HSEMA Off the Record

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. 

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. Our guest is 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 grateful for her timely contribution to spreading awareness on this topic.   Tune in and take note of this vital information that will increase your knowledge of flooding in DC and how to prepare for it.

According to FEMA, 40% of businesses never recover after a disaster and 62% of business owners do not have an emergency plan in place. 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.  For more information on the BEMOC, visit: hsema.dc.gov/dcbemoc. To join the BEMOC membership, email Tony Goodman at: dc.bemoc@dc.gov

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. 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. To learn more about the HSC, visit hsema.dc.gov/homelandsecuritycommission 

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 dhs.dc.gov.

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 coronavirus.dc.gov.For details on the DC COVID Alert Notice, visit coronavirus.dc.gov/dccan.

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.  

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.