This week on the Disaster Podcast we chat with returning guest Seamus Leary ,MPA, CEM. He is President of Meridian Strategic Services, Inc. and is an emergency management expert who worked at the state and local levels and later with FEMA at the Federal level. He was previously on the Disaster Podcast talking about leadership in the midst of catastrophe.

Disaster Podcast Episode – Leading Through Catastrophe with Seamus Leary

In this episode, Seamus comes on to talk about resilience and preparedness for what happens when our plans aren’t enough to manage an ever-evolving situation. In these fluid situations that exceed the parameters of the initial disaster plan, adaptation is key to looking at and assessing the situation on the ground and making decisions based on the best possible knowledge managers have at the time.

Meridian Strategic Services on LinkedIn

Great Blizzard of 1888

The episode also featured Dr. Joe Holley and was co-hosted by Sam Bradley and Jamie Davis.

Scroll down for Podcast Discussion Summary

Thank you as always to Paragon Medical Education Group for their long-term support of the Disaster Podcast. Dr. Joe Holley and the team at Paragon continue to provide excellent and customized disaster response training to jurisdictions around the U.S. and internationally as well.

Podcast Discussion Summary

Seamus Leary from Meridian Strategic Services discussed his company’s new “Culture of Resilience” initiative, presenting ten key lessons learned from real-world disaster experiences.

The key points include:

1. plans aren’t enough when disasters outpace them
2. leadership sets the tone for preparedness
3. people are the difference when empowered to make decisions
4. communication creates clarity
5. partnerships drive strength
6. real-time decision making is crucial
7. adaptability is essential
8. trust is earned through transparency
9. after-action reports should distinguish between lessons observed and lessons learned
10. resilience is a choice that requires honest risk assessment and resource-constrained planning

The discussion highlighted the importance of building strong partnerships between diverse organizations during disasters and the need for emergency managers to continuously learn and adapt their approaches.

The team went through contact information and the team encouraged listeners to stay safe. The group discussed the role of specialized training, with Jamie highlighting the sponsorship of the Disaster Podcast by Paragon Medical Education Group.

Catch the full episode using the player above or on your favorite podcast platform, and don’t forget to subscribe to the Disaster Podcast for weekly insights from leaders in disaster response and research!