of this episode + read the enhanced show notes with everything we talked about in this episode by clicking this link by June 1st 2025: https://stateofdisaster.substack.com/congress. A percentage of all subscription revenue is donated directly to disaster relief. The episode's full transcript is also hosted at stateofdisaster.com. If for any reason you have difficulty accessing it, please email matt@stateofdisaster.com

I wanted to create a season that addresses and challenges the current “paradigm” of emergency management. The big EM study was just published, and it confirmed what most of us already knew - most of our colleagues are doing this alone, and the cavalry is not coming. So, we change the paradigm of federal resource dependence. We fortify our capabilities from the ground up. We interrogate our own models, ask uncomfortable questions, and learn important truths that may empower us and our communities to support each other.

Enjoy the show, and join the Disaster Discourse book club, where Stephanie joined us for a live discussion about her book.

In my conversation with my friend Anthony, we discuss the capabilities, funding, and authorities needed to enable disasters to be managed effectively at the local level. Anthony has worn so many hats in government and emergency management, that it provided a perfect opportunity to dig into how Anthony the Town Manager could collaborate with Anthony the State Hazard Mitigation Officer, and all the other Anthonys that play into the disaster paradigm. From local capital funds to grants like BRIC (RIP) to insurance policies, we explore what today’s emergency manager needs to understand about ensuring the longevity of their operations.

In a continuation of Eric Kant’s discussion about the Local Emergency Managers Alliance, we discuss the urgent need for emergency managers to conduct local and regional capability assessments. We also try to look on the optimistic side of the frustration and confusion that we’re experiencing from the federal government - there are opportunities to redefine and improve the way that we approach the work that we do locally.

From my perspective, I think the most important piece of this conversation is the need for a shift in culture, where all sectors are integrating risk mitigation and resilience into all aspects of our communities, starting from the design phase. I even find an opportunity (as usual) to mention the need for marketing to help the public understand the work that we do and the funds we need to do it right.

My final question was for Anthony the professor: “What do students looking to break into the field right now need to be focused on?” Listen to this episode to find out what Anthony’s answer is to this question, and make sure to catch next week’s episode when I interview Sarah Miller, PhD and Darcy Leutzinger, PhD on what prospective students should look for when selecting an emergency and disaster management degree program.

Dan’s experience includes his pivotal roles during crises including the 9/11 attack at the Pentagon; serving as lead spokesperson for the National Guard in Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina; establishing the first-ever international joint information center in response to the catastrophic 2010 earthquake in Haiti, as spokesperson during response and recovery efforts after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and creating a coalition with the private sector to implement the first national business emergency operations center.

Dan is the owner and principal of Dan Stoneking Strategic Communications LLC, author of Cultivate Your Garden: Crisis Communications From 30,000 Feet to Three Feet, a Columnist for Homeland Security Today, and an Adjunct Professor at West Chester University, PA.

Dan recently joined the Disaster Discourse book club where we engage emergency management authors with their readers. Click here to join the conversation with over 190 international emergency managers.

Enhanced show notes, references, and links will be sent directly to State of Disaster premium subscribers.

State of Disaster is created and produced by Matt Green and Green Emergency Management Services

Check out Our Partners:

Aspiring Emergency Managers Online (AEMO)

Emergency Management External Affairs Association

My goal is to bring you to the front lines and behind the scenes of the biggest news, incidents, and innovations happening within the emergency and disaster management field. I'll also be interviewing practitioners, professors, authors, researchers, and survivors. You can find each episode at stateofdisaster.com along with articles, resources, live streams, and more as we grow this community.

This is an uncensored and unfiltered podcast, and we're going to cover some heavy topics. But at the end of the day, this is meant to be entertaining, enjoyable, and a space for you to share your story as well. So if you're an emergency manager, a researcher, a student, a volunteer, an innovator, a survivor, or all of the above, fill out the guest application!

My first guest, Eric Kant’s years of hands-on emergency response have shaped a lifelong commitment to protecting lives, advancing innovation, and leading complex operations. A former Firefighter, Paramedic, and Emergency Manager, he brings deep operational expertise to some of the world’s most challenging disaster and crisis environments.

Today, he leads 4Cast, a Decision Intelligence platform that applies artificial intelligence and systems thinking to understand and manage complex interdependencies across operations.

Mr. Kant has been recognized by the Department of Defense, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, NATO, DHS Science & Technology, and others for his innovative approaches and strategic insight.

His career includes supporting real-time command and control operations during events such as the Florida Night of Tornadoes, the World Trade Center disaster in NYC, Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, and numerous other nationally significant incidents.

