View in BrowserOctober 16, 2025 IAEM CONFERENCE NEWS IAEM is hosting a special Poster Showcase session at the IAEM 2025 Annual Conference IAEM The IAEM Poster Showcase provides an opportunity to learn from peers as they showcase their research, best practices, and innovative projects. More than 60 participants have entered either the competitive or noncompetitive divisions. The lineup of participants is available on the conference website. In addition, several IAEM caucuses, committees, and councils have created posters to highlight their work this past year. View their posters and get involved to expand your career. All participants will be available for questions during a special presentation session on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, from 10:15 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Register today for the conference to view this spectacular event. IAEM SCHOLARSHIP Register by 5:00 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, to participate in IAEM’s fitness challenge IAEM Join the Gallop to Kentucky, IAEM’s annual step challenge to benefit the Scholarship Program, which begins on Oct. 20. Everyone is encouraged to participate and invite others (neighbors, family members, friends) to support the IAEM Scholarship Program. All participants will receive the race challenge coin, and the top three teams will win prizes. Learn about the event and register before 5:00 p.m. EDT on Oct. 17. IAEM-CANADA COUNCIL NEWS Learning lessons from Canada’s wildfire season The Canadian Press via Global News Governments and non-profit groups are taking time to review this year’s wildfire season and the unprecedented challenges posed by evacuating tens of thousands of people across wide swaths of the country. The Canadian Red Cross registered 52,000 people across the Prairies, Ontario and Atlantic Canada, making it the agency’s largest domestic operation in recent memory. Read More AdvertisementAll-New COBRA 5 – Easy, Secure, Scalable, and Fast IAEM-USA COUNCIL NEWS Just don’t get flooded during a government shutdown The Invading Sea Media coverage of our massive king tides this month has been extensive and opened more eyes to worsening flood risk in Florida. But it’s mostly been overshadowed by even worse news. When two problems coincide, they can magnify both impacts. King tides during a government shutdown reveal to us how precarious our flood risk situation really is. Read More Judge accuses Homeland Security of bullying states into accepting conditions to get FEMA money The Associated Press A federal judge in Rhode Island accused the Trump administration of trying to “bully” states into accepting conditions that require them to cooperate on immigration enforcement actions to get disaster funding after he ruled earlier that those actions were unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge William Smith, who was appointed by former Republican President George W. Bush, issued a summary judgment last month ruling that the Department of Homeland Security couldn’t impose the conditions. Read More EM NEWS Refinery fires, other chemical disasters may no longer get safety investigations Homeland Security News Wire The typically thorough investigative process of chemical disasters, conducted by the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), will not happen in the case of the October 2025 disaster at a Chevron refinery in El Segundo, California, because of the federal government shutdown and lack of funding for the organization. Read More EMAP commission chair honored with national distinguished service award IAEM EMAP Commission Chair Angee Morgan, deputy director of the Kansas Division of Emergency Management (KDEM), was recently named the 2025 recipient of the Lacy E. Suiter Distinguished Service Award by the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA). This award is given annually to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to emergency management and demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and dedication to advancing the field. Morgan, a respected national leader with more than two decades of experience in emergency management, was recognized for her unwavering commitment to strengthening preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts both in Kansas and nationwide. During her time with KDEM, she has played a key role in guiding the state through numerous disasters and emergencies, fostering collaboration among local, state, federal, and private-sector partners, and championing innovative programs that improve community resilience. Read More Ashland’s first wildfire drill gives residents a taste of how emergency evacuation could go* Ashland News Ashland’s first evacuation drill on a chilly Saturday morning went off without major hitches, offering residents a chance to try the emergency Interstate 5 on-ramp on North Mountain Avenue. More than two dozen emergency crews and international observers helped during the drill, including a professor from London. Read More Indirect disaster effects cost the world nearly $2 trillion per year, Guterres says on International Day* United Nations Most of