Growing up on a farm and ranch, you need to be a jack of all trades to keep equipment running, and getting things done.. From fixing a sugar beet cultivator, being able to use a cutting torch and welder, to knowing your way around an engine, not being afraid to get a little greasy might be one day on the job. The next day it may be animal science, being able to recognize a sick acting calf and knowing what to do around an overprotective cow as you need to get close and doctor the young. Breaking a new horse to ride. or playing fireman as irrigation ditches are burned, it was never boring or the same day to day. Knowing and understanding Horticulture, Mechanics, Animal Husbandry, and Construction are just some of the great life skills I learned growing up where I did. This sometimes hard lifestyle installed a work ethic in me I think has served me well.
Emergency Managers in years past has a history of being career folk from Law Enforcement and Fire/EMS. For decades, many have thought having someone retired from one of these fields as your Emergency Manager was a perfect fit in filling this role. These professions share a lot of similar areas, and I for one am glad and proud of my volunteer years in Fire/EMS These years helped give me a solid foundation of understanding the IC system, logisitcs, operations, support and some of the other basic knowledge I needed when I took this role. Honestly it was an easy transition understanding the roles, and responsibilities I now shared. The hardest part for me as I was reminded for several months, was that I was NOT the Fire Chief any longer. I could no longer only think of the incident from a solely response aspect. I was no longer the first responder. My role is support, at least during an incident. But times change and as times change, hazards change and with that the role of the Emergency Manager needs to to change also. People now have choices to actually study and receive a degree in Emergency Management. Even more with the daily changes and additions of Social Media, the roles are constantly changing in how an effective Emergency Manager does his or her job.
As an Emergency Manager you spend many hours working behind the scenes building relationships, planning, working on mitigation projects, scheduling and building training's to test the systems in place, and mix in plenty of office work, dealing with budgets, grants, and government officials.I quickly learned as I stepped into this role there really wasn't a true check list in how to do this job. Maybe a basic outline, but an Emergency Manager needs to be highly motivated and willing to do what is needed without little direction. I'm not saying its a requirement but having a "Type A" personality definitely helps you master this career choice. Being a "Jack of all Trades" and managing your time efficiently only helps one do this job well. Just like on the farm, you needed to just get things done without little direction. There was no time card punched, no quota that had to be met each day. The only project deadline was having a crop to sell at the end of the season. In the same way an Emergency Manager needs to manage time, and balance being an organizational planner, trainer, budget and finance expert, and public information officer at any given time with not little notice. Many days I have "changed hats" from one role to another to get everything accomplished that needs to be.
Its funny how life prepares you for your role in life. Growing up on the farm and ranch I learned from an early age many different things to keep the farm moving. Some of these activities I really enjoyed while others not so much. I'm always up for a challenge and as I look back over my life thus far, its funny to see some of the directions life has taken me. Seems like I've done a bit of everything, from working in bars and restaurants while going to college, to working in health care, as a CNA, and Phlebotomist. Volunteering in the community as a firefighter/EMT and as a youth leader in my church. Even working some construction along the way before settling into a career at an environmental lab before taking the position as the Emergency Manager for Stillwater County has lent me the skills to be a jack of all trades needed for my current position.
All of these choices in life have helped form the person I am today. Along the way I always thought as long as I met one criteria for what I did, I was happy. That one criteria is and always has been wanting to make a difference in the world. I'm very thankful for the childhood I had growing up in rural Montana. I certainly have no idea where life may have taken me without the background I do have. I also do know that working in Emergency Management seems to complete the puzzle for me. Never in any of the roles I have had does a position allow me the flexibility yet satisfaction in doing something I truly enjoy. Its funny I recently read a couple quotes that hit home and actually are the basis of this writing. "Out of frustration grows patience, from tears you find strength, and from your failures you find success." As I look back now I can see this so easily in my life thus far. "Life is a book with many chapters. Some are hard to get through, some are easy, but you have to keep turning the page to get to the next adventure." I never realized that the skills I had gained from all the previous chapters in my life were preparing me for this. Looking back I am pleased with the direction my life has taken me professionally and provided me the opportunities in life to be a "Jack of all Trades" in this adventure more fitting for my life.
From the Ranch
Looking West
Monday, July 25, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Random Ramblings As I try Something New
Over the past several months, working as an Emergency Manager in a small County has provided more time in the lime light than I think anyone ever imagined. After a winter that seemed to bring an endless amount of snow, to ice jam concerns, record breaking rainfall in the spring causing flash flooding, snow melt causing high water all the way into the middle of July, and now the heat setting in causing fire danger to increase drastically, emergency and disaster situations seem to have just melded together. Mix in an Oil Spill on the Yellowstone River, luckily not in my county, but we still responded with mutual aid on the original night, and I hope we begin to see that being an Emergency Manager or DES Coordinator as referred to here in Montana, is more than a part time position. If done right, there is plenty of work that needs to be done long before any of the disasters or emergencies happen.
