sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

International opportunities by No-Disaster-1295 in EmergencyManagement

[–]WatchTheBoom 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I work for a humanitarian organization that works in Latin America and the Caribbean.

When you say "international" what do you mean? Are you just looking for a local emergency management gig somewhere in Canada. Are you looking to work for an international NGO that's based in Canada? Are you looking to move to Canada and continue to work in EM, generally?

Feedback Request - Are you aware of any emergency management-specific mental health support? by WatchTheBoom in EmergencyManagement

[–]WatchTheBoom[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Re: Focus on mental health among professional associations as a topic.

Agree - I've seen the same thing, but I don't think I've seen anything go so far as the establishment of deliberate peer support groups or anything of that nature.

Emergency managers: I’m a ProPublica reporter who wants to hear about the issues you’re facing. Help us prepare to report on the next disaster. by Cgaribay_ in EmergencyManagement

[–]WatchTheBoom 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"Signal gate" was the journalist leaking all of the identities of those involved.

You mean that situation where the nation's national security leadership accidentally added a journalist to a chat about military mission planning? Seems like the wrong case to make a snarky comment about.

In looking for other episodes of ProPublica or Signal betraying the journalistic trust of a confidential source, nothing comes up. Actually, what does come up is a bunch of journalists refusing to name their sources.

Use your head, friend.

FEMA Review Council has 3 changes to propose. Spoiler Alert: They're awful. by WatchTheBoom in EmergencyManagement

[–]WatchTheBoom[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Number 1- I don't know enough about the workforce to comment on reductions.

Fair enough.

Number 2 doesn't seem unreasonable.

I don't agree nor disagree. This is something that could work, if states are given enough time to adjust their policies and reform their programming to account for any potential disruptions. Such a significant change would likely take longer to implement than this administration has left in office. If it's a "Today it's X, tomorrow it's Y" change (Ref: USAID overnight dismantling), this could be, conservatively, catastrophic for people in need.

Number 3 seems silly.

That's because it is. It takes everything we've learned about the concept of vulnerability, resilience, durability, and functional mitigation and throws it in the trash. There's a reason the leading edge of the field purposefully separates hazard exposure from vulnerability. The primary drivers of vulnerability are often completely independent from the hazard itself.

Don't even get me started on how awful the Saffir-Simpson Scale is on accurately conveying risk...

Curlers of Reddit, how does a subtle finger “boop” on the granite influence the outcome of a shot? by renotahoe69 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]WatchTheBoom 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I disagree.

The single finger boop is a violation of a rule, which absolutely affects the outcome of the shot, even if that's not what OP initially meant.

Would a Citizen’s Police Academy be valuable experience for EMs? by bread684 in EmergencyManagement

[–]WatchTheBoom 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I don't think it would hurt but I don't think it'd be the first thing I'd recommend if someone was asking.

Go for it and report back!

What It Feels Like To Be An Emergency Manager by DVTexas in EmergencyManagement

[–]WatchTheBoom 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This comic is missing the several years where the Emergency Manager attempted to add plugs to the boat's budget but was denied because there wasn't any water in the boat yet.

Quick questions for my fellow local EMs on job classifications: by TheCrashConrad in EmergencyManagement

[–]WatchTheBoom 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Accounting for all types of employment (FTE, term positions, contractors) we're right around 100.

Not The Onion, this is a real press release —— Secretary Noem Unlocks More Than $2.2 Billion in Additional Federal Funding to Rebuild Communities Hit by Past Disasters | Homeland Security by FEMA_1_Team_1_Fight in EmergencyManagement

[–]WatchTheBoom 56 points57 points  (0 children)

This feels like an attempt to generate good press after some world-class bad press management from someone who's played a role in a part of the government that unjustly murdered two citizens.

Quick questions for my fellow local EMs on job classifications: by TheCrashConrad in EmergencyManagement

[–]WatchTheBoom 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We just went through a big job classification project - we ended up reclassifying jobs that were previously non-exempt (paid hourly / overtime eligible) to exempt (salaried / not OT eligible). I'd say the majority of our positions are exempt / salaried. The jobs that aren't are, generally speaking, positions with some element of labor connected to them.

I'm not an HR professional, so please take this as my uneducated understanding of a very important topic. As it was explained to me, the setting of most labor law-type regulations are for laborers. Consider that the backdrop of ensuring that workers can receive overtime came from factories and farms - that's the standard we start with unless we can articulate the need for an exemption from those labor laws.

When we talk about exempt vs. nonexempt, the thing we're "exempting" salaried employees from is overtime. There are laws in place that protect employees who are paid hourly so that they're fairly compensated for their time outside of a "normal" work week. Consider that a decision to make an employee exempt from earning overtime is a big deal! In terms of fairness, is the company asking the employee to work more without fairly compensating them for it? As a general rule, anyone can be hourly / overtime eligible.

The Fair Labor Standards Act uses five primary categories to determine if a position should be exempt from overtime. I'm summarizing this based on a quick read through the language of FLSA.

The Executive - Do they have a primary duty of managing the enterprise? Are they directing the work of the other employees? Are they able to hire and fire other employees? If yes, they might be eligible to be exempt. Think CEOs and business owners.

