The Bravo Zulu Podcast

Robin met with Scott Nielsen, Emergency Management Coordinator at Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office - Emergency Management (OEM) to discuss how they use D4H.com for Incident Management and Equipment Management.

Robin was joined by Dr. Jamie Johnson from Western Illinois University (WIU) listen as they discuss how real-world technology is shaping emergency management education. Dr. Johnson shares his firsthand experience integrating D4H into WIU's curriculum, and how D4H is bridging the gap between the classroom and the field by giving his students hands on experience for their future roles as emergency managers.

Robin was joined live by Daniel Scott, a passionate emergency manager and industry expert. Together, they dive into the intersection of community resilience, public engagement, and emergency management technology. This is a great opportunity to gain valuable insights and strategies as they explore the ways in which effective communication, innovative technology, and community involvement can bolster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts in emergency management.

Robin was joined by Mike McCartney, SWAT Training Coordinator at the Chandler Police Department SWAT Team. We hear firsthand about the day-to-day operations of a SWAT team, as well as how Chandler SWAT leverages D4H to enhance their team readiness and resilience. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the challenges, successes, and behind-the-scenes action of a leading SWAT team!

Robin was recently joined by David Ruch, Data Officer at Water Safety Ireland to discuss the critical role of data in water safety. Water Safety Ireland is a vital government organization dedicated to preventing water-related injuries and drownings in Ireland. During this discussion we learnt how Water Safety Ireland utilizes D4H to log and analyze water-based incidents, how this data aids in understanding risk factors and patterns in water-related incidents, as well as how it shapes strategies for prevention, response, and recovery.

Robin was joined by Jason Bredehoft, SWAT Operations Supervisor of the Tucson Police Department. This is an excellent opportunity to gain insight into the high-stakes world of a specialized SWAT unit. Robin and Jason delved into the daily operations of a SWAT team, as well as how they use D4H to ensure their personnel and equipment are always ready for the next tasking.
Whether you're a professional in emergency management or law enforcement, or simply intrigued by the world of SWAT operations, this stream offers valuable insights and a rare peek behind the scenes of tactical law enforcement.

We met for a live stream with CEO Robin, CTO Mario, Product Operations Engineer Thierry, and Customer Experience Specialist GP as they took a deep dive into the features and upgrades we introduced in 2023 across both Operations Center and Team Manager platforms. More than just a retrospective, this session is your chance to understand how these features can continue to benefit your operations. Tune in, and be part of the conversation shaping the future of D4H!

Join us for the latest episode of D4H's 'API Innovators' series, where we were joined by special guests Steve Levy and Tom Grundy from Nevada County Sheriff's Search and Rescue to learn how they've harnessed the power of D4H's public API to enhance their search and rescue operations. Steve showcased his innovative app that integrates D4H, GroupMe, and CalTopo to streamline operations during searches and activities and Tom discuss's his Android sign-in app designed to provide an automated solution for attendance tracking at meetings, trainings, and incidents.

Robin was joined live by Michael Young, Hovercraft Pilot and SRT at BARB Search & Rescue, a charity that operates two life-saving rescue hovercraft and an inshore rescue boat in the Somerset area of the UK. We hear about how Michael used D4H's Team Manager API to build a bespoke website that displays real-time on/off call status updates for their crew at the station. Michael shares his insights and experiences in utilizing the API, and we also learn more about BARB Search & Rescue itself and how they use.

We are back with another Feature Suggestions Live Stream! Listen to our team discuss your top wish list items and share their insights. This live stream was just one of the many initiatives we undertake to ensure we stay closely connected to the needs of our community. We thank you for your active participation and fantastic ideas.

The New Jersey EMS Task Force has transported and tracked more than 500,000 vaccine doses since it began the critical process as part of the state of New Jersey’s vaccination program. The Task Force also developed mobile vaccination programs to bring vaccines to people who could not visit traditional vaccination sites. Robin was joined live by Bucky Buchanan, State Planner at the New Jersey EMS Task Force and Nick Vanucci, Planning Specialist at the New Jersey EMS task force to learn all about how the team has gone from working behind the scenes, to supporting testing and vaccination sites, to administering vaccines and more.