Anyone that doesn't understand the amount of time an Emergency Manager puts into reading, researching, writing, testing, plans and procedures to make things run smoother during an actual incident, needs to just spend a couple days understanding what we do. Building relationships and "not exchanging business card over a disaster" takes a real commitment to make sure proper contacts are kept up to date, and current when they are needed. This is easy when danger is eminent, but people easily forget and its an after thought within a very short period of time. Keeping up to date with what is available, yet understanding budget restraints is a dilemma for any Emergency Manager.
Personally I have found real enjoyment in focusing on Training and Preparedness. I think we have overlooked so many opportunities in helping people help themselves. Why not put a focus on preventative actions and preparedness instead of response and recovery? Well of course the images are not as gripping as those of folks trapped on rooftops or in shelters, etc.
One of the great strengths of Montanan's is our independent nature. Most of us are somewhat of an outdoorsy type of person and already hunt, camp, fish. If you think of it this way, its amazing how prepared most of us are in this area. During our recent incidents, we have opened shelters with at best a handful of folks showing up. Now does this mean there is not a need or does it mean we haven't educated folks about where to find assistance? Again building relationships with your community comes to the forefront. I count myself lucky that I stepped into this role about the time social media became popular. As someone from a small county with only a weekly newspaper, and all other news information shared by regional media sources some 40 miles away or over coffee at the local cafe, it has become a life line into the community. Using social media has allowed me to interact with the citizens of the county like no one before me. As frequently as need be, I can share up-to-date information on a developing situation or concern, or more often, share preparedness information. It has allowed me to create a dialogue with the County never seen before. I look forward to using it even more as we go forward and as we hit September for Preparedness Month.
If you haven't caught onto my thought pattern yet, no worries, sometimes I don't either, but let me give you this little insight. I talk about all these things to prove my point, that Emergency Managers work more than "part-time" no matter how much time they are paid for their role. Being on call 24/7, even though I am only in the office for a couple days a week, it doesn't mean I am not thinking about what is going on; do I need to alert folks on some potential hazard; how do I help find assistance for those needing it; and how do I make sure what happened elsewhere, as shown on the news, doesn't happen here? I ponder these issues as I try to assist the people I work for. My grandfather always told me growing up, that we should try to leave the land better than we found it. I think this molded my passion of leaving things better in this world for the next generation. I got into Emergency Services to help people in their time of need, with the transition from a First Responder to an Emergency Manager, my approach may differ but the mission remains the same, even if its only considered on a Part-time Basis.
Anyone that doesn't understand the amount of time an Emergency Manager puts into reading, researching, writing, testing, plans and procedures to make things run smoother during an actual incident, needs to just spend a couple days understanding what we do. Building relationships and "not exchanging business card over a disaster" takes a real commitment to make sure proper contacts are kept up to date, and current when they are needed. This is easy when danger is eminent, but people easily forget and its an after thought within a very short period of time. Keeping up to date with what is available, yet understanding budget restraints is a dilemma for any Emergency Manager.
Personally I have found real enjoyment in focusing on Training and Preparedness. I think we have overlooked so many opportunities in helping people help themselves. Why not put a focus on preventative actions and preparedness instead of response and recovery? Well of course the images are not as gripping as those of folks trapped on rooftops or in shelters, etc.
One of the great strengths of Montanan's is our independent nature. Most of us are somewhat of an outdoorsy type of person and already hunt, camp, fish. If you think of it this way, its amazing how prepared most of us are in this area. During our recent incidents, we have opened shelters with at best a handful of folks showing up. Now does this mean there is not a need or does it mean we haven't educated folks about where to find assistance? Again building relationships with your community comes to the forefront. I count myself lucky that I stepped into this role about the time social media became popular. As someone from a small county with only a weekly newspaper, and all other news information shared by regional media sources some 40 miles away or over coffee at the local cafe, it has become a life line into the community. Using social media has allowed me to interact with the citizens of the county like no one before me. As frequently as need be, I can share up-to-date information on a developing situation or concern, or more often, share preparedness information. It has allowed me to create a dialogue with the County never seen before. I look forward to using it even more as we go forward and as we hit September for Preparedness Month.
If you haven't caught onto my thought pattern yet, no worries, sometimes I don't either, but let me give you this little insight. I talk about all these things to prove my point, that Emergency Managers work more than "part-time" no matter how much time they are paid for their role. Being on call 24/7, even though I am only in the office for a couple days a week, it doesn't mean I am not thinking about what is going on; do I need to alert folks on some potential hazard; how do I help find assistance for those needing it; and how do I make sure what happened elsewhere, as shown on the news, doesn't happen here? I ponder these issues as I try to assist the people I work for. My grandfather always told me growing up, that we should try to leave the land better than we found it. I think this molded my passion of leaving things better in this world for the next generation. I got into Emergency Services to help people in their time of need, with the transition from a First Responder to an Emergency Manager, my approach may differ but the mission remains the same, even if its only considered on a Part-time Basis.
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