I appreciate this bold and necessary perspective. I agree that as local emergency managers, we must push toward greater resilience, readiness, and accountability regardless of politics, funding levels, or policy lag. We are the plan, and our communities look to us whether the systems around us are thriving or failing.
That said, I also believe we have to acknowledge the real-world constraints many of us face. If you don’t have leadership buy-in, whether from elected officials or senior administrators, your ability to act decisively can be limited. You do the best you can with the resources, authority, and influence you do have, while continuing to advocate for more.
It’s a balancing act between being realistic and being relentless.
We need a culture shift for sure, but we also need systemic support, consistent investment, and leadership that understands and values the role of emergency management before the disaster hits.
Kimber Campbell
Emergency Management
City of Surprise, AZ
Let me know if you'd like to make it more casual or add a specific example from your own experience.
And look for our recommendations on ways to increase crisis communications RESULTS (life safety actions taken by the public who receive these alerts), which should be implemented everywhere (Publishing on July 12, 2025): https://emnetwork.substack.com/p/813f39c5-4ed6-461b-9e39-460c403c4fda?postPreview=paid&updated=2025-07-08T03%3A07%3A58.878Z&audience=everyone&free_preview=false&freemail=true
I appreciate this bold and necessary perspective. I agree that as local emergency managers, we must push toward greater resilience, readiness, and accountability regardless of politics, funding levels, or policy lag. We are the plan, and our communities look to us whether the systems around us are thriving or failing.
That said, I also believe we have to acknowledge the real-world constraints many of us face. If you don’t have leadership buy-in, whether from elected officials or senior administrators, your ability to act decisively can be limited. You do the best you can with the resources, authority, and influence you do have, while continuing to advocate for more.
It’s a balancing act between being realistic and being relentless.
We need a culture shift for sure, but we also need systemic support, consistent investment, and leadership that understands and values the role of emergency management before the disaster hits.
Kimber Campbell
Emergency Management
City of Surprise, AZ
Let me know if you'd like to make it more casual or add a specific example from your own experience.