Interviews with California and national emergency response leaders who talk about what they've learned from the most challenging moments of their careers.
Episodes
Wednesday Nov 28, 2018
Wednesday Nov 28, 2018
Sheriff Kory L. Honea
In this episode (#56) we sit down with the sheriff of Butte County, California, Kory Honea. His county, of course, was ravaged by the Camp Fire which broke out on November 8, 2018. The Town of Paradise, located within his county, was nearly completely destroyed by the fire that was stoked by 55+mile per hour gusts. Sheriff Honea is facing a death toll that could exceed 100, managing his law enforcement team as well as mutual aid and keeping his citizens safe while they're displaced from homes that were either destroyed or just can't be reached due to the town's closure. Honea also had the responsibility of evacuating tens of thousands of people to get them out of harms way. He talks about all that, plus some of the more challenging stresses he's faced and how he's dealing with all of the responsibility that goes along with California's deadliest wildfire disaster.
Kory L. Honea became the 31st Sheriff of Butte County in May, 2014.
Prior to becoming the Sheriff, Honea served as the Undersheriff for nearly four years.
Sheriff Honea began his career with the Butte County Sheriff's Office in 1993, when he was hired as a deputy sheriff. Prior to that Sheriff Honea was employed by the Shasta County Sheriff's Office.
During his law enforcement career Sheriff Honea has held assignments in corrections, patrol and investigations. In 2000, Sheriff Honea transferred to the District Attorney's Office as an investigator. While at the District Attorney's Office, Sheriff Honea promoted through the ranks to become the Chief Investigator in 2008. Sheriff Honea held that position until his return to the Sheriff's Office as Undersheriff in 2010.
Sheriff Hone-a holds a Juris Doctorate from the Taft School of Law and is a member of the State Bar of California.
He also holds an Associate of Arts degree from Butte College.
Links
Tuesday Nov 06, 2018
Tuesday Nov 06, 2018
In this episode (55) we talk with veteran news photojournalist Tim Walton. He gives us a unique perspective on working with first responders during disasters, especially wildfires. Tim has also works with Cal OES, donating much of his dramatic fire footage to help supplement their own images and tell important stories that benefit the public and California communities. Some of the topics of conversation include journalist access to disaster areas, California access laws, the benefits of allowing journalists, including photojournalists, into disaster areas, safety, equipment and much more.
According to his bio, Tim Walton has 35-plus years as a broadcast photojournalist and field producer. He has worked for all of the major networks, domestic and foreign. The majority of his assignments has been for NBC NEWS (as a freelancer,) based in San Francisco over the last 25 years. I shot and field produced ABC's American Detective (reality) and worked as a cameraman on "Cops" in the early 1990's. Other clients include CNN, ABC, CBS, CBC, APTV. His primary focus is in TV News and Documentary camera/producer assignments. He says he will travel anywhere and work any ethical assignment. He has been trained in hostile environments and advanced first aid. Tim has endured three tours in Iraq for NBC.
Tim is am also a Fire Department Volunteer Videographer (40 years) and a Cal Fire VIP Photographer and has extensive wildland fire experience . He travels with a Macbook Pro and edits with FCPX, has the latest LiveU L600 (domestic) for Live and feed services and has an HD/4K wildland stock footage library suitable for climate change documentaries and film production.
And in case you're wondering, he travels with specialty equipment that includes a camera package with a Sony PDW-700 XDCAM HD, Sony FS7 4K Super 35mm, Panasonic AG-UX1804k, Sony PXW-Z90 4K camera, GoPro, Domestic LiveU L600, HD monitors, LED light kits, full audio package, wireless, live kits, grip gear and two way radio's.
Links
Tuesday Oct 23, 2018
Tuesday Oct 23, 2018
FEMA Region IX David Samaniego
In this episode of All Hazards we sit down with the current Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) for the California Wildfires Disaster Response David Samaniego. Large portions of the counties of Shasta and Lake in the north Bay Area of California were devastated by wildfires in late July, 2018. It was declared a major federal disaster on August 4, 2018, which brought the state and federal together to manage the response and recovery operations. Samaniego came onboard as the FCO in September. Samaniego has a wealth of major disaster experience; he talks about leadership challenges in the Flint, Michigan, water contamination crisis as well as the response effort in Puerto Rico following the destruction of Hurricane Maria in which an estimated 3000 people died (that number was released after an independent study by the George Washington University (GWU) in July 2018, which was commissioned by the governor of Puerto Rico.)