the exorbitant costs of disaster are preventable with proper funding and planning “one of the main messages for this year’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, themed Fund Resilience, Not Disasters, observed on Monday. In 2024 alone, nearly 46 million people were displaced by disasters, the highest number ever recorded, but disaster risk reduction efforts remain severely underfunded, according to the IOM. Read More L.A. fire after-action report finds staff, resource shortages Government Technology The Los Angeles Fire Department’s extensive review of its Palisades fire response detailed challenges including staffing difficulties, resource shortages and constraints posed by the intense winds fanning the flames. Going forward, the department plans to have all personnel working during severe weather events like the one firefighters faced when the Palisades fire broke out. Read More California governor signs bills to aid Los Angeles wildfire recovery and reform disaster response The Associated Press via WHAS-TV California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of bills to help the ongoing recovery and rebuilding of the communities in the Los Angeles area impacted by two deadly wildfires earlier this year, his office announced. The bills, signed this week, streamline the process for rebuilding homes lost to wildfires, including an accelerated permitting process, and allow residents to live in temporary structures on their properties while they rebuild permanent homes. They also provide property tax relief for wildfire survivors. Read More NEW INSIGHTS Column: The shifting emergency management balance* Homeland Security Today Mahatma Gandhi advised us to “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” Nelson Mandela stressed that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Emergency management is not only changing but also shifting the balance. Is this the change we want to see? Have we applied all of our lessons learned and education to ensure success? Read More HEALTHCARE EM UPDATE More than 150 schoolchildren quarantined as U.S. measles cases hit 33-year high* BBC More than 150 unvaccinated schoolchildren are being quarantined for 21 days in South Carolina after being exposed to measles, state officials said. Because the students who were exposed did not have immunisations, they were forced to miss school during the period of potential disease transmission. Read More CYBERSECURITY NEWS Multiple CISA divisions targeted in shutdown layoffs, people familiar say* Government Executive Several divisions in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency were affected in termination orders issued to the federal workforce on Friday evening, multiple people familiar told Nextgov/FCW. Staff within the Stakeholder Engagement Division, as well as the cyber-defense agency’s Infrastructure Security Division, were targeted with reduction-in-force notices, or RIFs, said the people. Read More Cyber response: From the server room to the situation room Domestic Preparedness Over the past few decades, there have been drastic technological improvements in almost every facet of public safety. Across preparedness, response, and recovery spaces, technology has become a necessity. Read More EM RESOURCES Volcanoes | A study reveals how to improve eruption forecasting National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology Published in the magazine Science Advances, the research “Earthquake frequency-magnitude distribution at Mount Etna sheds light on magma ascent in the volcano’s plumbing system” highlights how volcanic eruption forecasts could be improved by analyzing the relationship between the number of low- and high-magnitude earthquakes. Read More EM CALENDAR Prepare your program for accreditation with EMAP training in Louisville, Kentucky IAEM The Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) is hosting an in-person Emergency Management Standard Training Course, Nov. 21-22, 2025, at the Louisville Metro Emergency Management Agency, in Louisville, Kentucky. This two-day course provides participants with an in-depth understanding of EMAP and its standards, equipping programs with the tools and knowledge to prepare for assessment and accreditation. This course is ideal for emergency management professionals seeking to strengthen their programs through compliance, continuous improvement, and alignment with recognized standards of excellence. Register for the course here. To learn more about EMAP, visit our website. If you have any questions about this course or other training opportunities, please email todd@emap.org. IAEM-ASIA NEWS PM Hun Manet urges all ministries to prioritize disaster management as a core national task Khmer Times Hun Manet, Prime Minister of Cambodia, has urged all ministries and institutions to prioritize disaster management. He emphasized the need to enhance human and material resources for effective disaster response. He called for active engagement in implementing the National Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction 2024-2028 and the National Early Warning Roadmap for sustainable outcomes. Read More