It's Not My Emergency Retired Crisis Manager's Brain Dump

Yesterday Patrick Meier posted a great article about the use of social media (SM) “Big Data” in disaster response.  Specifically, he challenges growing assumptions and presumptions that SM big data analysis improves decision making during a disaster.  He discounts the ...

Just after 7 p.m. Thursday I got a text from my daughter; “What do you know about the Skagit River bridge collapse?”  Whoah! Flipping on the TV my worst commuter fears were confirmed.  My thoughts immediately turned to friends and ...

I must say, this past week was unprecedented as social media news is concerned.  The terrorist bombings in Boston, the West, Texas fertilizer plant explosion and the subsequent gun battle and manhunt of the marathon terrorists made for a target ...

Like everyone else I was horrified to learn of the massacre in Boston.  Due to work obligations I learned of the attack three hours after it happened. I am just now starting to catch up on the tweets, pictures, videos ...

I started preparing a speech for an upcoming luncheon sponsored by our state’s labor and industries (L&I) risk management folks.  The attendees will be CEO’s and owners of large construction and management companies in our region. I was going to ...

OK Public Servants, when are you going to learn?  Dave Statter posted the most recent case of social media rectal cranial inversion on his blog – Statter911 ; an appalling and sad story about an FDNY EMS lieutenant publicly revealed ...

I continue to virtually discuss leadership with my assigned leadership student at Western Washington University (the BEST college in the nation BTW). His most recent question made me dig deep, and I thought I’d continue to share my thoughts on ...

I found a tweet a couple of days ago that made me go “It’s about time!” The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation just announced they were no longer supporting the rigid approach espoused by the disciples of the Critical Incident Stress ...

For the past few years I have had the privilege of serving as a “virtual mentor” for freshmen college students studying leadership at my alma mater-Western Washington University (Go Vikings!).  This innovative program, led by Dr. Joe Garcia, matches students ...

In my new role as Corporate Health and Safety Coordinator for Coastal Industrial Services I oversee a staff of three safety techs and one safety manager. Our company provides heavy duty industrial hydro-blasting, tank cleaning, heat exchanger repair and vacuum ...