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.
In this episode of the Disaster Tough Podcast, host John Scardena sits down with Dr. Chris Ellis, a military veteran, scholar, and author of Resilient Citizens: The People, Perils, and Politics of Modern Preparedness. Together, they explore the evolution of what it means to be a resilient citizen—someone capable of surviving and thriving during crisis through community, faith, and proactive readiness. From Iraq deployments and disaster nation-building to the academic study of resilience and preparedness, Dr. Ellis shares how his journey through war zones, research, and leadership shaped his mission to help others build lasting readiness.
Scardena and Ellis dive into global and cultural lessons from history’s most significant disasters—from Mount St. Helens and Hurricane Katrina to Japan’s tsunami response and European recovery models—and how those events reveal the interconnectedness of preparedness, culture, and resilience. They discuss Ellis’s SPIES framework—Social, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Spiritual—and how these five dimensions strengthen individuals and communities before disaster strikes.
The conversation challenges stereotypes of “preppers,” shifting focus toward collaboration, compassion, and civic responsibility. Ellis explains why preparedness is not about fear, but about agency—taking control of your capacity to act and support others. From faith-based readiness to community-driven resilience, this episode is packed with insights for emergency managers, policymakers, and anyone striving to build a stronger, more self-reliant society.
Whether you’re leading disaster response, training in emergency management, or simply looking to protect your family and neighbors, this episode reminds us that true preparedness isn’t about isolation—it’s about connection, purpose, and service.
You can find Dr. Ellis book here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Resilient-Citizens-People-Politics-Preparedness/dp/163763448XSEO
Keywords: John Scardena | Disaster Tough Podcast | Chris Ellis | The People Perils and Politics of Modern Preparedness | Resilient Citizen | Emergency Management | Preparedness | Resilience | Military Leadership | Nation Building | Community Readiness | Emergency Response | Humanitarian Aid | Disaster Leadership | Crisis Management | Faith and Resilience | SPIES Framework | FEMA | Mount St. Helens | Hurricane Katrina | Japan Earthquake | Resilient Communities | Public Safety | Homeland Security | The Readiness Lab | Doberman Emergency Management
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.
