Emergency Response Episodes

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Wildfires, Floods and Chaos Communications, host Tim Conrad sits down with Gary Stronach, an evacuee from the 2008 Porters Lake wildfire in Nova Scotia. Gary shares a raw, deeply personal account of what it was like to be suddenly cut off from his home, unable to reach neighbours, and left searching for information as the fast‑moving fire surrounded Candy Mountain Road. Through Gary’s story, we explore the communication gaps that evacuees faced, the importa...

In this episode, Fire Chief Paul McCarthy of the 150 Mile Fire Department and Emergency Program Manager for the Williams Lake First Nation, joins host Tim Conrad for a deep dive into one of the most unpredictable wildfire seasons in recent memory. Knucwentwecw is a Secwepemctsin (Shuswap) word meaning "helping each other" or "working together physically and mentally.

When the 2008 Porters Lake–Lake Echo wildfire tore through the suburbs east of Halifax, more than 5,000 people were forced to flee with only minutes to decide what mattered most. In this episode, Paula Danyluk‑MacDonald - evacuee, mother, neighbour, and principal of Atlantic View Elementary - shares her firsthand account of sudden evacuation, community fear, and the remarkable resilience that followed. Paula describes the moment firefighters knocked on her door with five minu...

After a disaster, the world moves on, but communities don’t. In this episode of the Wildfires, Floods and Chaos Communications Podcast, host Tim Conrad talks with Deb Borsos, one of BC’s most respected recovery specialists, about what really happens after the emergency ends. Deb shares decades of hard‑earned wisdom from wildfire zones, flood‑stricken towns, and remote communities in both Canada and Australia. She explains why communication failures can derail recovery, why co...

This episode brings together nearly 150 years of combined volunteer firefighting experience as three Bridgewater Fire Department leaders, Honorary Chief Reid Whynot, Honorary Chief Wayne Thorburne, and Chief Michael Nauss, sit down to reflect on the department’s 150th anniversary and the evolution of service, technology, and community over a century and a half. Host Tim Conrad guides a conversation filled with history, humour, and hard‑earned wisdom from decades on the front lines...

Conspiracy, AI-created imagery, misinformation and false information now dominate disasters, overpowering truthful and honest information. It is mainstream on social media, podcasts and traditional media, and often repeated by broadcasters, hosts and celebrities.  Pete Jensen is on the front lines of the southern California wildfires, where, in the past, he has served in many roles, including public information officer. Much of what he shares applies no matter where you are. What we know about wildfires, how they move and how we fight them is international.

National Parks' search and rescue family liaison officer, Moose Mutlow, joins host Tim Conrad, APR, and shares how they connect incident command to families and friends to ensure strong communication throughout searches. Listen For: 01:50 - The roles of search and rescue and family liaison officers 10:33 - Setting the stage 28:40 - The idea of truth 40:28 - Finale - Three questions