Emergency Management in My War Bag

Young Commissioners, Old Fault Lines

What happens when the future shows up — and the public doesn’t? In this episode of Beyond the SOP, I reflect on attending a Pinole Planning Commission meeting where she was the only member of the public physically in the room, while young commissioners stepped into leadership roles making long-term decisions in a city sitting directly on the Hayward Fault. Young Commissioners, Old Fault Lines explores: * why a plan is just a plan until a person shows up * how civic engagement shapes community resilience * what disaster recovery really looks like beyond the first 24 hours * why earthquakes don’t care about jurisdictional boundaries * and why seeing the next generation of leaders at the table matters Grounded in real-world emergency management and disaster recovery experience, this episode looks beyond standard operating procedures and into the quiet work that protects communities before disaster strikes. 🎧 Available on all major podcast platforms.

Emergency Management in My War Bag

In this episode, I unpack the parts of emergency management that live in my War Bag — the quiet work, the human moments, and the behind-the-scenes reality most people never see. From late-night shelters and terrible coffee to the woman who looked at me and said, “I don’t know where to go now,” and the helicopter rescue during California’s heavy rains, this is the real side of EM: the steady, human work that holds communities together when everything else breaks. Stay safe. Stay true to yourself. Stay Beyond the SOP.

The War Bag

Every journey has a starting point. Mine begins with a green Army duffel bag, a plane ticket, and a nineteen-year-old who had no idea what she was walking into. In this episode, I unpack the early years — the military, the training, the fear, the grit, and the quiet moments that stay with you long after the noise stops. If you’ve ever wondered what shapes an emergency manager, a veteran, or a survivor… this is where my story begins. The world breaks. We keep going. That’s the story.