Director, Morgan County Emergency Management
Sunbright, Tennessee, USA
I started out 37 years ago as a volunteer firefighter with my local volunteer fire department. While there I also became a volunteer instructor with our State Emergency Management office. When I moved to another county I volunteered in the county EMA office that I am now the director of.
Setting up our county EOC (Emergency Operations Center). When I was first hired as EMA director 18 years ago my “office” was a desk in the corner of another county agency and the county had no dedicated EOC. When our county 911 center built their new building they were gracious enough to offer the county space for the EMA office. Working with them we now have a fully functioning EOC with full capabilities including conference room, full kitchen, training facilities along with an active Ham Radio group.
When I first started out it could be hard at times for women to be taken seriously when it came to disaster planning and response, as it was primarily a male dominated profession. Thankfully that has changed for the better in my 37 years in this field. Old stereotypes are starting to fade away and there are many more women in the field now.
Take as much training as you can. I’ve even found taking a course for a second time to be beneficial as different instructors bring a different perspective and I’ve always learned something new. In addition the networking benefits of training is very beneficial. You never know when a chance meeting with someone in a class or at a meeting will help in the future.
Advancing technology – including the use of drones and virtual meetings. With COVID-19 we had to adapt quickly and transition to virtual meetings. In our profession we couldn’t stop doing our job and our meeting load increased substantially. In disaster response the use of drones and being able to get a birds eye view of the disaster is very beneficial. We can now see from above almost immediately vs having to wait for a helicopter to come to our area.
When completing my college degree I read a lot on the impact of donations during a disaster. This has inspired me to be an voice when it comes to disasters and the importance of only donating what the local emergency manager impacted by the specific disaster is asking for. I have been doing a lot of research on that topic over the last couple of years.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. My motto has always been if I don’t know the answer I will ask until I find it. Never stop learning and find your passion. There are many opportunities in emergency management from response, to planning and everything in between – all are very important and needed. Join committees, volunteer with your state association.
My office has active Facebook and Twitter pages. Participate and give presentations at local schools. Interviews with our local radio station during severe weather. They also have local programming and I participate in that promoting disaster preparedness, Severe Weather Awareness Week and National Preparedness month.
Take advantage of down time. Especially since COVID-19 arrived finding time for time off and more importantly vacation time has been hard. They are very important for balance don’t be afraid to schedule that vacation or the needed day off. We’re normally on call 24/7 and that can take a toll if not managed properly. If you were on an event all weekend – be sure to take a day later in the week to refresh.
I’m a competitive shooter. I’ve been participating in shooting events for the last 37 years participating in everything from action pistol, cowboy action shooting and skeet. I have served on the board of directors of our local gun club for the last 13 years first as training officer for 10 years and membership for the last 3 years.
Engage with our LinkedIn group. Volunteer! Volunteers can review resumes, facilitate or speak at events, join the grants committee, be interviewed for the 10Q series and so much more. We invite organizations (public and private) to join us as a host and/or sponsor too. Reach out to learn more.
To increase the representation of women at every level of emergency management in order to achieve the industry’s objectives of building resiliency and of effective and equitable planning, response and recovery.
To provide easily accessible resources and content that supports women as they explore, engage, and grow in emergency management careers.
Engage women in the emergency management and disaster response industries in order to support professional development and the industry’s objectives of building resiliency and of effective planning, response, and recovery.
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