Emergency Response Training on Volunteer Management, Animal Rescue, and Local Context
Why:
Hosted by SEEDS Ecology & Education Centers and Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology, in collaboration with Grow Benzie, Benzie County Emergency Management, and After the Storm, with generous support from the Michigan Commission on Community Service to strengthen and support connections and capacity to mobilize volunteers and financial assistance in Antrim, Benzie and Grand Traverse counties in preparation for future disaster response.
Who:
We welcome all representatives and leaders connected to Benzie County organizations who are committed to some degree of communication and coordination to mobilize volunteers and financial assistance in disaster recovery to attend. Active and credentialed volunteers looking to advance their skills are encouraged to attend.
Email jennifer@ecoseeds.org to register.
About the sessions:
Managing Credentialed and Spontaneous Volunteers: From Planning to Field Operations - Frank Post, PEM, NEMAA Emergency Management Professional Public Safety and Emergency Management Instructor
Frank’s presentation focuses on the practical challenges of organizing, managing, and deploying volunteers during emergency operations. Through real-world examples and lessons learned, participants will explore how to use volunteers safely and effectively in the field, including volunteer reception, assignments, supervision, accountability, and integration into emergency response activities.
Frank Post brings more than 54 years of experience in law enforcement, public safety, fire, EMS, Central Dispatch and Emergency Management, including 23 years as a Public Safety Director and 8 years as the Benzie County Emergency Management Coordinator. A graduate of FEMA’s National Emergency Management Advanced Academy and a Michigan Professional Emergency Manager (PEM), he was recognized as Michigan’s Emergency Manager of the Year in 2017 and Distinguished Emergency Management Professional of the Year in 2024.
Pet and Livestock Rescue in Emergency Scenarios - Cathy Ruprecht of Quindecim Pet & Livestock Disaster Response Team
Our pets and livestock rely on us every day. When severe weather hits Michigan, how will we care for them? Join us to explore how our families and communities can prepare to be disaster ready for all of us. If it’s not safe for you, it’s not safe for them.
Benzie County Emergency Management Updates - Rebecca Hubers
Needs and known areas of response in Benzie County
Organizational Mapping - ALL
Reducing silos and making connections. Join SEEDS, Crosshatch and other attendees to learn what our respective organizations have capacity for and where there are gaps in resource provision.