Engagement Before Emergency: Building Buy-In Before Disaster Strikes

This episode of The Alerting Authority features emergency manager Ashley Morris, whose journey from childhood storm enthusiast in New Mexico to community-focused alerting leader in Central Texas blends meteorology, public engagement, and hands-on system building.Ashley shares how her early dream of working for the National Weather Service evolved into a career in emergency management—where science, social media strategy, and relationship-building intersect. From launching alerting programs from scratch to developing policy across agencies, she discusses what it takes to build confidence, competence, and collaboration around tools like FEMA’s IPAWS.The conversation explores:Growing social media presence from zero followers in a rural, tourism-driven Texas countyPartnering with chambers of commerce, small businesses, and community leaders to amplify messagingLessons learned from larger jurisdictions like Fairfax County and applying them in smaller communitiesThe importance of policy, redundancy, and hands-on training in alerting systemsWhy visibility, trust, and relationships matter just as much as technologyThe future of alerting—from AI and the Internet of Things to flood warning innovations in TexasAshley emphasizes a powerful truth: if emergency management isn’t visible, it doesn’t exist. This episode is packed with practical insights for alerting authorities, PIOs, and emergency managers looking to strengthen trust, improve alerting confidence, and build resilient communities before the next disaster strikes.This episode of The Alerting Authority is brought to by HQE Systems.