Links
FEMA California Wildfires And High Winds (DR-4382)
FEMA Region IX: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, & the Pacific Islands
FEMA Michigan Contaminated Water (EM-3375)
Disaster Management Roles and Responsibilities
Tuesday Oct 09, 2018
Tuesday Oct 09, 2018
Front Row, L-R: Andy Langolf, Drew Hammond, Carly Landry, Megan Pappas
Back Row, L-R: Anthony Zimmer, Mike Warren, Ron Williams, Mark Ackerman
On September 12, 2018, Cal OES deployed emergency and incident management specialists to assist with emergency response efforts for Hurricane Florence. The team arrived in South Carolina prior to the storm’s landfall and immediately began work.
The 8-person team consisted of Megan Pappas, Mike Warren, Ron Williams, Anthony Zimmer, Mark Ackerman, Andy Langolf, Carly Landry and Drew Hammond. During the two-week deployment, California personnel will use their specialized emergency management operations skills to help officials as they respond to the impacts of Hurricane Florence. The eight-person Cal OES Incident Support Team has extensive emergency operations experience and has been involved in response and recovery efforts for several major disasters in California including wildfires, flooding, winter storms, the Oroville Dam Emergency Spillway Incident, earthquakes and drought. Primary duties included the support of Logistics and Points of Distribution (POD) coordination in Columbia, S.C. at the State Emergency Operations Center.
In this episode, which is Part-1 of 2-Parts, each of these team members recount the experiences of their deployment, what worked, what didn’t, their objectives and how they met them despite the pressures from a fast-approaching hurricane, working in a strange place with unfamiliar people and methods and much more.
Links
OESNews.com All Hazards Page
EMAC
State Private Nonprofit Organizations Assistance Program
Emergency Management Assistance Compact
Press Releases
Press Release: California Deploys Emergency Management Team to South Carolina, Virginia to Assist with Hurricane Response, Recovery
Press Release: California Deploys Emergency Management Team to Puerto Rico to Assist with Hurricane Response, Recovery
Press Release: California Deploys Additional Emergency Support to East Coast States Impacted by Hurricane Florence
Wednesday Oct 03, 2018
Wednesday Oct 03, 2018
Front Row, L-R: Mike Warren, Ron Williams, Anthony Zimmer
Back Row, L-R: Andy Langolf, Mark Ackerman, Megan Pappas
On September 12, 2018, Cal OES deployed emergency and incident management specialists to assist with emergency response efforts for Hurricane Florence. The team arrived in South Carolina prior to the storm’s landfall and immediately began work.
The 8-person team consisted of Megan Pappas, Mike Warren, Ron Williams, Anthony Zimmer, Mark Ackerman, Andy Langolf, Carly Landry and Drew Hammond. During the two-week deployment, California personnel will use their specialized emergency management operations skills to help officials as they respond to the impacts of Hurricane Florence. The eight-person Cal OES Incident Support Team has extensive emergency operations experience and has been involved in response and recovery efforts for several major disasters in California including wildfires, flooding, winter storms, the Oroville Dam Emergency Spillway Incident, earthquakes and drought. Primary duties included the support of Logistics and Points of Distribution (POD) coordination in Columbia, S.C. at the State Emergency Operations Center.
In this episode, which is Part-1 of 2-Parts, each of these team members recount the experiences of their deployment, what worked, what didn’t, their objectives and how they met them despite the pressures from a fast-approaching hurricane, working in a strange place with unfamiliar people and methods and much more.
OESNews.com All Hazards Page
Palmetto Software
EMAC
State Private Nonprofit Organizations Assistance Program
Emergency Management Assistance Compact
Press Releases
Press Release: California Deploys Emergency Management Team to South Carolina, Virginia to Assist with Hurricane Response, Recovery
Press Release: California Deploys Emergency Management Team to Puerto Rico to Assist with Hurricane Response, Recovery
Press Release: California Deploys Additional Emergency Support to East Coast States Impacted by Hurricane Florence
Monday Oct 01, 2018
Monday Oct 01, 2018
Yosemite National Park Rangers Scott Gediman and Jamie Richards
According to the national Park Service, Yosemite National Park was first protected in 1864 and is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias and a vast wilderness area. Recently, Yosemite is also known for its wildfires, the Rim Fire in 2013 and the Ferguson Fire in July and August of 2018.