Robin and Andrew were joined by Dennis Cyphers, Deputy Director at the 911 Communications Center for Columbus County Emergency Services. Columbus County Emergency Services recently trialed D4H Incident Management for special event emergency planning at the North Carolina Strawberry Festival. Dennis shared his experiences with the software platform, as well as more broadly, the Columbus County Emergency Services' approach to pre-planned events and lessons learned from the festival.

Hundreds of thousands of people go missing each year, with their safe return relying on fast and coordinated search and rescue operations. Robin was joined by Robert Koester, developer of the International Search and Rescue Incident Database (ISRID) and author of 'Lost Person Behavior' to chat about what ISRID is, how teams use it, how D4H can collect data, and how to send that data to ISRID to contribute. Robert will also be discussing the second edition of his book 'Lost Person Behavior' which helps rescuers look in the right place to find lost subjects faster.

In April 2022, the KwaZulu-Natal province in south-east South Africa experienced devastating floods that caused the death of 435 people, displaced over 40,000 people and destroyed over 12,000 houses. As the country's official response has come to an end, Robin was joined live by Grant Tyson, Chairman and Kyle Nesbitt, Vice Chairman at SARZA, a highly-trained volunteer search and rescue organization in South Africa. Kyle and Grant will be discussing how the team approached such a challenging response, what tools they used to aid them, as well as lessons learned and how they'll apply those to future responses.

Robin was joined by Ginny Katz, CEO of HazAdapt to discuss community resilience and inclusivity in emergency management; i.e., the importance of helping diverse, everyday people connect to safety resources, adapt to emergencies, and overcome them. We also learn about how HazAdapt's own humanity-friendly platform supports bottom-up resilience and information sharing between the public and emergency authorities.

Robin was joined live by Team Leader, Natalie Gyles, and Head of Personnel, Richard Tremain at NZRT-8, the Wellington Emergency Response Team in New Zealand. Natalie and Richard will provide an inside look into the remarkable work of their team and delve into how they leverage D4H Personnel & Training in their emergency response operations. We also heard about how the team's meticulous use of D4H Personnel & Training played an important role in their successful NZRT accreditation last year. Natalie and Richard also discussed their software feature requests with Robin, making this a must-watch event for anyone interested in the intersection of emergency response, personnel management, training, and technology.

Robin was joined by Luci Swatton and Andrew Howe, two experienced Emergency Management Advisors from New Zealand. They shared their insights into the important work done by the Nelson Tasman Emergency Management Group and the Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management Group, including their processes for preparing, responding to, and recovering from emergencies.

Luci and Andrew also discussed their experiences with D4H and how they've achieved improved standardization, interoperability, and efficiency since both agencies began utilizing the same emergency management software system.

Additionally, we were  joined by Emma Newberry to hear all about AF8, an award-winning program of scientific modeling, coordinated response planning, and community engagement, designed to build resilience to the next Alpine Fault earthquake.

Robin and Christopher Tarantino, CEO & Founder of Epicenter Innovation, recently met for a chat about emergency management technology, accessibility to technology in emergency management, and innovative practices taking place at the intersection of EM and tech.

The urban space is one of the most complicated and high-risk environments in which search and rescue missions are carried out. Canada Task Force 1 (CAN-TF1) is a special operations team that rescues victims from major structural collapses and other urban hazards throughout Canada.   Dive into the world of HUSAR with us as Robin is joined by Eric Grootendorst, Captain of Operations at CAN-TF1 for an exclusive look at what it's like to be part of one of these elite teams.

After the success of our first feature suggestions live stream we're back with a part two!  Robin will be joined by Mario Casciaro, our Chief Technology Officer, to talk through some more customer feature requests. Tune in live to join the conversation, ask questions, and share your suggestions.

Robin is joined by Jennifer Smith, Emergency Management Coordinator at NCH Healthcare System in Florida to hear all about what emergency management looks like at a multi hospital healthcare system.