In this episode, we introduce The Local Emergency Managers Alliance: A grassroots initiative that exists to empower local emergency managers through advocacy, innovation, and action. Their mission is to strengthen local preparedness, response, and resilience by reducing dependence on federal support, promoting regional coordination, advancing sustainable funding solutions, and accelerating the adoption of technology and best practices. They unite local leaders to lead with autonomy, act decisively, and build a safer, stronger future from the ground up. They're advocating for the ten actions that local emergency managers need to take right now to prepare for a country without FEMA:

• Build financial reserves
• Strengthen state and regional partnerships
• Prioritize hazard mitigation
• Enhance community preparedness
• Adapt emergency plans for minimal federal aid
• Deepen private sector and NGO relationships
• Track policy changes
• Advocate for your program and community
• Improve damage assessment and documentation
• Prepare for political uncertainty

When we recorded this interview, the Washington State Emergency Management Association was striving for 300 members. I am so thrilled to announce that they have since surpassed that goal and continue to grow.

We talk about how diverse emergency management has become, how once reliable federal trainings and the science that empowered them are disappearing, and why it’s more important than ever to strive for industry professionalization. In this context, we explore what makes a high-quality program, what to look for in your professors, and whether the fruit of higher knowledge is worth the squeeze of your wallet. I have an MPA in Emergency & Disaster Management, and I’ve been an emergency management professor for many years. That said, I’ll be the first to agree that your mileage may vary depending on the program you choose, the stage of your career, and your desired results.

Whether you’re a student, a skeptic, or somewhere in between, this episode is for you.

This episode is unabridged and ad-free for paying subscribers at StateofDisaster.com! You’ll hear why and how my guests pursued their PhDs in emergency management, and much more that you won’t see or hear anywhere else. You can receive your 30-day free trial with a .edu email here: https://stateofdisaster.substack.com/4ca84ae3

Bear Afkhami is an emergency manager at MPACT Strategic Consulting with 13+ years of experience in prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery. He is also a professor of uncrewed and autonomous technology. He has an MS in Analytics, a BA in Intelligence, and is a graduate of the FEMA National Emergency Management Academy. Bear has numerous credentials, including the FEMA Professional Continuity Practitioner, FEMA Infrastructure Protection, EMT and ACCO Climate Change Professional. He has written articles for public safety publications and regularly presents at emergency management conferences on the topics of mitigation, resiliency, and technology. In 2022, 23 and 24, he presented on drones, artificial intelligence, mitigation, climate change, water and the BRIC program at major conferences such as the National Hurricane Conference, National Resilience Summit, the CyberMaryland Conference, the Texas Emergency Management Conference, as well as the Virginia and Maryland Emergency Management Symposiums. Today, we say goodbye to BRIC (for now) and look to the future of disaster mitigation.

If you're a paid subscriber through stateofdisaster.com, you're listening without ads, either on the site with video and enhanced show notes or on your own private podcast subscription. A percentage of the revenue is going directly to disaster relief. And you get about 10 extra minutes of content this time around, where I asked Bear to put his private sector hat on and approach disaster mitigation as a startup founder. Because in addition to all of his emergency management experience, he's actually written a book called The Startup King. Take 50% off a year-long membership by clicking this link: https://stateofdisaster.substack.com/6fbac94a

Chapters

• (00:00:00) - Introduction to Emergency Management and BRIC
• (00:07:08) - The Importance of BRIC and Recent Changes
• (00:10:45) - Bipartisan Support and Controversies Surrounding BRIC
• (00:14:49) - Mitigation Strategies and Their Impact
• (00:22:11) - Innovation through BRIC
• (00:27:42) - The Role of Partnerships in Emergency Management
• (00:33:09) - The Asymmetry of Perception
• (00:38:42) - The Cost of Disasters: Beyond Immediate Impact
• (00:39:35) - Bipartisan Communication in Emergency Management
• (00:44:47) - Utilizing 406 Mitigation for Future Preparedness
• (00:46:41) - Integrating Mitigation and Recovery Efforts
• (00:54:20) - Learning from States with Muscle Memory
• (00:57:33) - Self-Reliance of Emergency Managers

This was recorded a few weeks ago with my friends, the good doctors, Sarah Miller and Ryan Rockabrand, who are both emergency management practitioners with PhDs in artificial intelligence. And wow this was not a conversation that I thought we were going to have. This is not the AI episode that you’re expecting. I promise. We blasted right past generative AI and landed on humanoids, nuclear reactors being built in your backyard, and the liability of not using AI for our work in the near future.

The premium version episode is the length of a feature film, and it’s been live, ad-free, with video on stateofdisaster.com for about a week for premium subscribers. If you head over there, you’ll hear the bonus content about Ethics and laws about using AI to emulate someone or create a bot using their likeness. Like Sarah may or may not have done with Ryan. We also talk about the criminal use of AI and how malicious human engineering is evolving and escalating rapidly. Premium subscribers also get to ask my guests questions before and after their episodes air, and that’s how you can get your questions asked on the show, maybe even with a recording of your voice. Head over to stateofdisaster.com and enjoy all the cool stuff I’ve published along with extras from some of the awesome people you’ve heard on the show.

