The Disaster Tough Podcast is for emergency managers, by emergency managers. We share stories, lessons learned, and tips to help you make informed decisions. Our host, John Scardena is a former Federal Emergency Response Official with Type 1 response experience. He now leads Doberman Emergency Management, from which this is being recorded. Our guests are also field experts who provide their insights in our conversation based podcast. Discussions with emergency managers revolve around the entire disaster life-cycle. We provide solutions based on training and backed by data. We share experiences of emergency response and identify the lessons learned through our own version of after action reporting. This is conversation mode activated. We are known for flipping from serious to humor without warning. Try to keep up in our weekly podcasts! About Doberman Emergency Management. We provide customized plans, mitigates hazards, delivers training, and supplies emergency products to meet the unique needs of clients. We identify and solve the Nation’s most complex incidents. That’s our job.
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The Disaster Tough Podcast is for emergency managers, by emergency managers. We share stories, lessons learned, and tips to help you make informed decisions. Our host, John Scardena is a former Federal Emergency Response Official with Type 1 response experience. He now leads Doberman Emergency Management, from which this is being recorded. Our guests are also field experts who provide their insights in our conversation based podcast. Discussions with emergency managers revolve around the entire disaster life-cycle. We provide solutions based on training and backed by data. We share experiences of emergency response and identify the lessons learned through our own version of after action reporting. This is conversation mode activated. We are known for flipping from serious to humor without warning. Try to keep up in our weekly podcasts! About Doberman Emergency Management. We provide customized plans, mitigates hazards, delivers training, and supplies emergency products to meet the unique needs of clients. We identify and solve the Nation’s most complex incidents. That’s our job.
Cameron Hamilton | Former Acting FEMA Administrator
Disaster Tough Podcast
1 hour 11 minutes
2 months ago
Cameron Hamilton | Former Acting FEMA Administrator
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On May 7, Cameron Hamilton testified before Congress that abolishing FEMA would put Americans at risk. Hours later, his access was revoked, and he was effectively fired by the Trump Administration. In this episode of the Disaster Tough Podcast, Hamilton shares the inside story of that testimony, the fallout with DHS, and why he chose survivors over politics, even though it cost him his job.
Host John Scardena calls FEMA the “IRS of disasters” because so much of the agency’s work revolves around grants, reimbursements, and auditing rather than direct disaster response. Hamilton explains why FEMA has become overloaded with non-core missions and why shifting responsibilities to other agencies is smarter than eliminating FEMA altogether.
Hamilton also discusses his survivor-first reforms, including the FEMA “pizza tracker” for disaster assistance, and his belief in empowering regional leaders to act quickly, even at the risk of audit scrutiny. Drawing from his background as a Navy SEAL medic and State Department crisis responder, he shares hard-won lessons on leadership, risk-taking, and team building.
Listen now for Cameron Hamilton’s unfiltered perspective on FEMA reform, survivor-centric leadership, and why he risked his career to speak honestly before Congress.
Disaster Tough Podcast
The Disaster Tough Podcast is for emergency managers, by emergency managers. We share stories, lessons learned, and tips to help you make informed decisions. Our host, John Scardena is a former Federal Emergency Response Official with Type 1 response experience. He now leads Doberman Emergency Management, from which this is being recorded. Our guests are also field experts who provide their insights in our conversation based podcast. Discussions with emergency managers revolve around the entire disaster life-cycle. We provide solutions based on training and backed by data. We share experiences of emergency response and identify the lessons learned through our own version of after action reporting. This is conversation mode activated. We are known for flipping from serious to humor without warning. Try to keep up in our weekly podcasts! About Doberman Emergency Management. We provide customized plans, mitigates hazards, delivers training, and supplies emergency products to meet the unique needs of clients. We identify and solve the Nation’s most complex incidents. That’s our job.
