Addressing Modern Emergency Management Challenges with Advanced Technology

Lori Hodges, Director of Emergency Management at Larimer County

Lori Hodges, Director of Emergency Management at Larimer County

In an interview with Govt CIO Outlook, Hodges shares her insights on the shift in emergency management toward flexibility, adaptability and consequence management. She highlights the role of technologies like AI in situational awareness and advocates for a systems-based, holistic approach to crisis management.

Lori Hodges is an emergency management professional with 30 years of experience at both state and local levels. Her education includes a Master’s Degree in Defense Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School, a Master’s in Political Science and Public Policy from the University of Colorado and a Bachelor’s in Emergency Management from Metropolitan State College of Denver. She specializes in utilizing a strategic planning process with specific actions and work plans.

Evolving Emergency Management Systems

Emergency management programs were initially formed under civil defense, focusing on threats like floods, fires and hurricanes. These programs have now evolved to address more complex issues like the opioid crisis or the resettlement of migrants, which fall outside the emergency management boundaries that existed before. These issues require reactive measures, planning and collaboration across various sectors.

One of the key shifts that I have seen in Larimer County’s emergency management approach is building programs that are more holistic and adaptive to unpredictable challenges. It has often operated within a linear command and control model, which is no longer effective as many of our partners don’t directly report to us. Trying to fit our modern challenges into systems designed decades ago is not very effective. These challenges demand a more horizontal, collaborative model where we have to look at things from a complex perspective and see how we can change the way we respond to emergencies and disasters. We also have to think about how we can build our programs to be flexible and adaptable to handle the challenges of the future.

Addressing Modern Challenges in Emergency Management

To meet the modern challenges, we have restructured our emergency management approach in different ways. One significant shift we are seeing across the country, especially in our programs here in Larimer County, is the focus on consequence management rather than just reacting to the events themselves.

"Adopting process-based plans that focus on key factors like public information management and resource management is necessary. This helps ensure that our systems are adaptable to various hazards like floods, hurricanes or pandemics"

For instance, after a wildfire, while emergency responders focus on the immediate danger, emergency managers take on the responsibility of dealing with the broader impacts, like poor air quality, displaced populations or problems related to access to clean water and medical treatment.

Adopting process-based plans that focus on key factors like public information management and resource management is necessary. This helps ensure that our systems are adaptable to various hazards like floods, hurricanes or pandemics. For example, when COVID-19 hit, pandemic plans existed but were not fully equipped to handle the complexity. We had to adapt quickly and adjust our programs to respond to the crisis.

It is also important to embrace failures. In emergency services, we are trained to overcome failures in the field, allowing us to learn from our mistakes and improve. This approach helps identify gaps in systems and refine our response capabilities.

There should also be a plan for unexpected events. We have to realize that standard operating procedures and guidance documents are not always enough. Our systems must be flexible enough to move through the chaos instead of trying to control it when things go off-plan.

A Systems-Based Emergency Management Approach

In emergency management, we take a systems approach, as everything operates within a systems environment. Instead of focusing on specific functional areas like firefighting or public safety, we are shifting to a lifeline model emphasizing critical infrastructure and resources, including water treatment plants essential to a community’s well-being. For example, if a flood damages a water treatment plant, it can lead to a water outage that will impact thousands of people. By focusing on keeping these lifelines safe, emergency managers eliminate the cascade of problems that might happen.

Influence of Technology and Information in Emergency Management

Public information management plays an important role in our success. A public information officer is necessary to review and fact-check all information and curb rumors to ensure situational awareness during an issue.

Geospatial awareness and geographic information systems are other areas of high priority as they help in making better decisions in emergency operation centers. Many emergency management programs now recognize the need to understand geospatial technology for situational awareness.

AI has also become a game-changer. We can put a vast amount of vetted data into an AI system and receive answers to specific questions. This helps emergency managers access required insights quickly.

Advice to Emerging Emergency Managers

The most important advice that I can give to a beginner in emergency management is to maintain good relationships. When I first started as an emergency manager, I believed I had to have all the solutions, which was actually impossible. What we really need is to keep relationships with people who have the expertise to solve issues. The challenges we face are always different. Having a network of reliable partners will allow you to solve problems more effectively.