Our latest episode with Deb Borsos, Recovery Operations Specialist and Visual Artist. Learn more at: https://www.communicationspodcast.com/nobody-talks-about-recovery-like-her-meet-bcs-recovery-specialist-deb-borsos-and-host-tim-conrad/

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 communities need honesty instead of polished messaging, and how local leadership consistently outperforms outside contractors.

From daily unfiltered updates during wildfires to the rise of community-led recovery movements like DisasterWise in Australia, Deb offers practical, grounded insights for anyone working in emergency management, communications, or local government.

If you want to truly understand recovery, this is the episode.

What You’ll Learn
• Why communications is the weakest link in recovery — and how to fix it
• How recovery begins during response, not after
• Why communities need truth, not protection
• The importance of local leadership vs. outside contractors
• How Australia’s rural communities are redefining community-led recovery
• Why “build back better” often misses the mark
• The power of timely, honest, unfiltered updates
• How small communities can lead without being incorporated
• Why responders must remember: you are a guest in someone else’s community

⏱️ Chapters
Time Chapter
00:00 Opening: Joni Mitchell, Hawaii floods & the reality of recurring disasters
01:47 Why communications is the weak link in recovery
02:57 “Going rogue”: Deb’s daily community updates during wildfire response
04:52 Recovery begins the moment disaster strikes
06:26 The danger of people pleasing and approval bottlenecks
07:47 Why communities need information to move forward
09:01 Responders are guests — and why that matters
10:49 Hard truths: why honesty beats false hope
12:16 Politicians, promises, and the cost of showing up
13:23 Communities stay long after the spotlight fades
15:35 What Australia taught Deb about community-led recovery
17:32 DisasterWise: grassroots recovery in action
19:18 Recovery is lonely — and why community leadership is essential
20:43 “Build back better”: myth, reality, and Merritt’s persistence
22:27 Advocacy starts during response — not after
23:27 Why funding windows must change
24:11 Municipal lines, shires, and who gets to lead recovery
26:13 Rural vs. urban: the power of tight-knit communities
27:02 What Australia gets right about communications
28:25 The irreplaceable value of face-to-face community connection