In this episode of All Hazards, Park Rangers Scott Gediman and Jamie Richards talk about how the Ferguson Fire impacted the park, challenged them as rangers and as public affairs officers, and how they fought perceptions that the entire park was closed when in fact it was open.
Links
Experience Yosemite National Park in Virtual Reality with President Obama
NPS YouTube: YosemiteNationalPark
Mr. President Goes to Yosemite
Tuesday Aug 28, 2018
Tuesday Aug 28, 2018
Chief Craig Cottrill: Wellington/Chatham Islands Fire and Emergency
At the height of the wildfire siege across California, when 15 major fires burned, there were more than 13,000 firefighters from 18 states and two other countries battling the blazes. Those countries included Australia and New Zealand. 41 of those firefighters were deployed to the Mendocino Complex in Lake County, and 12 were assigned to the Carr Fire in Shasta County. Their roles varied and their value to the effort could not be understated. They brought a wealth of knowledge, experience and energy and will eventually return having gained a new understanding of firefighting environment, strategy and technology.
In this episode of All Hazards, we sit down with Chief Craig Cottrill, of the Wellington/Chatham Islands Fire and Emergency, New Zealand. Hear about the challenges of being part of an international mutual aid team, the differences in how wildfires are tackled here versus New Zealand, from the technologies to the assets and strategies, as well as how Chief Cottrill manages his team and explains how Californians are similar to New Zealanders in adopting the “Kiwi thing to do.”
New Zealand's Camp at ICP in Modoc County
Links
OESNews.com
All Hazards Podcast
Mutual Aid Comes In From All Over State, Country & World For Largest Fire In California History
Thursday, August 9, 2018 Press Release
Governor Brown Issues Executive Order to Streamline Cleanup and Recovery in Communities Impacted by Wildfires
SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued an executive order to cut red tape and help streamline recovery efforts in communities impacted by the devastating wildfires that continue to burn in Lake, Siskiyou, Shasta, Mendocino and Napa counties.
There are 15 major fires currently burning in California that have destroyed homes and infrastructure and continue to threaten communities. More than 13,000 firefighters from California, 17 other states, Australia and New Zealand are working the front lines of wildfires statewide.
The executive order includes provisions that:
- Expedite debris removal and cleanup of homes and businesses that were damaged or destroyed by the fires;
- Extend the state’s prohibition on price gouging during emergencies;
- Suspend planning and zoning requirements and state fees for manufactured homes and mobile home parks to help displaced residents with housing needs;
- Allow for the accelerated hiring of additional personnel for emergency and recovery operations;
- Provide waivers on temporary school facilities and outdoor physical education requirements to allow schools to open as quickly as possible;
- Extend the filing deadline for certain taxes for businesses in the impacted counties;
- Streamline contracting and purchasing rules; and
- Strengthen coordination between state agencies on environmental restoration in fire-impacted areas.
Last weekend, Governor Brown announced the federal government’s approval of a presidential major disaster declaration for Shasta County and met with local leaders and fire and emergency management officials at the Carr Fire Incident Command Post in Anderson. The federal government is reviewing the presidential major disaster declaration request for Lake, Mendocino and Napa counties on an expedited basis as preliminary damage assessments continue. The Mendocino Complex fire is now the largest fire in state history and remains a dynamic challenge for firefighters.
Previously, Governor Brown declared a state of emergency in Shasta, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Riverside and Mariposa counties due to multiple fires and secured federal aid to further support communities impacted by the Carr Fire.
Last week, Governor Brown joined the state’s top emergency management officials at the State Operations Center in Mather to provide an update on the ongoing fire fight. The State Operations Center is activated to its highest level to help local, state and federal emergency response officials address emergency management needs.
Information on additional resources for residents impacted by the fires is available at: http://wildfirerecovery.org/
The full text of today’s executive order can be found here.
