How to Disaster JENNIFER GRAY THOMPSON

“You do have to bring in some science and some education. But there is something that people who have this generational knowledge can teach.” -Algeo Che Casul
 
 
Episode Description: 
Mega fires pose a grave threat to private lands across California in the era of climate change. As hotter, drier conditions fuel larger and more destructive wildfires, the majority of wildlands that surround communities remain in private ownership. Adopting ecologically-minded stewardship techniques is necessary to not only protect personal property but also safeguard surrounding communities from the devastation of mega-fires.  
 
In this episode, Jennifer interviews Algeo Che Casul, a seventh-generation rancher in Sonoma County. In addition to operating his ranch, Che runs the local nonprofit Circuit Rider Community Services which teaches at-risk youth ecological land management practices through paid vocational programs.
Tune in as Jennifer and Che discuss effective practices to mitigate mega-fires, the benefits and challenges of these stewardship techniques, invasive species impacting the landscape, strategies to build more fire-resilient communities, as well as helpful insights into balancing fire safety, sustainability, and equity concerns as climate change drives larger wildland fires. 
 
Connect with After The Fire USA: 
Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebuildNorthBay/
X: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ
 
 
Highlights:
05:28 Prescribed Fires
11:08 Education for Land Treatment
15:23 The Grazers Controversy and Responsible Land Stewardship 
24:01 Wildfires and Their Impacts on Residents
27:26 Resiliency Practices
30:45 Priority Checklist
36:19 Fire Forward
41:16 Energy and Equity
45:20 Generational Sustainability
 
 

“Don't expect to go through it yourself. People will want to help, ask for it. And then when you get through your disaster, pay it forward.” -Margie Foster
 
Episode Description: 
When catastrophe strikes, it falls to ordinary citizens to come together, support each other, and lead the recovery efforts from the ground up.  And in these moments, they also discover inner strength and resilience within themselves and their community. By banding together through difficult times, they can help rebuild and renew their town stronger than before.
Margie Foster, a longtime resident of Glen Ellen, shares her first-hand experience of evacuating from the Tubbs Fire and the emotional toll it took on her tight-knit community. She discusses the frustration of the slow rebuilding process in the first year, the challenges of mitigating fire-damaged land, how she helped coordinate a local rehousing initiative and secure funding to support fire survivors. 
Join in as Jennifer and Margie reflect on the importance of “neighbor helping neighbor” in times of crisis and valuable lessons on community preparedness, the emotional toll of disaster, and innovative ways citizens can lead recovery efforts through connectivity and grassroots organization. 
 
Connect with After The Fire USA: 
Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebuildNorthBay/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ



Highlights:
03:59 Surviving the Devastating Fire
10:22 Disaster Preparedness and Community Response
17:57 Rehousing Initiatives
23:08 Disaster Relief Efforts and Community Resilience
29:09 Rebuilding Challenges
33:04 Recovery and Emergent Leadership
 

"Be prepared so you can help, because everyone needs everybody in this situation." -Joshua Farrell
 
Preparation isn't just about survival— it's about having the capacity to help others. Our ability to lend a hand can significantly ease the burden and contribute to a faster recovery for the entire community. 
In the previous episode, we covered the basics of individual disaster preparedness with citizen prepper, Josh Farrell. This week, Josh continues unpacking the contents of his go bag, sharing additional items that can help us transition from basic preparedness to a more proactive role.
Stay tuned as Jennifer and Josh cover communication and respiration needs to stay connected when infrastructure fails, rations and essentials to keep us fueled until assistance arrives, building necessities that allow innovative solutions in dire straits, pets necessities to reduce their anxiety during disaster, clothing, disinfection, and navigation supplies to keep us healthy on the move, and power supplies to ensure we can keep our lines open to coordinate relief efforts.
 
Connect with After The Fire USA: 
Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebuildNorthBay/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ



Highlights:
02:06 Check #1- Communication and Respiration
07:41 Check #2- Rations and Essentials 
17:38 Check #3- Building Necessities
23:20 Check #4- Shelter and Pets and Sunblock?
39:44 Check #5-Clothing, Disinfection, and Navigation
36:07 How Heavy? 
39:16 Check #6- Power Supply
43:04 Prepared to Help 
 

“If you're prepared, you're not freaking out, you're taken care of, and you can help other people.” -Joshua Farrell
 
Being prepared for disaster is crucial for citizens and communities alike. When emergencies like wildfires or other natural hazards strike, they can overwhelm local response efforts and leave many residents vulnerable in the aftermath. However, with some basic preparation at an individual level, people can significantly improve their resilience and ability to weather crises. 
In this two-part podcast series, Jennifer interviews her friend, Josh Farrell, about his experiences with the devastating 2017 wildfires in Sonoma County, California, and how it prompted him to become more prepared for emergencies as a citizen.
In part one, Josh shares his harrowing experience evacuating his elderly mother from the rapidly advancing wildfires. He recounts the chaotic scenes upon returning to find the town without power or resources. This personal encounter was the catalyst for Josh to seriously focus on disaster readiness.
Listen in as Jennifer and Josh talk about the importance of promptly heeding evacuation orders, must-haves in a go-bag, ways to ensure that necessary documents are accessible, how to maintain preparedness, and how even small steps at an individual level can boost community resilience in the face of catastrophe.
 
