Historically, the National Weather Service (NWS) has provided “deterministic” forecasts, which attempt to describe the conditions at any given point in time during the forecast: a single solution.  Recently, the NWS has been providing more “probabilistic” forecasts, which allows forecasters to show the range of potential solutions, and which one might be the most likelyContinue reading "Use of Probabilistic Weather Information in Decision Making"

Kathy Strader is the Co-Regional Manager for World Renew - Disaster Response Services, serving the Southeastern United States. Kathy previously served as a volunteer Disaster Recovery Specialist for the Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE), following hurricanes Irma and Michael.  She supported efforts of the Florida VOAD and FEMA Voluntary Agency Liaisons (VALs) toContinue reading "VOAD, COAD, and Long-Term Recovery – The Power of Partnership"

Drawing on research about disasters and mental health, participants will learn about how their jurisdiction’s population may be affected by disasters, big and small. Participants will learn about best practices for mental health resources in the event of a disaster for their jurisdiction. Finally, participants will learn about resources available to them from various disciplinesContinue reading "Godzilla vs Your Brain"

This presentation discusses auxiliary communications, its function within the State, and the benefits provided. Gabe Turner has been SCEMD's Communications Manager for over seven years. Currently he provides oversight of the South Carolina AUXCOM Program, and works with several federal, state, local and volunteer communications organizations to support the state’s emergency communications network. Mr. TurnerContinue reading "EM Communications"

With multiple grant programs continuing to be available, state and local governments are being provided multiple opportunities to apply for or receive grant funding from multiple state and federal sources. Formula and competitive funds will be available to help with infrastructure development among others. Emergency Management units may be tasked with managing a new setContinue reading "Federal Grant Compliance: Avoid the Clawback"

This material is designed for Emergency Management and/or organizations that frequently deal with the media. This program should be of greatest value to the EM with many years of experience, as these professionals make the most qualified media specialists. At the conclusion of this program, readers should be able to: • Understand the role andContinue reading "Media Nascar Style"

To inform Emergency Managers of the ways Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS, aka “drones”) can support their operations. Technical and regulatory concerns regarding the use of UAS and the variety of UAS resources available in South Carolina will be covered. Chris Medlin is the Chief Remote Pilot for the Aiken Department of Public Safety and aContinue reading "UAS Drones in Emergency Management"

When the needs of impacted businesses are not fully met and SBA is unable to offer a loan, there is usually nowhere to refer the businesses for their disaster losses.  This results in failure rates of 25 percent or more for businesses that were forced to close due to a disaster. SBA recognized the needContinue reading "SBA Whole Community Approach"

Overview: How did the opioid crisis in America take root and the unsuccessful efforts to end it. Why investing in Upstream Approaches is the only viable solution. Areas of focus: Brief history of how this crisis came to be and why it has worsened. New synthetic opioids hitting the market. The power of early preventionContinue reading "Opiod Emergencies"

SCEMA Quarterly Agenda 2023 SCEMA February Minutes

Join David Amann (DCEMD) and Sara Gayle McConnell (Tradesman Brewing Company) to learn all about their unique partnership that spawned the "Know Your Zone" Hurricane Seasonal Lager, which generated national media attention and educated South Carolina about hurricane preparedness in a fun and creative way. The second half of our session will be a panelContinue reading "Thinking Outside the Guide"

An introduction to the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC) and the CISA Emergency Communications Coordinator. This partnership provides no-cost resources in training, exercises and assessments to State and Local agencies to support emergency communications. Learn about some of the tools and resources available to you during this session. Pam Montanari is the Emergency Communications Coordinator forContinue reading "State Interoperability"

Why and Why not have registries? What is a Center for Independent Living,(CIL), and how can it help EMs? What does FEMA say about including persons with disabilities (PWD) in planning? What does the SC EOP say about including persons with disabilities (PWD) in planning? Hear some personal testimony from 2 families with disability andContinue reading "Registries & Centers For Independent Living"

