Disaster Podcast

The topic for today’s show is winter weather preparedness. We talk with our meteorologists about how the weather is turning colder and still shows active severe weather patterns across the U.S. We discuss how weather even affects health and wellness in unusual ways with Dr. Joe Holley. Also on the show are our Meteorologists, Kyle Nelson and Dan DePodwin, along with disaster emergency management expert Becky DePodwin. As always, the show is hosted by Sam Bradely and Jamie Davis. Paragon Brings “The Experience” Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

In this episode, the Disaster Podcast team gets together to discuss the triaging and management of patients in an active shooter situation. Part of the discussion turns to the recent attack with a bow and arrow in Norway that killed five people. Dr. Joe Holley shares his knowledge and experience based on the situations he’s encountered in recent weeks in Memphis. He talks about the science and data available around rapid transport vs triage and treatment on the scene. Also on the show are our Meteorologists, Kyle Nelson and Dan DePodwin, along with disaster emergency management expert Becky DePodwin. As always, the show is hosted by Sam Bradely and Jamie Davis. Paragon Brings “The Experience” Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

Hurricane Ida struck the Louisiana coast with major disaster winds and dangerous amounts of rainfall causing serious flooding across the state. Emergency Managers there, no strangers to storms and their aftermath, implemented their plans for response and recovery. Today on the show, we have Chris Hector, Administrative Director for Louisiana Response Network, and Tim Conley, Mission Leader for Response Systems, Inc. They come on the show to discuss how local, state, and federal response teams managed keeping emergency services like ambulances and hospital ERs open. Also on the show were Dr. Joe Holley, Sam Bradely, and Jamie Davis. Paragon Brings “The Experience” Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

Retired L.A. County Sheriff’s Office Detective Danny R Smith joins Disaster Podcast co-hosts Sam Bradley and Jamie Davis on this episode. The three of them talk about police response to disaster situations and how they work alongside other first responders to ensure community safety and recovery. Danny shares his recollections of responses to things like the riots after the Rodney King verdict, dealing with earthquakes on several occasions, and the emotional toll of a career as a first responder. Sam, who worked as a paramedic in and around L.A. County in her early career, talks about her side of those disasters. The two accounts present a good look at both sides of the response to disasters. You can check out Danny’s blog about his experiences, pick up his memoir, Nothing Left to Prove, and get his detective novels at dickiefloydnovels.com. Paragon Brings “The Experience” Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

In this episode of the Disaster Podcast, Dr. Joe Holley comes on the show to drop in with a clinical review of Crush Syndrome. Disaster Meteorologist Kyle Nelson stops by, too, and discusses recent severe weather events and the activity in the tropics. For our clinical review, Dr. Joe covers common causes of crush syndrome, the pathophysiology of the injury, and challenges with treating it both in the field and in the hospital setting. We talk about the differences and similarities between crush syndrome and compartment syndrome as well. Also on the show was host Jamie Davis. Paragon Brings “The Experience” Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

After Hurricane Ida pummeled the gulf coast of Louisiana, it tracked north east across the United States until it passed over the mid-atlantic and northeastern states. It caused record rainfall in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York bringing life threatening flash-flooding to areas ill-prepared for the sudden inundation. Disaster Meteorologist Dan DePodwin joins us to explain the weather effects from rain, more than 8 reported tornado touchdowns, and deadly flood waters. Emergency management expert Becky DePodwin recounts the efforts and messaging challenges from local and state emergency managers to warn the public. Dr. Joe Holley shares his knowledge about FEMA preparedness and staging efforts prior to and during the passage of the storm. FEMA crews are deployed from the Gulf of Mexico up to the Atlantic coast to assist with state and local response to the storm’s effects. Here’s an article by Becky DePodwin on Hurricane Preparedness via her linkedin profile. Also on the show were co-hosts Sam Bradley and Jamie Davis. Paragon Brings “The Experience” Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

The eye of Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana earlier this afternoon CST (Sunday August 29, 2021). The Disaster Podcast Team pulls together our weather and emergency preparedness experts (Dan and Becky DePodwin respectively) to give their impressions of impacts on the ground as Ida continues moving northward towards the Mississippi/Louisiana border. At landfall, the hurricane was a strong category 4 with sustained winds around 150 miles per hour (240 kph). It is creeping northward at only 10 miles per hour giving the sustained hurricane force winds and torrential rains continued opportunities to damage property and injure those who did not heed mandatory evacuation orders. Dr. Joe Holley shares his knowledge about FEMA preparedness and staging efforts prior to the passage of the storm. He talks about resources being ready to respond as soon as it is safe to come out of shelter and seek those in need of assistance and rescue. FEMA has over 100 ambulances and crews from other states staged to come in and assist local first responders with rescue and transport efforts. Here’s an article by Becky DePodwin on Hurricane Preparedness via her linkedin profile. Also on the show were co-hosts Sam Bradley and Jamie Davis. Paragon Brings “The Experience” Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

Meteorologist Kyle Nelson joins the Disaster Podcast team this week to give a preview of suspected impacts from Hurricane Ida on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. He also talked about the recent Tennessee flooding events that caused numerous deaths and millions in damage to property. All of these events point to an increase in severe weather events predicted as the volatility of climate change continues to have widespread impacts. Also on the show were co-hosts Sam Bradley and Jamie Davis. The team will be back on Sunday Evening to record another episode on the anticipated Hurricane Ida landfall sometime Sunday night or Monday morning. Paragon Brings “The Experience” Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