With over 20 years of service in public safety and emergency management, Jennifer is responsible for coordinating all pre and post emergency event activities at NCH. This includes executing hospital-based exercises and drills, managing and documenting incidents, writing After Action Reports, and conducting NIMS training with staff, and coordinating with community partners such as County emergency management.

Whether it's at the scene of a road traffic accident or in someone's home during a life-threatening emergency, BEEP Doctors Cumbria's team of volunteer doctors are on call 24/7 to provide enhanced pre-hospital care in medical emergencies.   

Robin will be joined by Dr. Chris Moss to learn all about the UK charity and how they use D4H to keep their team organized and ready to respond.

Robin is joined by Lieutenant Matthew Rephann, Commander of Berkeley County Sheriff's Department's S.W.A.T. team in West Virginia. They'll be discussing the responsibilities of the S.W.A.T. team and some unique challenges they face. As Quartermaster for the Department, Lt. Rephann will also be discussing how he uses D4H to manage a large inventory of highly specialized equipment.

This week, Robin will be joined by David Wilson, Training Manager at York Rescue Boat in the UK. David will be discussing why York Rescue Boat was formed, their mission and duties, callouts they receive, and how they use D4H to centrally manage their team planning and responses.

Surrounded by ocean and divided by mountain ranges, the Hawaiian island of Oahu has unique geography for search and rescue. Robin will be joined by Becca Frager, Director of Training at Oahu SAR to hear about the challenges they face and their hiking safety education initiative which aims to reduce the number of rescues needed.

Last month, the South Island of New Zealand was hit with a deluge that forced hundreds of people in the Canterbury region to evacuate their homes. Robin is joined by Brennan Wiremu, Emergency Management Advisor at Waimakariri District Council to learn how they kept people safe and coordinated the district's response and recovery.

Robin is joined by Nico Doodeman and Ray Burge to discuss life in the Operations Centre, their boats, training, and the challenges they face.   Coastguard New Zealand provides the primary maritime search and rescue service in New Zealand, bringing over 6,000 people home safely each year.

Robin is joined by Thomas Breckel, Director of Clinton Co. EMA in Ohio to discuss Rural Emergency Management where incidents from tornados to chemical fires almost always impact agriculture and livestock.

Robin is joined by Casey Stevens, Emergency Management Director Lincoln County EMA to discuss how they moved their Local EMA Directors, Fire Chiefs, Law Enforcement, Schools, and the Communications Center from flip charts over to D4H, managing severe weather events, road closures, and damage assessments centrally.

Robin is joined by Emergency Management Specialist Félix Talbot to discuss how they assist First Nations communities before, during, and after disasters. Located in Wôlinak, the Emergency Operations Centre of the Grand Conseil de la Nation Waban-Aki (GCNWA) provides emergency support to First Nations communities in Quebec.

This week, Robin is joined by Steve Glassey from Animal Evac NZ to discuss Animal Disaster Management, their specialist equipment, training, preparation, and how they respond to disasters in the region.

We went live on the 12th of January with professional rescue technician & emergency manager Kyle Van Delft from BC, Canada to discuss the SAR functionality in D4H Incident Management. If you'd like to follow along on-screen, find this episode on our YouTube. Enjoy.

Robin is joined by Meghan and Julie from SARTopo to discuss how Search & Rescue teams use their software for mapping and how it integrates with D4H.  

If you'd like to see the screen share you're hearing about, you can watch it on our D4H YouTube channel.

Robin is joined by John Fitzgerald of Channel Islands Air Search to discuss life in a fixed-wing SAR aviation unit, their specialist equipment, training, preparation, and how they respond to the types of incidents.

Robin is joined by Deputy Marshal Thomas Groff, Commander of the Rhode Island Bomb Squad to discuss life in a bomb squad, their specialist equipment, training, preparation, and how they respond to the types of incidents they encounter.

Robin is joined live by Mark Pfeifer from Ronin Rescue to discuss the world of rescue stand-by, confined space, and rope access - and where the industry is going. Mark has built up his own very successful rescue podcast and has represented Canada multiple times at the international Grimpday competition in Europe.