Inclusive Emergency Alerting & Access Needs in Disasters with Vance Taylor | Cal OES & Whole Community Leadership

How can emergency alerts truly reach everyone, especially people with disabilities and access/ functional needs?In this powerful episode, we welcome Vance Taylor, Chief of the Office of Access and Functional Needs at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). Vance shares his personal journey, leadership philosophy, and groundbreaking work to transform inclusive emergency management across California and the nation.We explore:Why timing matters more than perfectly worded alertsThe dangers of disaster registries — and what works betterEnhanced alerting systems and early notification modelsLessons from Winter Storm Uri and disability-focused disaster researchHow alerting authorities can improve messaging todayPlanning with communities, not for themVance also discusses cultural change in emergency management, accessible technology innovation, and the responsibility of alerting authorities to reduce human suffering and loss of life.Whether you're an emergency manager, alerting authority, public safety leader, researcher, or disability advocate, this episode delivers actionable insights on whole community disaster preparedness.This episode is proudly sponsored by HQE Systems: supporting data-driven solutions.