Afghan earthquake triggers contradictory Taliban tactics on rescuing women* NPR As earthquakes devastated parts of Afghanistan in late August, Taliban officials asked aid agencies to send more female health workers to assist female survivors. They also briefly barred female U.N. staffers from reaching earthquake-devastated areas. The flurry of contradictions in the wake of the earthquake did not end there. Read More IAEM-EUROPA NEWS Flood victims need single national line to expert help, MPs say Eastern Daily Press Flood victims need a single national line to expert help, MPs said after a report warned many communities do not know who is responsible for managing flood risk in their area. Public awareness of flood risk is “dangerously low,” the cross-party Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) said, with “lives and livelihoods” further endangered by people not understanding how to respond to warnings or protect their homes. Read More IAEM-MIDDLE EAST NEWS Schools across Türkiye hold evacuation drills for disaster safety Daily Sabah As part of the “Disasters and Resilience Month” activities organized by the Ministry of National Education (MEB), simultaneous evacuation drills were to be held in all schools on Monday, Oct. 13. According to a statement from the Ministry, within the framework of the “Green Homeland — My School Is the Cure for the Future” initiative, the MEB designated October as “Disasters and Resilience Month” in the thematic calendar for the 2025-2026 academic year. Read More AROUND THE WORLD Officials say storm ‘completely devastated’ Western Alaska communities* Alaska Public Radio The U.S. Coast Guard commander for Western Alaska compared the devastation in local villages over the weekend to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The remnants of Typhoon Halong barreled into remote, coastal communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta on Sunday, bringing hurricane-force winds and record flood waters. Coast Guard and National Guard crews have rescued at least 51 people so far from two of the hardest-hit communities: Kipnuk and Kwigillingok. Read More ‘In an instant, they were gone’: Small town mourns after Tennessee explosives factory blast* BBC In Bucksnort, Tennessee, residents have spent a chilly autumn night heeding a simple message spraypainted on a concrete barrier by the side of the road: “Pray for the AES families.” Community members gathered on Saturday for a candlelit vigil outside the Maple Valley Baptist Church after a blast at local explosives factory Accurate Energetic Systems (AES) left 16 people dead. Read More 42 killed as bus crashes on South Africa mountain pass* BBC Forty-two Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals have died after a bus taking them home overturned on a South African road, authorities have said. The crash happened on Sunday night as the bus was moving through “a mountainous section” of the N1 highway in South Africa’s Limpopo province, local transport officials said. Read More Death toll from torrential rains in Mexico rises to 64 as search expands* NPR Fifteen minutes before water from a flooded stream swept into her home, Lilia Ramírez took off running with what little she could carry. When she returned she found not only damage from the water that had flooded her first floor to the ceiling, but the oil it had carried now streaking her walls. Poza Rica is an oil town, and among the challenges confronting some residents who fled flooding that has killed 64 people across five states and left 65 missing, is residue from the oil that built this city not far from the Gulf of Mexico. Read More Bangladesh garment factory fire kills at least 16* BBC At least 16 people have died after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the toll could rise. Sixteen bodies have been recovered and would be handed to families after DNA testing, as they have been burnt beyond recognition, the fire service said. Read More Another quake rocks Philippines day after twin temblors killed 8 Hindustan Times A day after two massive earthquakes killed at least eight persons in southern Philippines, another quake of 6.0 magnitude struck off the southern coast of the country late on Saturday, the United States Geological Survey said. According to the USGS, the tremor occurred at a depth of 59 kilometers (37 miles), about 10 kilometers from the Cagwait town in the province of Surigao del Sur, news agency AFP reported. Read More IAEM Dispatch International Association of Emergency Managers 201 Park Washington Court | Falls Church, VA 22046-4527 Elizabeth B. Armstrong, MAM, CAE, IAEM CEO, IAEM Executive Director Dawn M. Shiley, CAE, IAEM Dispatch POC, IAEM Communications and Marketing Director *Article contributed by the Global Crisis Management Report. 703-538-1795 | Contact Us | Privacy Policy www.iaem.org   Bob KowalskiExecutive Editor, Multiview 469-420-2650 | Contact meUnsubscribe | Learn how to add us to your safe sender list so our emails get to your inbox.ADVERTISE | SUBSCRIBE | PAST ISSUES Published by  |
environment
AUGUST 2025 is the inaugural National Emergency Management Awareness Month!
