Welcome back to Catching Wildfire! On this episode, Chief Jeff Johnson and Chief Kim Zagaris speak with David Blankinship, President of Emergent. David shares how his background has contributed to the technical evolutions and innovations at Emergent. During the episode, they delve into how Emergent's fire apparatus hotspots and architectural design are making a difference in the fire industry.

About David Blankinship:

David has over 25 years of experience in Public Safety. He started in the Colorado Springs Fire Department and served as the Senior GIS Analyst applying technology to all-hazard risk analysis, tactical fireground support for major incidents and multiple national deployments. He has co-founded multiple Public Safety startups, including Intterra, an analytics and geospatial situational awareness company that produces software for public safety supporting municipal operations, wildland firefighting, performance analysis and pre-planning.

In 2020, he began serving as an Executive on Loan to the Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA) as the Senior Technology Advisor. In this role, he develops new technology use cases, problem solving for solutions at scale. He curates a portfolio of technology companies, and employs a standardized technology evaluation methodology to assist Public Safety Organizations effectively understand which technologies are best for them.

In 2021, after a successful exit from Intterra, he became the President of Emergent. This focuses on building a new generation in-field applications to firefighters, reducing cognitive demand for the front line of first responders during pressure-filled situations and a radical new paradigm for Public Safety interoperability.

In addition to being the President of Emergent and the Senior Technology Advisor to the Western Chiefs, he serves on both the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Technology Council and the WFCA Technology Committee. He is actively involved in local, state, and national initiatives addressing public safety technology, communications, policy, and risk initiatives.

For more information about Catching Wildfire, visit: https://thepsbta.org/catching-wildfire/

To learn more about Emergent, please visit: https://www.emergent.tech/

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