This week we look at the response in Haiti to the recent 7.2 magnitude earthquake there. They’ve endured a triple threat in their disaster response as they are not only dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake. They also have endured the passing Tropical Storms Fred and Grace, along with increasing COVID infections among the population. Meteorologists Dan and Becky DePodwin come on the show to cover the weather and disaster and emergency management aspects of the response. Dr. Joe Holley talks some about the challenges faced by US USAR teams deployed to the island nation. Also on the show were co-hosts Sam Bradley and Jamie Davis. Paragon Brings “The Experience” Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

Dr. Joe Holley kicks off the episode with a COVID update focusing on the Delta Variant and its impacts on patients across the country and around the world. He also expresses worry about healthcare professionals and hospital staff in the face increasing patient loads and lack of resources to treat them. He urges the need to get people vaccinated to lessen the load on the healthcare system. With Tropical Storm Fred Churning towards the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida coast, we wanted a weather update from our meteorologist Dan DePodwin. He also brings in some information on the recent United Nations Climate Report that ties extreme weather increases to rapid climate changes. Becky DePodwin, our resident disaster management expert talks about the need to prepare for multiple disasters based on your community and its particular risks and resilience level. She specifically calls out the need for wildfire preparedness in much of the western United States as continued drought increases wildfire risks there. The team discusses using resources from https://Ready.gov/wildfires. Also on the show were co-hosts Sam Bradley and Jamie Davis. Paragon Brings “The Experience” Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

Dr. Joe Holley returns to the podcast with another Surfside, Florida condo collapse update. He was working there as part of the Federal Incident Support Team (IST). He talks about the extremely dangerous nature of this particular rescue effort and the overall wellness of the USAR teams working there and reiterates the extremely difficult technical nature of this rescue and recovery effort. Meteorologist Dan DePodwin drops in as well for an update on two weather items facing the U.S. First he discusses the continued extreme heat associated with states across the western United States. Then he shifts gears to give an update on the track of Tropical Storm Elsa (formerly a category 1 hurricane). Also on the show were co-hosts Sam Bradley and Jamie Davis. Paragon Brings “The Experience” Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

Dr. Joe Holley joins the podcast live from Surfside, Florida where he is working on the rescue efforts as part of the Federal Incident Support Team (IST). He talks about the extremely dangerous nature of this particular rescue effort and the overall wellness of the USAR teams working there. Dan McGuire of CISM Perspectives also comes on to discuss the extreme critical incident stress associated with complex and devastating rescues of this type. He expresses specific concerns of long term impacts on the rescuers after the fact and talks with Dr. Joe about follow-up from stress teams with the rescuers in the weeks and months after this rescue is done. Also on the show was meteorologist Becky DePodwin as well as co-hosts Sam Bradley and Jamie Davis. Paragon Brings “The Experience” Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

Former FBI Supervisory Special Agent R. Scott Decker (RScottDecker.com) joins the Disaster Podcast today to talk about his role leading the investigation into Anthrax attacks following 9/11 back in 2001. Scott led the FBI’s bioterrorism investigation unit and has a lot to say about his team’s investigation and the subsequent identification of a suspect. He is the author of Recounting the Anthrax Attacks: Terror, the Amerithrax Task Force, and the Evolution of Forensics in the FBI. We also follow up afterward with Dr. Joe Holley to discuss the recent building collapse in Surfside, Florida and the role of Florida USAR Task Force 1 in the rescue operations. Get access to the Resuscitation Technology Conference here: https://joeho–csi.thrivecart.com/2021-ems-resuscitation-tech-conference/ Also on the show was meteorologist Kyle Nelson as well as co-hosts Sam Bradley and Jamie Davis. Paragon Brings “The Experience” Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

Ellen Kirschman, a psychologist specializing in helping responders and their families deal with job stress, joins us today on the Disaster Podcast. Ellen is a member of the First Responder Support Network (FRSN.org). Ellen talks with the podcast team about some key differences between various types of responders like police, firefighters, and EMS providers. They each enter the emergency response field for different reasons and with different expectations. Also on the show was meteorologist Dan DePodwin, disaster preparedness and emergency management specialist Becky DePodwin, as well as co-hosts Sam Bradley and Jamie Davis. Paragon Brings “The Experience” Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

Today on the show we have retired Washington D.C. Metro police officer, Joseph B. Haggerty, Sr. Joe is the author of the novels: Shame: The Story of a Pimp and An Ocean in the Desert Contributor to the PSWA anthology: Felons, Flames and Ambulance Rides Award winning poet, writer and lecturer on the sexual exploitation of women and children in prostitution and pornography. Joe shares his experiences during two prominent disasters, 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina. He also talks about his experiences investigating human trafficking and its victims in the sex trade. The team discusses the ways first responders are often important points of contact with these at-risk individuals. Also on the show were meteorologists Becky DePodwin and Kyle Nelson, as well as co-hosts Sam Bradley and Jamie Davis. Paragon Brings “The Experience” Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.