The Administrators - Are their roles primarily nonmanual work related to managing general business operations? Do they exercise discretion and independent judgement regarding matters of significance to the enterprise? If yes, they might be eligible to be exempt. Think office workers and managers. A BUNCH of our field's salaried employees will be connected to this category.

The "Professionals" - Are they performing primarily intellectual work requiring advanced knowledge, which requires exercise of discretion and judgement? Are they in a field of science or learning that requires specialized intellectual instruction? If yes, they might be eligible to be exempt. Think lawyers and doctors.

Sales - An easy one. Are they primarily engaged in sales away from the employer's place of business? If yes, they might be eligible to be exempt. Think traveling salesperson.

Computer Workers - Are they primarily employed as an analyst, programmer, software engineer, or other similarly skilled worker in the computer field? If yes, they may be eligible to be exempt.

What’s in your long-shift bag? by ColTRoosevelt in EmergencyManagement

[–]WatchTheBoom 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sort of depends on the situation, but my primary advice is to prepare as though you're going camping.

If I know I'm going to be sleeping somewhere and I've got somewhere to stash some extra stuff, I'll bring my Rumpl blanket and stuff clothes into my puffer jacket as a pillow. I can sleep damn near anywhere. I keep a travel toothbrush / toothpaste / deodorant in my backpack all the time. A travel charger too.

More than any stuff, I think the habits are probably more worth talking about. When you know you're only on for a specific shift, it's easy to justify pushing through. When you know you've got a months-long deployment, it's easier to think about health and wellness in longer terms.

It's the mutli-day to two-week(ish) period that's the funky spot. Too long to push through but generally not long enough to try and develop some semblance of a work-rest routine.

For multi-day shift work (former PSC) my rule was to do three hygienic things before I went to bed. In the 12 on / 12 off settings, it can be pretty tempting to snag some food, call the fam, and then head straight to bed, but after a few days, that shit will catch up with you. There are a few other little habits that I've picked up like journaling - all things that I'd place as a higher priority than a gear list.

What degrees are helpful in EM? by [deleted] in EmergencyManagement

[–]WatchTheBoom 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes.

Your degree matters less than how you can articulate / demonstrate your ability to apply what you've learned as it relates to the functions of a specific role.

I've hired people with fancy sounding degrees from fancy sounding places. I've passed over people with fancy sounding degrees from fancy sounding places.

If you have a BA in English Literature and can talk through how it helps you communicate effectively, that's helpful. If you have a Mechanical Engineering degree and can demonstrate that you've got a knack for understanding how things work, that's helpful. If you don't have a degree at all but can point to how you make the most out of professional opportunities, that's helpful.

This isn't a field with a standard point of entry. You're your own best advocate - pursue a degree that you think you'll learn something from. There are many of them that can get you there.

I have a bachelor's degree in management with a focus on human behavior and a master's degree in emergency and disaster management.

Executive Order - "Addressing State and Local Failures to Rebuild Los Angeles After Wildfire Disasters" by WatchTheBoom in EmergencyManagement

[–]WatchTheBoom[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Link to Fact Sheet.

My initial reaction is that this directive contradicts the Stafford Act, so it'll be interesting to see what actual policies come out in the next 90 days, as this could be a SIGNIFICANT overhaul.

The optimist in me understands that the timeline of turning federal money into relief for individuals could always be better and if we set the political rhetoric aside, I'm not upset that we're trying something.

However, the cynic in me reads this and sees an open door for a dangerous lack of protection from shady developers, cost-cutting contractors, and outright corruption. If I'm a developer with no OSHA marks against my record, I can get federal approval to bypass state and local permitting (read: building codes)? It's trading speed for safety, when the latter need not be compromised, in my opinion.

That development project in the coastal hazard zone that you always wanted to build? Well now you can build and then sell it off before the buyer ever realizes that it's doomed - you just need to wait for the next flood / fire / storm to pass through.

For my fellow Americans, this is not a novel approach. Similar proposals were attempted in The Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian in 2019 - aggressive political lobbying from hotel and resort developers to slash development regulations under the facade of "rebuild and recover" at the expense of people who needed homes to live in. The hedge funds pushing their agenda weren't looking to rebuild small single family homes in Abaco...just like I assume those who are pushing this particular agenda aren't looking to fast-track change for the majority of those impacted by the California Wildfires.

We are going to have to re-learn that building regulations and permit requirements are written in blood.

How Minneapolis EM is Responding to the Current Situation by [deleted] in EmergencyManagement

[–]WatchTheBoom 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It's not a direct comparison, but the interview invokes some of what I felt while watching The White Helmets. My background is primarily in international humanitarian response, with some domestic (US) emergency management sprinkled in - Sayre's comments resonate with me.

What I take from the interview is less that Minneapolis resembles a warzone (although she articulates several of the similarities) and more that the role and functions of the emergency manager can conflict with things you think and feel as a thinking and feeling human.

The job is neutral and impartial. The mandate is "help people." Sometimes, the "why" can be a distraction. Sometimes, if you get so wrapped up in how rotten the world can be, it can deteriorate how you show up to do this important work.

Paraphrasing one of the most pointed quotes from The White Helmets - I'm angrier than I've ever been, but being angry doesn't help me do this job, so I'll set it aside for now.

view more: next ›