Disaster Podcast

Edward Coulson from Ready Northwest returns to the Disaster Podcast to share ways businesses can build resiliency plans for disasters and major adverse events. Often overlooked in the community resilience discussion, local and regional businesses are anchors for the financial well being of a community. Including them while planning drills and events can improve the overall community response to a disaster.

Also on the show was out emergency management expert, Becky DePodwin. Our episode was hosted by Sam Bradley and Jamie Davis.

Scroll down for Podcast Discussion Summary

Thank you as always to Paragon Medical Education Group for their long-term support of the Disaster Podcast. Dr. Joe Holley and the team at Paragon continue to provide excellent and customized disaster response training to jurisdictions around the U.S. and internationally as well.

Podcast Discussion Summary

Emergency Preparedness Planning for Businesses

Edward Coulson, owner of Ready Northwest emergency management, discusses his company’s focus on emergency preparedness planning for businesses and organizations. He explains that they fill a gap in disaster preparedness by helping businesses on Main Street get ready for emergencies, which is crucial for community recovery.

Edward highlights the increasing awareness and investment in emergency planning among businesses, especially since the pandemic. He describes working with various industries, including healthcare, food and beverage, construction, and retail, often seeing increased interest following major incidents.

He also addresses the challenges of convincing businesses to invest in emergency planning when not required by regulations, emphasizing the benefits such as employee safety, potential insurance premium reductions, and improved post-incident investigations.

Continuous Emergency Management and Preparedness

Edward emphasized the importance of continuous emergency management and preparedness programs, rather than one-time efforts. He highlighted the need for updating, educating, training, and reviewing these programs throughout their life.

Sam and Edward discussed the challenges of emergency planning, such as the need to consider post-disaster actions and the importance of business continuity planning. They also touched on the need for integrating weather warnings into comprehensive emergency plans.

Emergency Management in Consulting

Edward emphasized the importance of emergency management in the consulting space, particularly in asking the right questions to identify potential hazards. He highlighted the role of weather partners in providing critical information for decision-making during emergencies.

Jamie asked about the frequency of involving the community in resilience plans, to which Edward responded positively, suggesting that businesses should establish relationships with first responders and conduct drills to prepare for emergencies. Edward also predicted an increase in interest in emergency preparedness plans and training in the next five to ten years, with a growing need for partners in emergency management.

Ready Northwest Services and Weather Warnings

Edward discussed the services offered by Ready Northwest, including emergency management consulting and training programs for businesses. He encouraged listeners to visit their website for more information.

Becky emphasized the importance of receiving local weather warnings, particularly during severe weather season. Jamie and Sam invited listeners to follow them on social media and sign up for notifications on their respective websites. The team expressed gratitude for the discussion and wished everyone a good weekend.

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