Tuesday Jul 24, 2018
Tuesday Jul 24, 2018
EPISIDE 49 of Cal OES All Hazards Podcast
July 24, 2018
California will be blasted with heat advisories and excessive heat warnings as temperatures will be between 10 to 15 degrees above normal Tuesday through Thursday. Why is that so dangerous, and what do you need to know to stay cool and safe? In this Cal OES news update, we get answers from the National Weather Service.
Public information officer Bryan May interviews National Weather Service science and operations officer and meteorologist Kris Mattarochia. They discuss the incredibly hot weather rolling into California. How this weather can put a stress on the energy grid and what you can do to releave the stress on the energy grid with some simple steps.
Tuesday Jul 03, 2018
Tuesday Jul 03, 2018
Kim Zagaris, or Chief Z as some call him, is the State Fire and Rescue Chief for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES); he was appointed on April 1, 2001. He admits his appointment rattled cages, nerves and even a few careers. He’s not only survived the highly political position, he’s succeeded. In this episode (#48) of All Hazards Chief Z reflects on his storied career, the changes he’s seen at Cal OES and in the business of putting the wet stuff on the red stuff, and what he’s learned.
Prior to his appointment, he was the Assistant Fire Chief for Cal OES with assignments in Region I, II, III, IV and V since 1987. He started his career as a Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) seasonal firefighter in 1977 and promoted through the ranks of the local, state and federal fire agencies to the State Fire and Rescue Chief. Chief Zagaris has extensive background in fire service, emergency management, and homeland security which includes working with local, state, federal and international agencies over the last 40 years.
As the State Fire and Rescue Chief, Chief Zagaris serves as the Executive Coordinator for Cal OES Fire and Rescue Services Advisory Committee/ FIRESCOPE Board of Directors. The Board provides a State level forum for addressing Statewide Mutual Aid, Incident Command System, Multi-Agency Coordination, Resource Typing, Training, Certification, Safety, Standardization and Fire Protection issues of statewide concern. Chief Zagaris is responsible for managing the FIRESCOPE Program, California Incident Command Certification System, the California Fire Assistance Agreement, State Assistance for Fire Equipment Program, as well as, serve on numerous state and national committees, associations and programs, including Cal OES representation on the California State Strategic Committee on Terrorism, the California Wildfire Coordination Group, the National Fire Protection Association 1500 Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program, he currently chairs the International Fire Chiefs Associations (IAFC) Emergency Management Committee/ National Fire Service Mutual Aid System, the National Fire Service Incident Management System Consortium. He is the past chair of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/ Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Mutual Aid/ Resource Typing Project Team, and a past member of the National Incident Management System ICS Competencies Change Management Board, and the National Wildfire Coordination Group/ Urban Interface Working Team.
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services owns 114 all-risk Type I Fire Engines, 40 Type III Fire Engines, 12 Water Tenders, 6 Communications/ Support Units, 13 Swift Water Rescue Caches, 12 Type II Hazardous Material Unit and manages California’s 8 Local/State/National Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces in cooperation with those sponsoring agencies. Chief Zagaris is responsible for several major program elements including the day-to-day management of the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System, which includes over 1,100 fire agencies, and some 55,000 professional and volunteer firefighters that operate approximately 6,000 fire engines Statewide.
Links
Oklahoma City Bombing: California Sent its Best to Midwest Terror Response
Tuesday Jun 19, 2018
Tuesday Jun 19, 2018
In this episode we tag along with professional rattlesnake wrangler Lou Fraser, and state park ranger Kerrie Launey. Fraser shows us the kind of habitat in which rattlesnakes can be found, and educates us on their some of their behavior and some of the mistakes people make that lead to bites, all while catching four of the venomous reptiles. Meanwhile, California park ranger Launey tells us about snakes in parks and what you can expect, and she gives us tips for avoiding an unwanted encounter, and what to do in the event you are bitten.
We also have a video that accompanies this podcast at the link below. you'll also find a really cool (and creepy) slideshow.
Links
INSIDE LOOK: Rattlesnake Awareness, Warm Weather Tips and Backyard Pool Safety (VIDEO)
Snakes Slither Into Summer (oesnews.com)
Lou Fraser's Rattlesnake Removal USA
Rattlesnakes in California (CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife)
Rattlesnake Safety (California Department of Parks and Recreation)