What is Emergency Management?
Disasters are inevitable, but catastrophes are not.
Emergency management is the profession that:
- Helps communities and organizations prepare, respond, recover, and adapt
- Brings partners together to solve complex problems, reduce harm, and restore stability during emergencies.
Emergency management isn’t just about reacting; it’s also about planning in advance, coordinating under pressure, and developing lasting resilience.
Behind the Scenes, Ahead of the Crisis
Most people don’t see emergency managers at work. We’re the ones:
- Coordinating evacuations and emergency alerts
- Anticipating hazards and mapping community vulnerabilities
- Securing resources and partnerships before disaster strikes
- Managing Emergency Operations Centers and response coordination
- Supporting recovery long after the headlines fade
Emergency managers turn strategy into action when it matters most.
You Need Your Emergency Manager In a Crisis
Where to Find Us
Emergency managers exist across local, state, tribal, territorial, and federal governments. We work to keep our nation’s organizations and businesses moving.
We’re at your school districts, colleges, and universities. We plan for the unthinkable.
At your local hospitals and clinics, we’re not only preparing for the next pandemic, but also ensuring that core services continue uninterrupted during utility outage emergencies and the next major storm.
Emergency managers work for a variety of organizations, including non-profits, utilities, transit systems, and retailers. We ensure operations and critical services aren’t interrupted by disaster.
We are behind the scenes wherever you live, work, and play.
Why Emergency Management Needs Your Support
For Policymakers, Leaders, and the Public:
✅ Protect Lives
Stronger emergency management means faster response, better communication, and fewer casualties.
✅ Protect Budgets
Investing in planning, mitigation, and preparedness reduces future disaster costs and accelerates recovery.
✅ Protect Trust
Coordinated leadership during a crisis fosters public confidence and enables communities to function effectively under pressure.
Free Webinar: Government Emergency Telecommunications Services (GETS) and Wireless Priority Service (WPS)
APRIL 30th 1400 EST/0800 HST
Join the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) as we close out Emergency Communications Month with an educational webinar! This webinar will provide information about CISA’s Priority Telecommunications Services (PTS) including how and when to use the services, how you can subscribe, and how PTS can support critical infrastructure during the 2026 World Cup tournament. Connect your call when it matters most with CISA’s PTS!
Register here: https://cisa.webex.com/weblink/register/r463c8ceea53e5bd0b00d9a93a42b922c
This April is Emergency Communications Month, and CISA is encouraging critical infrastructure owners and operators to strengthen their communications resilience and emergency preparedness by enrolling in CISA’s PTS.
Government Emergency Telecommunications Services (GETS) and Wireless Priority Service (WPS) are offered at no charge, require no special equipment, and can work separately or together to achieve a call completion rate greater than 90%—even during emergencies. WPS prioritizes calls when cellular networks are degraded or congested. GETS prioritizes calls when landline networks are degraded or congested, and they can be made from phones worldwide.
The two services can be used together on mobile phones in one convenient app, the PTS Dialer, which can be programmed to easily make a priority call in just a few taps.
To begin the enrollment process, visit https://www.cisa.gov/apply-pcs, and join us on April 30th for an informational webinar where we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about GETs and WPS; including how to get your organization started.
No matter what vital industry you represent, adding PTS to your emergency communications plan is one of the easiest ways to ensure seamless communications when they are needed most.
All are invited to participate. To join on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 2:00 PM ET, use:
Webinar Registration Link:
https://cisa.webex.com/weblink/register/r463c8ceea53e5bd0b00d9a93a42b922c
Emergency Management Professionals of Hawaii 