Leading Through Catastrophe with Seamus Leary

This week on the Disaster Podcast we chat with Seamus Leary ,MPA, CEM about leading through catastrophe: when systems fail. He is President of Meridian Strategic Services, Inc. and is an emergency management expert who worked at the state and local levels and later with FEMA at the Federal level. With responses to numerous major disasters, Seamus brings a unique perspective to how emergency managers can cope when all the usual systems break down. The episode is co-hosted by Sam Bradley and Jamie Davis. Scroll down for Podcast Discussion Summary Thank you as always to Paragon Medical Education Group for their long-term support of the Disaster Podcast. Dr. Joe Holley and the team at Paragon continue to provide excellent and customized disaster response training to jurisdictions around the U.S. and internationally as well. Podcast Discussion Summary FEMA’s Disaster Response Methods Seamus Leary, president of Meridian Strategic Services, discussed his experience in emergency management, including his role as a federal coordinating officer for FEMA Region 2 and his work as a county emergency manager. He explained FEMA’s disaster classification system, highlighting that catastrophic disasters, or Level 1 events, require national-level responses involving resources from across the country. Seamus shared insights from his deployment to St. Thomas ahead of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, emphasizing the collaborative efforts required to address such catastrophic events. Enhancing Disaster Response Strategies The discussion focused on disaster response challenges, with Seamus sharing his experience in St. Thomas after a storm where they faced significant communication and infrastructure failures. They discussed how multiple issues can cascade, making it difficult to manage complex disasters, and emphasized the importance of having both digital and traditional emergency management tools to handle various scenarios. Jamie contributed by mentioning their county’s use of both digital screens and physical maps for nuclear incident planning, highlighting the value of having multiple systems in place. Blending Digital and Traditional Communication The group discussed the importance of combining digital media skills with traditional communication methods, emphasizing the value of explaining the “why” to younger team members who excel in digital but may lack traditional skills. Seamus shared his experience as an emergency manager during Hurricane Irene, highlighting the need for rest and backup plans for teams working around the clock, and Jamie referenced Joe’s practice of maintaining a notebook of contacts during responses to quickly access needed resources. Emergency Response Coordination Strategies Seamus emphasized the importance of building relationships with local emergency responders and understanding cultural differences when working in unfamiliar communities. He and Sam discussed the need for contingency plans when communication systems fail, such as having backup power and redundant communication channels. Seamus also highlighted the challenge of managing disasters while dealing with personal emergencies and suggested leveraging non-traditional resources and coordinating with neighboring jurisdictions to overcome resource shortages. Emergency Management and Community Resilience The meeting focused on emergency management and disaster response strategies. Seamus, an experienced emergency manager, discussed the importance of training organizations to be adaptable and flexible during crises, emphasizing the need to prepare for when systems fail rather than when they work. He highlighted the importance of partnerships with non-traditional organizations like churches and hardware stores, as well as the role of community leaders in fostering relationships with local businesses. Wrap up and updates The team went through contact information and the team encouraged listeners to stay safe. The group discussed the role of specialized training, with Jamie highlighting the sponsorship of the Disaster Podcast by Paragon Medical Education Group. Catch the full episode using the player above or on your favorite podcast platform, and don’t forget to subscribe to the Disaster Podcast for weekly insights from leaders in disaster response and research!