Connect with After The Fire USA: 
Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebuildNorthBay/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ



Highlights:
03:34 Fire Evacuation and Preparedness
07:39 The Impact of Wildfire 
11:07 Firefighting Efforts
14:52 How to Prep
19:03 Emergency Response Strategies
23:55 What to Have In Your Go Bag
32:51 Other Essentials
 

 “Don't isolate first responders by making them into heroes. The greatest thing that anyone can do is just say, ‘thank you for your service.’” -Susan Farren
 
“We owe it to our first responders to do whatever we can to help make their jobs easier.” -Bailey Farren



Episode Description: 
Our first responders and healthcare workers sacrifice so much to care for our communities during times of crisis. They put their own health and safety at risk on a daily basis to save lives. However, the trauma and stress of responding to disaster after disaster take a tremendous toll. Thus, we must find ways to support their well-being. Truly, our first responders deserve nothing less for their selfless service. 
 
In this episode, Jennifer interviews two outstanding pioneers in this field, Susan Farren, Founder of First Responders Resiliency, a nonprofit organization that provides proactive training to help mitigate the effects of trauma and stress for first responders, and Bailey Farren, CEO and co-founder of Perimeter, a map-based platform to provide real-time situational information to first responders and citizens. With over 33 years of experience as a paramedic, Sue was inspired to start First Responders Resiliency after being diagnosed with kidney cancer and learning about the health impacts experienced by many in the first responder community. On the other hand, Bailey was motivated to start Perimeter after seeing how first responders and those affected lacked access to up-to-date information.
Join in as Jennifer, Sue, and Bailey dive deep into the increasing toll that responding to massive, fast-moving wildfires is taking on first responders' mental and physical health. They also highlight ways to create innovative solutions to support first responders, the challenges of funding organizations in this space, scaling technology to reach more communities, and valuable insights into how communities can better partner with and care for the public servants risking their lives every day to keep us safe.



Connect with After The Fire USA:  
Website : https://afterthefireusa.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/after-the-fire-usa-8241b7217/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ
 
Highlights:
01:17 Different but Effective Ways to Help the Helpers
09:38 Improving Disaster Response Through Geospatial Mapping
12:29 First Responders Mental Health
16:07 Fire Safety and Tech to Reduce Anxiety for First Responders
24:40 Funding Challenges
32:20 Showing Support and Gratitude
40:14 Community Preparedness for Disasters
43:07 Resiliency Centers for First Responders
 

“Being a volunteer is a privilege…  I wasn't documented so I volunteered a lot. And that volunteer work led many doors to be opened up for me.” -Jocksana Corona
 
Episode Description: 
When disaster strikes a community, ordinary people frequently discover an inner strength and sense of purpose they never knew they possessed. Driven by a desire to help their neighbors through difficult circumstances, emergent leaders step forward to direct rescue efforts, organize relief supplies, provide calm guidance, and more. Though they may lack formal titles or training, these individuals understand that leadership isn't defined by a position, but rather by one's willingness to serve others in their hours of greatest need. 
Jocksana Corona exemplified what it means to be an emergent leader, rising to the forefront of her community's response and recovery efforts following the devastating Alameda Fire in Southern Oregon. Through empathy, initiative, and an unwavering commitment to helping others, she made a profound difference for many families during an incredibly challenging time.
Tune in as Jocksana discusses the obstacles faced by mixed-status families in navigating recovery systems not designed with their needs in mind, the emotional toll of loss, and the strength and resilience required in supporting others in the face devastation. 
 
Connect with After the Fire: Recover. Rebuild. Reimagine.
Website : https://afterthefireusa.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/after-the-fire-usa-8241b7217/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ



Highlights:
01:28 When the Reg Flag Stands
16:46 Stuck In Between Two Fires
21:53 A Tearful, Sleepless Night
25:40 Finding Shelter Amidst COVID 
30:44 Being a Volunteer is a Privilege
41:19 The Beauty of a Community 
45:53 Challenges Faced by the Undocumented Community
56:39Housing and Undocumented Communities
01:03:16 54 Days and Reunited