North Carolina’s eastern coast is vulnerable to a combination of hazards anticipated to increase in frequency and intensity over the next 30 years. The development of this Regional Resilience Portfolio Program placed great emphasis on community engagement which set it apart from traditional resiliency and flood risk reduction planning efforts. The Program prioritizes combining technicalContinue reading "Regional Resilience"

If the last couple of years have taught us anything, it's that life is unpredictable and that we must be adaptable and resilient to overcome challenges. This presentation will cover some of the unique disaster debris operational challenges, as well educate participants on emerging trends and lessons learned from debris removal and cleanup missions thatContinue reading "Disaster Debris Management Emerging Trends and Lessons Learned"

Objective: To present new models of disaster housing recovery for survivors. Disaster housing is a keystone of disaster recovery but is often misunderstood. Transitions between phases of disaster housing are often regarded as difficult to navigate for survivors and even more difficult for communities to manage. Contrary to long held understanding, disaster housing recovery isContinue reading "New Models of Disaster Housing Recovery"

Integrated Preparedness Planning Workshop.  This session will briefly review the IPPW process and the products a jurisdiction could expect to develop during a typical IPPW. Mr. Walter is the Training and Exercise Manager for South Carolina Emergency Management Division, a position held since 2011.  He supervises the Division’s Emergency Management Training & Exercise Program toContinue reading "IPPW"

Dr. John Maxwell defines a crisis as “an intense time of difficulty that requires a decision or a series of decisions that will cause a turning point in the situation”. Some turning points are good and others…not so much. In this session we will explore how to tip those scales in your favor. In thisContinue reading "Leading Through Crisis"

What are the Core Components of a Private Business Continuity Planning Program We will talk about the core components of the BC program are they are like those of COOP.  Identify Primary Essential Functions (Processes); Evaluate their criticality (BIA); Identify how you will get back on your feet (Recovery Strategies); Write it down (Plan Development);Continue reading "Overview of Business Continuity at BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina"

Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office along with Municipal and Fire District Partners conducted a Tsunami Tabletop and Functional Exercise based on a marine land slide off the North Carolina Continental Shelf.  To achieve success in this exercise, HSEEP Guidelines were employed in the yearlong planning process which included the involvement and assistance of the National WeatherContinue reading "Tsunami Exercise"

South Carolina is currently in the process of completing an update to their Hurricane Evacuation Study. This study will guide hurricane evacuation decision making within the state and will inform several key aspects of hurricane preparedness and response. This info session and discussion will allow attendees to understand the research being completed and also allowContinue reading "SCEMD Hurricane Evacuation Study Introduction and Feedback Session"

The presentation will take a look at cybersecurity trends and threats that the SC CIC team sees within the state of South Carolina, along with some recent examples of cyber incidents against critical infrastructure organizations in the United States. We will also share what the South Carolina Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (SC CIC) program is doingContinue reading "Critical Infrastructure and Cybersecurity in South Carolina"

The presentation will help those learn more about Critical Incident Stress Management with First Responders. The Presentation will highlight a brand new intervention to use with Individuals and/or Groups, called PASS (Post Action Staff Support) with Hospice and Healthcare. Fuzzy has a heart for Critical Incident Stress Management in all aspects of helping professions. FuzzyContinue reading "Mental Health Emergencies"

Discussing the benefits of public private partnerships through the lens of Walmart Emergency Management and Hurricane Ian. Faith Newton is the Director of Global Emergency Management Strategy and Preparedness for Walmart Inc. She is responsible for overseeing the company’s enterprise preparedness program to ensure that associates and operations have the knowledge and resources to respondContinue reading "Luncheon: Public Private Partnerships Managing Through Crisis"

This briefing provides and overview of the South Carolina Emergency Management Division's logistics operations. The division's logistics response and planning responsibilities will be discussed. This briefing will also provide an overview of the division's responsibilities related to the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). Jason Romlein is the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) Materials, Facilities,Continue reading "Logistics & EMAC"