THE TACTICS MEETING

Volunteer registration & coordination

With their own unique sets of skills, and a desire to help out, volunteers can play a key role in emergency response. But what are volunteers allowed to do in emergency response, and how do you coordinate them? Nhi Irwin, the Statewide Resource Section Manager of the Washington State Department of Ecology, explains just that in our 30th episode. She describes how to use an online system for volunteer registration & coordination, Northwest Area Contingency Plan policy, and other crucial information about the use of volunteers during a crisis.

Succeeding in the Response World with Kim Estes

Incident Commander and Emmy award-winning actor Kim Estes shares his incident response success tips. What is it like to be in charge, how do you know when to step up, and how are investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board handled? All of these questions and more, answered in this week's full-hour episode.

The Details & Job Tickets of Finance Operations

Deciphering the ins and outs of job tickets, invoices, checklist items, and audits can be a daunting affair during incident command.  In this episode, we hear from Finance Section Chief of Gallagher Marine System, Eva Pomaranski, on overcoming & managing these financial tasks during an emergency. 

A View Into Alaskan Oil Spill Response

This week we hear from the General Manager of the Southeast Alaska Petroleum Response Organization (SeaPro), Dave Owings. Tune in as Dave explains oil spill response & challenges in Southeast Alaska, mutual aid with Canada, and his early days in oil spill response with Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC). 

Formulating Successful Drills in the Virtual Space

Client Support, data security, usability, and accessibility are all key factors when it comes to virtual drill design. This week Agneta Dahl shares her knowledge of the virtual command post and how you can prepare for exercises while keeping best practices in mind. Learn about digital signatures, in-person vs. virtual communication, and digital documentation in the virtual command post so you can have successful drills in the virtual space. 

Response Lessons from the Cosco Busan Oil Spill

Underestimated spill volume, poor visibility, and confusion were only some of the challenges Barry McFarland faced when he became Incident Commander in San Fransisco after the MV COSCO BUSAN collided with the Bay Bridge. When it comes to putting early response to the test, credibility is your number one tool. Six months of built-up trust can disappear in just a few response hours by releasing misleading information. The Captain of the Port found this out the hard way on day seven of this event when he was relieved as Federal On-Scene Coordinator because of a lack of confidence.

Preventing a drift grounding. Washington's emergency towing vessel.

There's a lot to be learned when it comes to the Washington State Emergency Response Towing Vessel. Why do we need it? Who pays for it? And how do I get coverage for my vessel? In this episode, we answer all these questions.  Captain Moore, Captain Veentjer, Dale Jenson, and Sonja Larson explain the history, funding, and activation of the ERTV located at Neah Bay.

Back to business as usual?

This week we hear from, your host, Dan Smiley on the future of the virtual command post and how teaching, meeting, and learning online can be successful for everyone. All the same implementation, without the geographical boundaries.

Donnie Wilson, Inventor and X Prize Winner

Inventor of the drum skimmer, winner of the X Prize, and founder of Elastec, meet Donnie Wilson. This week we'll delve into Wilson's journey, hearing about his efforts to build the world's largest, most efficient, oil skimmer and further discuss his notion that careers do not run in a straight line.

Safety Officer

In Episode 21 of The Tactics Meeting, I talk with Amy Duz from iWorkWise about an incident safety officer's OSHA requirements. We dive into the training and credentials required (if any) and then go down a rat hole talking about our own experiences.