Brenden Winder is the head of emergency management at Christchurch City Council in New Zealand with two decades of experience in the sector. He's played a pivotal role in the response and recovery efforts following the 2010-11 Canterbury earthquakes, particularly in managing the Christchurch Red Zone. He's heavily involved in enhancing New Zealand's emergency management frameworks, focusing on tsunami risk, evacuation planning, and the use of AI in emergency management. He's deployed domestically and internationally and has co-authored emergency management documents as well. I know you'll enjoy this episode and I look forward to talking to Brenden again.

I'm going to call this Universal Lessons in Disaster Management because I think if Brenden wrote a book about everything we discussed, it would be one of those mandatory reads for the field, because it's so applicable.

Join Aspiring Emergency Managers Online for a free year of State of Disaster premium access.

Join over 130 international members of the Disaster Discourse Book Club

Brandy Mai is a U.S. Army veteran who was born and raised in deep south Louisiana. She is also an attorney and an emergency management consultant who's worked extensively in communications and public information, helping multiple organizations and agencies navigate their crisis and disaster strategies.

Her professional experience includes work in military and government, corporate, nonprofit, emergency management, homeland security, and public safety sectors, including a position as lead public information officer for a state emergency management agency. In her spare time, Brandy is an advocate for veterans, children, disabled persons, marginalized populations, and persons with mental health diagnoses. She and her four kids reside in Savannah, Georgia.

This is a long episode because there's so much that we could talk about, but Brandy will be back to chat again. am sure if you're listening or watching on stateofdisaster.com, you're experiencing the whole episode with video and without ads. Your subscription is also directly supporting disaster relief. If you'd like to join me on the show, advertise or submit a disaster story for me to tell on your behalf, you can reach me at matt@stateofdisaster.com

The Emergency Management Roundtable series is a fun way for us to bring your questions and comments to leaders and innovators in the field about the current and future state of emergency and disaster management.

When you register, you can submit your questions and you can also participate in the live Q&A. These are all opportunities for you to claim your seat at the roundtable. Get it? Great. Because I love this concept and I love this episode because it’s with the incredible MaryAnn Tierney.

On October 15th, we’re going to be interviewing Dr. Kate Starbird on her work with disaster disinformation, misinformation, and of course, the questions you ask from your seat at the table. Register here.

Ginny is a Spitfire of research, innovation, and ethics on a mission to build a new era of emergency and safety technology that responsibly supports bottom-up resilience and top-down engagement throughout a disaster. At the front of community resilience innovation, Ginny and the HazAdapt team are redefining how people and communities engage with safety information and discovering online and offline insights critical for local emergency managers and preparedness authorities.

Paid subscribers on stateofdisaster.com get to see the extended version of this interview with a demo of the NEW ResiliencePoint feature that shows emergency managers how their community is interacting with hazard guidance, revealing trends, gaps, and opportunities to strengthen resilience. You also get to see me have an allergy attack mid-recording! FUN!

You can access the HazAdapt app directly for free by clicking here!

The Emergency Management Roundtable series is an awesome way for us to bring your questions and comments to leaders and innovators in the field about the current and future state of emergency and disaster management.

When you register, you can submit your questions, and you can also participate in the live Q&A. These are all opportunities for you to claim your seat at the roundtable. Claim your seat at the next event here.

Kate Starbird is a Professor at the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) at the University of Washington (UW). Kate’s research sits within the fields of human-computer interaction (HCI) and computer supported cooperative work (CSCW). Extending from early work in crisis informatics, her research program has followed the phenomenon of online rumoring down the rabbit hole and into some of the toxic online spaces that are increasingly (re)shaping discourse, values, and politics around the world. In particular, Kate’s team has developed and deployed methods for conducting rapid research to help resolve rumors as they unfold. Another major contribution of her work has been to demonstrate that online disinformation — i.e. the intentional manipulation of discourse for political gain — is inherently participatory, taking shape through collaborations between witting agents and unwitting (though willing) crowds. Most recently, her research has converged on a conceptualization of right-wing media as effectively leveraging partisan, participatory dynamics through improvisational performances.

Dr. Starbird received her BS in Computer Science from Stanford (1997) and her PhD in Technology, Media and Society from the University of Colorado (2012). She has received several awards for her research, including the ACM SIGCHI Societal Impact Award and a Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) award. She is a co-founder and formerly served as director of the UW Center for an Informed Public, which works through research, education, and policy recommendations to strengthen democratic discourse by building resilience to online misinformation, propaganda, and manipulation.