National Emergency Management Advocacy Month: Why Our Voice Matters

Episode Description August is National Emergency Management Advocacy Month, a time to recognize the importance of speaking up for the emergency management profession and the communities we serve. In this episode, Todd DeVoe and Andrew Boyarsky discuss why advocacy is essential to the future of emergency management. From educating elected officials and building partnerships to securing resources and strengthening community resilience, advocacy isn’t about politics—it’s about ensuring emergency managers have a seat at the table before decisions are made. Todd and Andrew share practical ways emergency managers at every level can become advocates, explain the difference between advocacy and lobbying, and discuss how small conversations can lead to meaningful change. Whether you’re a student, practitioner, volunteer, or executive, this episode will inspire you to help advance the profession and better prepare the communities you serve. Show Notes In This Episode Emergency management has never been more important, yet many people—including policymakers—still don’t fully understand what emergency managers do. National Emergency Management Advocacy Month provides an opportunity to change that. Todd and Andrew discuss: * What National Emergency Management Advocacy Month is and why it exists * Why advocacy is a professional responsibility * The difference between advocacy and lobbying * How emergency managers can educate elected officials and community leaders * Why relationships built before disasters matter * The importance of telling the emergency management story * How advocacy can improve funding, staffing, planning, and preparedness * The role of professional organizations like IAEM and NEMA * Practical advocacy ideas for emergency managers at the local, state, tribal, territorial, federal, private-sector, and nonprofit levels * How every emergency manager can make a difference—even without holding a leadership position Key Takeaways * Advocacy is about education, not politics. * Emergency management deserves a voice wherever public policy is discussed. * Strong relationships built today strengthen disaster response tomorrow. * Every emergency manager is an ambassador for the profession. * Advocacy helps build safer, more resilient communities. Challenge for Listeners During National Emergency Management Advocacy Month: * Schedule a meeting with a local elected official. * Invite community leaders to tour your Emergency Operations Center. * Share your emergency management story on social media. * Mentor someone entering the profession. * Participate in advocacy efforts through your professional association. * Take time to explain what emergency management really does to someone outside the field. Quote of the Episode “Advocacy isn’t about asking for more. It’s about helping people understand the value emergency management brings before, during, and after disaster.” Connect With Us Follow the Emergency Management Network for more conversations with leaders from across the emergency management profession. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and share this episode with a colleague who is passionate about building more resilient communities. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe