Jeff Schlegelmilch is the Director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University and the author of Rethinking Readiness: A Brief Guide to 21st Century Megadisasters. In this episode, Jeff discusses his latest book, the disasters that have the most potential for mass destruction, the relationship between NGOs and government agencies in disaster response, and much more.

The National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University works to understand and improve the nation’s capacity to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. NCDP focuses on the readiness of governmental and non-governmental systems; the complexities of population recovery; the power of community engagement; and the risks of human vulnerability, with a particular focus on children.

To purchase Jeff’s book, Rethinking Readiness, visit here.

To learn more about the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, visit here.

Follow NCDP: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

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• Background on Jeffrey and the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (00:00)
• Inspiration for his book, Rethinking Readiness (07:10)
• Releasing a book on disasters during a pandemic (09:25)
• Funding challenges and the downstream effects on communities (13:20)
• Why droughts stand out as a domestic threat (18:40)
• The problems with US water ownership laws (22:15)
• Different eras of disaster response and the four sectors that respond (25:35)
• Role of NGOs and their effect on governmental response (30:30)
• What’s next for NCDP and preparedness as an industry (44:00)

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HOST

Jason Friesen is the Founder and Executive Director of Trek Medics International, a 501c3-registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving access to emergency response networks in communities across the globe through innovative mobile phone technologies.

Learn more about Trek Medics International by visiting their website, and for more info on the Beacon Crisis Response Platform visit here.

Follow Trek Medics on: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

Theme song: "Happy Feliz" by ¡Big Grande! (used with permission).