Emergency management is a growing discipline as our world has become increasingly more complex, interconnected, and vulnerable to hazards both natural and human caused. The role of the emergency manager, including leaders in public safety, has expanded and become more vital to cities, counties, states, and large organizations, and much of this work can be contained and effectively managed within projects, be they longer term plans, disaster recovery, mitigation measures or short-term emergency responses to a disaster. This podcast series focuses on project management topics for emergency managers. Come with us as we ride the wave!
Riding the Wave-Project Management for Emergency Managers
Claim This Podcastby Andrew Boyarsky
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75 episodes
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Podcast Overview
Emergency management is a growing discipline as our world has become increasingly more complex, interconnected, and vulnerable to hazards both natural and human caused. The role of the emergency manager, including leaders in public safety, has expanded and become more vital to cities, counties, states, and large organizations, and much of this work can be contained and effectively managed within projects, be they longer term plans, disaster recovery, mitigation measures or short-term emergency responses to a disaster. This podcast series focuses on project management topics for emergency managers. Come with us as we ride the wave!
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Publishing Since
5/11/2017
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Recent Episodes
June 29, 2026
The Walls Are Closing In: AI’s Impact on Emergency Management, Governance, and De-Skilling
<p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p>This episode features Justin Kates, Senior Business Continuity Advisor at Wawa and former government emergency management leader, discusses his Pracademic Summit talk on four pressures facing emergency management: legitimacy, growing expectations, doing more with less, and AI. He describes how generative AI is encroaching on non-routine tasks such as emergency planning, exercise design and after-action capture, risk analysis, and administrative work like grants and documentation. Kates warns about AI risks including bias, inaccurate outputs from information gaps, “AI work slop” that accelerates checkbox deliverables, and “bot battles” in competitive grant writing and review. He outlines governance needs—organizational guardrails, approved tools, avoiding shadow AI, training on limits and hallucinations, and continuity planning for outages—plus concerns about de-skilling and collateral-duty staff using AI to replicate professional functions. Using Daniel Susskind’s framework, he argues humans will remain essential for relationships, preferences, and moral accountability, and suggests project management methods and AI-enabled tools can reduce toil while preserving response reliability.</p><p><strong>Time Stamps</strong></p><p><strong>01:16</strong> Meet Justin Kates</p><p><strong>02:03</strong> Four Walls Framework</p><p><strong>02:59</strong> AI Task Encroachment</p><p><strong>05:45</strong> AI Misuse and Risks</p><p><strong>12:15</strong> Governance and Guardrails</p><p><strong>16:29</strong> Deskilling and Human Limits</p><p><strong>23:50</strong> Reliability and Manual Fallbacks</p><p><strong>25:26</strong> Project Management With AI</p><p><strong>About</strong></p><p>Justin Kates currently serves as the Senior Business Continuity Advisor for America’s favorite convenience store, Wawa, Inc. In this role, he is responsible for architecting a new business continuity program for Wawa’s expanding footprint of over 1,100 stores with over 47,000 associates across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Washington D.C. Before Wawa, Justin served 17 years in government, most recently in the City of Somerville, MA as their Director of Emergency Management & Communications. In Somerville, he was responsible for implementing the City’s inaugural comprehensive emergency management program and initiating the integration of their citywide 911 and dispatch operations. </p><p>Additionally, Justin served over a decade as Director of Emergency Management for two Mayoral senior leadership teams in the City of Nashua, NH, and as a homeland security consultant for the State of Delaware. He is a Master Business Continuity Professional (MBCP) affiliated with the Disaster Recovery Institute (DRI) International, an Associate in Risk Management (ARM) with American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters (The Institutes), and is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) affiliated with the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM). Justin attained a Bachelor of Arts concentrated in Emergency Management and Public Administration from the University of Delaware and a Master of Arts in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School's Center for Homeland Defense and Security. From 2021 to 2024, Justin served in succession as the 2nd Vice President, 1st Vice President, and President of IAEM USA Council. He also served as a member of the FEMA National Advisory Council in 2023 and 2024.</p><p><strong>Links</strong></p><p>LinkedIn</p><p><u><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kb3juv/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/kb3juv/</a></u> </p><p>The Walls are Closing In: AI and the Future of Emergency Management </p><p><u><a href="https://youtu.be/p6ePZ2Rg2B4?si=F2JtM4OpYnHzxqp9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/p6ePZ2Rg2B4?si=F2JtM4OpYnHzxqp9</a></u></p><p>The Future of Emergency Management</p><p><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38MW74IJkYU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38MW74IJkYU</a></u> </p><p>Keeping Humans in the Loop</p><p><u><a href="https://domesticpreparedness.com/articles/keeping-humans-in-the-loop-the-future-of-emergency-management" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://domesticpreparedness.com/articles/keeping-humans-in-the-loop-the-future-of-emergency-management</a></u></p><p>A World Without Work: Technology, Automation, and How We Should Respond</p><p><u><a href="https://www.danielsusskind.com/a-world-without-work" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.danielsusskind.com/a-world-without-work</a></u></p>
June 25, 2026
FEMA Reform at a Crossroads: What Local Emergency Managers Need to Know
