Semper Gumby

Terrell Bosarge, National Team Leader for the Deployable Tactical Operations System (DTOS), discusses the mission and capabilities of DTOS. DTOS is a fleet of USACE emergency response vehicles that deploys nationwide in response to natural or manmade disasters.

In this episode, we tell a collection of stories from USACE responders about their deployments in Mississippi and Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. CJ Hamilton, Todd Miller, Patsy Fletcher, Kerry Kennedy, and Joel Hendrix all share moments from their deployments after this historic, catastrophic hurricane. These stories describe the real and lasting impacts, both professional and personal, that disaster response deployments can have for our volunteers.

Public Law 84-99 Subject Matter Experts Willem Helms and Carl Pigott discuss PL 84-99, Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies, which gives the Corps authority for many emergency management activities. Under PL 84-99, the Chief of Engineers, acting for the Secretary of the Army, is authorized to undertake activities including disaster preparedness, advance measures, emergency operations (flood response and post flood response), rehabilitation of flood control works threatened or destroyed by flood, protection or repair of federally authorized shore protective works threatened or damaged by coastal storm, and provisions of emergency water due to drought or contaminated source.

National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) Subject Matter Expert John Beldin-Quinones discusses the NDRF, including an overview of the framework, the USACE role in the Infrastructure Systems Recovery Support Function (IS-RSF), and the roles and responsibilities of the new NDRF IS-RSF Coordinators within the Corps.

Linda Werdebaugh and Ashley Leflore discuss USACE's involvement in the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP), including what it takes to get a program ready for assessment, what an assessment week is like, and the benefits of aligning an emergency management program to specific standards.

Temporary Housing Subject Matter Expert Chris Klein and South Atlantic Division's Readiness and Contingency Operations Chief Joel Hendrix discuss the purpose of the temporary housing mission and how the Corps of Engineers may support FEMA in providing temporary housing to displaced people after a disaster.

Infrastructure Assessment (IA) Subject Matter Experts Andrea Ruminski and Shelly Shafer discuss the IA mission, including the purpose of assessing infrastructure after catastrophic events and how the Corps trains the Planning and Response Team that carries out this mission.

Safety and Occupational Health Subject Matter Experts Marjorie McDonald and Dennis Bradley discuss the mission of the Safety and Occupational Health Planning and Response Team, how Safety team members embed with other mission areas and teams during disaster response, and what a Safety PRT member does in the field.

Northwestern Division's John Leighow and Jennifer Chang discuss the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ), including what it is, what the impacts from an earthquake in the CSZ could look like, and the devolution plan that their Division is working on in the event of a CSZ earthquake.

Savannah District Emergency Management Chief Dave Peterson discusses personal disaster preparedness tips, including how to begin a disaster kit for you and your family. He also describes several resources, from flood insurance to apps to the wisdom of Dr. Seuss, available to help people become more prepared for natural disasters.

Local Government Liaison (LGL) Cadre Lead Patsy Fletcher and LGL Subject Matter Experts CJ Hamilton and Todd Miller discuss the skills and capabilities of this cadre, what their mission is, and the wide variety of deployment experiences that LGLs may face.

Environmental Support Team (EnvST) Subject Matter Expert Arlene Weiner and EnvST Program Manager AviNash Sood discuss the capabilities of this team, what their mission is, and the unique situations and environmental considerations that must be accounted for when using land in other countries during contingencies.

Contingency Real Estate Support Team (CREST) Subject Matter Expert Mike Taylor and CREST Program Manager Marcia DeVille discuss the capabilities of this team, what their mission is, and the finesse that team members must possess to complete real estate transactions in other countries during contingencies.

Logistics Subject Matter Experts Stephen Ridenour and Norbert Zimmerman discuss the capabilities of the two deployable Corps of Engineers logistics teams. The Logistics Planning and Response Team (LPRT) responds domestically to natural and manmade disasters, while the Logistics Support Team (LST) responds to support overseas contingency operations. Steve and Norbert discuss what the logistics teams can do for emergency and contingency responders and why it's important to think about logistics as a vital part of any deployment.

MAJ John Grabowski, Commander of the 565th Forward Engineer Support Team - Advance (FEST-A), MAJ Jason Winkelmann, Commander of the 542nd FEST-A, and Military Planner Marc Dumas discuss the FEST-A pilot program. The Forward Engineer Support Teams are part of the Field Force Engineering (FFE) Program and deploy to overseas locations to provide technical engineering support that improves infrastructure and quality of life for American soldiers. The 565th team, located in Mobile, AL, is a pilot team that will be ready to deploy to any unforeseen overseas contingency within the next 12 months.

High Frequency (HF) Radio Program Manager Chuck Miller discusses the Corps of Engineers' HF radio program, including what HF radio is, how we use it, and why we need it.

Corps of Engineers Urban Search & Rescue Program Manager Tom Niedernhofer and Structures Specialist Michael Baker discuss the US&R mission, the training that Structures Specialists undergo to make sure that buildings are safe for rescuers, and the personal toll that chaotic, high stress deployments can take on volunteers.

CMEP Program Manager Diane Acurio discusses the CMEP program from its inception in the late '90s to current and future initiatives that are underway. CMEP works with the Army Service Component Commands, Geographic Combatant Commands, country teams, and partner nations to strengthen the ability to prepare for and respond to all hazards disasters in support of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

ENGLink Program Manager Brandon Taylor and Training Manager Rodney Moody talk with Nadia Taylor about ENGLink Interactive. ENGLink is an important automated information system used by the Corps of Engineers to track readiness before and mission data during disaster response and recovery operations. ENGLink is also used for safety and security reporting, as Rodney and Brandon describe.

Debris Subject Matter Experts Bo Ansley and Matt Tate talk to Nadia Taylor about the Debris mission. The Debris mission is a disaster response and recovery mission that falls under Emergency Support Function #3, Public Works & Engineering, as part of the National Response Framework. The Corps of Engineers is the lead agency for ESF #3 in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).