In this episode, you'll hear from one of HSEMA's important response partners - the Mayor's Office of Community Relations and Services (MOCRS). MOCRS Director Julia Irving discusses her team's role in the city's incident response and HSEMA's emergency specialist Wes Leary discusses his experience as a former Ward 7 MOCRS Liaison.&nbsp;

HSEMA Partner Spotlight - Mayor's Office of Community Relations and Services   

In the midst of hurricane season, it is almost inevitable that massive rainfall will cause flooding that will affect the District. Preparing yourself and your household is of utmost importance this time of year and we’re happy to have someone that will provide you some insight.&nbsp;Our guest is&nbsp;Vermecia Alsop, Hazard Mitigation Officer with the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. Through her experience and partnerships within this field, she is well-equipped to share best practices on how we can lessen the impact of flooding in our homes and businesses. We’re&nbsp;grateful&nbsp;for her timely contribution to spreading awareness on this topic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tune in and take note of this vital information that will increase your knowledge of flooding in DC and how to prepare for it.

Preparing for and Mitigating the Impact of Flooding in Your Community

According to FEMA, 40% of businesses never recover after a disaster and 62% of business owners do not have an emergency plan in place.&nbsp;In this week’s episode, Tony Goodman, the District’s Business Emergency Management Operations Center (BEMOC) Manager, joins the HSEMA Off the Record podcast to discuss the tools, resources and people who work to help the District’s business community better prepared and resilient against disasters. &nbsp;For more information on the BEMOC, visit: hsema.dc.gov/dcbemoc. To join the BEMOC membership, email Tony Goodman at: <a href="mailto:dc.bemoc@dc.gov" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dc.bemoc@dc.gov</a>

Building Resilience in the District’s Business Community  

Leadership doesn’t come naturally, and those who rise to the occasion often have a story to tell. In this week’s episode, Brad Belzak – Chairman of the DC Government Homeland Security Commission (HSC), is joined by Dr. Denis Onieal, Former US Deputy Fire Administrator.&nbsp; Dr. Onieal recently served as a subject matter expert for the Homeland Security Commission’s 2020 Annual Report, which focused on mass care. In this episode, Dr. Onieal shares lessons learned on crisis leadership, battling disasters, and mass care.&nbsp;To learn more about the HSC, visit <a href="https://hsema.dc.gov/homelandsecuritycommission" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hsema.dc.gov/homelandsecuritycommission</a>&nbsp;

Battling Disasters, Crisis Leadership, and Mass Care

In March of 2020, Mayor Muriel Bowser declared the COVID-19 pandemic a public health emergency and activated the District's Emergency Operations Center. For the last year, DC Government employees have worked behind the scenes to keep our communities informed, prepared, and safe. In this week’s episode, HSEMA Director Dr. Christopher Rodriguez will be discussing the impacts COVID-19 has had on the District of Columbia with DC Health Director Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt and Assistant City Administrator Jay Melder. For more information on the District of Columbia's COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://open.acast.com/shows/5dd2c46a23f08b0e581d4c05/episodes/coronavirus.dc.gov" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">coronavirus.dc.gov</a>.

2020: A Year of Response

Cold weather is on its way and this week, we're discussing the District's outreach to vulnerable populations in our community. Director Rodriguez is joined by Laura Zeilinger, Director of the DC Department of Human Services (DHS), and Melvyn Smith, the Homeless Services Outreach Coordinator about services and resources in place to support our neighbors in need. Tune in to learn how you can help protect residents experiencing homelessness from cold weather injury and death. For more information on resources provided by DHS, visit <a href="dhs.dc.gov." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dhs.dc.gov.</a>

Be A Good Neighbor This Winter Season

COVID-19 has forced us to adjust almost all aspects of our daily lived. We know that COVID fatigue is real, but we must remember that our efforts are saving lives. Under the leadership of Mayor Bowser, the District of Columbia Government has been work on the City’s pandemic response since late February. In today's episode, HSEMA Director Chris Rodriguez is joined by DC Health Director Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt to discuss the District's response and recovery efforts thus far. To learn more about the District's COVID-19 response, visit <a href="coronavirus.dc.gov" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">coronavirus.dc.gov</a>.For details on the DC COVID Alert Notice, visit <a href="coronavirus.dc.gov/dccan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">coronavirus.dc.gov/dccan</a>.

Behind the Scenes: DC's COVID-19 Response and Recovery

It's no secret that emergency management is a traditionally male-dominated field. But at HSEMA, there are so many dedicated women that are committed to helping District residents, businesses and visitors. Our team believes in breaking stereotypes, and we're not just talking about gender. HSEMA is a diverse workforce in every sense of the word - age, gender, ethnicity, race, and religion. HSEMA’s Jerica Shackelford, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Carrie Speranza, Deputy Director, join us this week to discuss the importance of having a diverse workforce and how women can make their mark in the emergency management field. &nbsp;

Women in Emergency Management

It's time to start thinking about cold weather and that dreaded "S" word...snow! In fact, this week is Snow Ready Week. To help us better understand what that means, we're joined this week by the District Department of Public Works. Tune in as Tim Spriggs explains the role DPW plays in the District's preparations for snow and winter weather. To learn more about the District Snow Team, visit snow.dc.gov.To learn how to safely prepare yourself, your loved ones and your home for winter, visit ready.dc.gov/winterwx.

2020 Snow Ready Week

HSEMA Off the Record" is a new podcast series focused on the innovative ways the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) is working to build a safer, stronger, and more resilient DC.&nbsp; Each episode, we'll go behind the scenes to hear directly from the men and women responsible for preparing the District. We'll look at the history of the field and profession, discuss the integration of emergency management and intelligence, and how the District's emergency managers use innovation and creativity to meet any and all challenges head on. HSEMA Off the Record is brought to you by Muriel Bowser, Mayor of Washington, DC, and the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.

HSEMA Off the Record

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