June - July 202419GOVBUSINESS REVIEWAs we addressed COVID-19, we also experienced significant emergency management issues regarding public safety, environmental risks, and civil unrest. By building upon the models, we established during COVID-19 to address the disease burdens and vaccination rates, we are now monitoring disaster impacts within communities with the highest social vulnerability ratings. However, technology can only take us so far. Our goal within Milwaukee County OEM is to ensure that we provide the greatest level of service to those in the greatest need. We continue to prioritize community engagement to educate and inform the population and garner feedback regarding our residents' physical, emotional, and financial needs.In government, far too often, we rely on "best practices" and past knowledge to develop strategic plans to address service needs. Far less frequently do we ask the community what they need. It's high time that we shift that paradigm to include the feedback from the whole community in the development and assessment of our preparedness plans and goals. When we think of diversity, we often think along the lines of race and gender, and we miss the opportunity to include those who may have access and functional needs. This is unacceptable. In Milwaukee County, every operational plan is viewed through racial equity and an intentionally inclusive lens to ensure that we accurately and thoroughly assist the community. I've always believed that necessity is the catalyst for innovation. Our current operational model requires us to get out into the community, build relationships and be open to critique. I will not pretend that outreach is always easy, that feedback is always comfortable, or that we always get it right. But the information that is gathered during these processes is invaluable. Yet, how can we do better if we don't know better? And the only way to know is to ask. Stay inquisitive.Who are our most prominent stakeholders?Who is our most at-risk population?What are our objectives?What are our resource gaps?Who is missing from this conversation?We must keep the community at the top of our minds in the whirlwinds of an emergency and the calm before the storm. Being ever conscientious of the community's unique needs will inevitably make us better providers and human beings. So, my advice to those of us who are in the world of Emergency Management, both novice, and veteran, is to include the right people, ask the tough questions, be open to the feedback, and be willing to implement change when necessary. Only then can we truly serve the whole community. The first step to a community's recovery is community engagement. We at Milwaukee County shift that paradigm to include the feedback from the whole community in the development and assessment of our preparedness plans and goals
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