<p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p>I spoke with Dr. Charles Jennings, founder of John Jay College’s emergency management program, about the new FEMA reform blueprint calling for a roughly 50% workforce reduction, shifting responsibility to states, tribes, territories, and localities, simplifying individual assistance, and using parametric funding triggers. Dr. Jennings argues the moment reflects broader ideological federal bureaucracy reforms, with limited attention to concrete legislative and regulatory changes. He warns staffing cuts would directly reduce FEMA service delivery while public expectations remain high, and notes growing reliance on contractors to help jurisdictions navigate FEMA’s complex rules. He doubts parametric aid can avoid equity and accountability problems and says mitigation is slow due to heavy regulation and uneven local capacity. The conversation broadens to land use, insurance, climate-driven migration, and concludes with practical advice: know local risks, build interagency relationships, and train officials in fundamentals like NIMS.</p><p><strong>Time Stamps</strong></p><p>01:13 Introduction</p><p>02:55 Why FEMA Reform Now</p><p>08:30 Workforce Cuts And Local Risk</p><p>12:50 Disaster Industrial Complex</p><p>18:51 Parametric Aid And Equity</p><p>22:54 Why Mitigation Moves Slow</p><p>29:30 Climate Migration And Land Use</p><p>36:31 Advice For Local Emergency Managers</p><p><strong>About</strong></p><p>Dr. Charles Jennings, Principal, Public Safety/Homeland Security and Urban Planning at Manitou, Inc., Prof. Emeritus at John Jay College, is a highly accomplished expert in emergency response, fire protection, and urban planning with extensive academic and practical experience. He has consulted actively across the US and Canada. He holds a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University, complemented by an advanced degrees in fire protection management. Dr. Jennings has served in prominent roles, including Director of the Christian Regenhard Center for Emergency Response Studies and Associate Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where he developed and led programs in emergency management and public safety. He transitioned to Emeritus status in 2026. His applied experience includes leadership as First Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety in White Plains, NY, where he oversaw police, fire, EMS, and emergency management services, and implemented innovative safety and communication systems.</p><p>With a diverse background in research, policy, and consulting, Dr. Jennings has contributed to national safety initiatives, fire prevention strategies, and first responder coordination at large-scale events. His work has been supported by numerous grants from agencies such as FEMA, NIST, NSF, and the U.S. Department of Justice, reflecting his influence in advancing public safety, emergency response systems, and urban resilience. Overall, he combines academic rigor with practical leadership to enhance safety protocols, improve emergency preparedness, and foster community resilience. Among his publications is the most recent edition of Managing Fire and Emergency Services, published by the International City/County Management Association.</p><p><strong>Links</strong></p><p>Contact Email</p><p><u><a href="mailto:cjennings@manitouinc.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cjennings@manitouinc.com</a></u> </p><p>LinkedIn Page</p><p><u><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-jennings-9b8b735/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-jennings-9b8b735/</a></u> </p><p>Manitou Inc., Consulting Co.</p><p><u><a href="https://www.manitouinc.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.manitouinc.com/</a></u> </p><p>Thiel, A. K., & Jennings, C. R. (Eds.). Managing Fire and Emergency Services. ICMA Publishing.</p><p><u><a href="https://icma.org/publications/managing-fire-and-emergency-services" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://icma.org/publications/managing-fire-and-emergency-services</a></u> </p><p></p>
June 17, 2026
Logistics Makes or Breaks Emergency Response: Logistics Ninja LN Lurie
<p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p>This episode features logistics leader LN Lurie about “burning issues” in emergency management. She makes the case that logistics is often underestimated, but determines whether operations succeed. Using examples from wildland fire, festivals, and hurricanes, she emphasizes the need for a deep contacts “Rolodex”, tested service-and-support playbooks, and clear contracting knowledge to rapidly source essentials like porta potties, showers, water, and food. Lurie contrasts structured wildland systems (preseason contracts, staged resources, ICS sections and span of control) with more improvisational hurricane logistics, and notes both the benefits and risks of relying on technologies like Starlink. She describes large base-camp deployments and discusses warehouse management systems, including common gaps, required reporting, the effectiveness of paper-based tracking on fires, and tailoring WMS to real needs, including reverse logistics.</p><p><strong>Time Stamps</strong></p><p>01:55 Logistics Is Everything</p><p>02:59 Contacts And Pro Tips</p><p>06:58 Supply Chains And Disasters</p><p>12:53 Inside Fire Base Camp</p><p>23:12 Logistics Coordination Roles</p><p>25:42 Build A Logistics Playbook</p><p>29:45 Warehouse Systems Reality</p><p>34:57 Why Choose Logistics</p><p><strong>About</strong></p><p>LN Lurie is a logistics and operations leader known for turning complex, labor-intensive operations into efficient, scalable systems. With experience managing wildland fire crews, fire camp and festival facilities, large-scale demobilizations, supply distribution, inventory tracking, warehouse layouts, WMS systems, and volunteer logistics, LN brings both field-tested execution and systems-level problem solving. She has led automation and process improvements that saved thousands of labor hours and significant costs, including work supporting COVID-19 field hospital demobilization in Colorado. Currently serving as Logistics Director for ITDRC, LN manages logistics teams, coordinates operational movements, and trains volunteers to deliver reliable support in demanding environments.</p><p><strong>Links</strong></p><p>LN Lurie’s LI page</p><p><u><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lnlurie/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/lnlurie/</a></u></p><p>Personal Website- travel logs, logs resources, and many other interesting musings</p><p><u><a href="https://lnlurie.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lnlurie.com/</a></u></p>
75 total episodes available
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