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EP 56 When The Power Grid Fails - The Art of Municipal Crisis Planning
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What does it take to prepare a community for disaster? In this revealing conversation with municipal crisis planning expert Alicia Johnson, we explore the critical differences between organizational readiness and community resilience—and why both are essential when disaster strikes.
Drawing from her 20+ years of experience in emergency management, Alicia shares how her journey began with witnessing the Yellowstone fires as a child and evolved into a career dedicated to building community preparedness. She offers a powerful distinction that many emergency planners miss: while organizational readiness is built on procedures and protocols, community readiness depends on trust and relationships that can withstand crisis.
The conversation explores recent catastrophic events like the European power outages and the Texas freeze that left Houston homes flooding in freezing temperatures. These case studies reveal how quickly modern infrastructure can fail and the cascading impacts that follow. As Alicia notes, "We have to acknowledge that bad things happen to good organizations"—the first step toward meaningful preparation.
We dig into why "checkbox planning" continues to plague emergency response, with organizations creating plans that look impressive on paper but collapse under pressure. Alicia challenges listeners to move beyond the organizational chart to build genuine capacity through regular training, full-scale exercises, and empowered decision-making.
Whether you're a municipal leader, emergency planner, or simply someone concerned about community resilience, this conversation offers critical insights into building systems and relationships that can withstand the unexpected. Because when disaster strikes, trust might be your most valuable resource.
If you'd like to reach out to Alicia, you can reach her below:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/aliciadjohnson
We'd love to hear from you. Email the show at [email protected].
Chapters
1. Introduction to Municipal Crisis Planning (00:00:00)
2. Alicia Johnson's Emergency Management Journey (00:05:11)
3. Community vs. Organizational Preparedness (00:11:19)
4. Power Outage Crisis Response (00:15:27)
5. Building Trust and Planning for Resilience (00:21:05)
6. Crisis Planning Failures and Mandates (00:27:18)
7. Communication: The Persistent Challenge (00:32:25)
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