Voices in the Inferno: Emergency Communication

Tim Conrad (00:05):

Welcome to the Wildfires, floods and Chaos Communications podcast. I'm Tim Conrad, president of Butterfly Effect Communications. Our team of information officers will take you through our experiences navigating the ugly 2023 British Columbia wildfire season, along with lessons from past emergencies. I'm happy to introduce you to Kendra Stoner in this episode. Kendra was a public information officer in the Columbia Shuswap and Squamish Lil'wat Regional District Emergency Operation centers, and also supported the Pathways to Preparedness project in the Caribou Regional District. All right. Here's more about Kendrick.

(00:42):

Kendra Stoner is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in both emergency management and communication. She holds a bachelor's degree in professional communications from Royal Roads University and an associate certificate in emergency management from the Justice Institute of British Columbia, which has equipped her with the knowledge and skills to excel in her career. Throughout her career, Kendra has developed a strong passion for helping communities and organizations prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies. She has worked for various emergency management agencies and has been involved in disaster response efforts, including floods and wildfires. Her experiences taught her the importance of effective communication during emergencies, and she has become an expert in crisis communication and public information management. In her current role as professional communicator, Kendra is responsible for developing and implementing communication strategies for various organizations. She works closely with clients to ensure that the right message is delivered to the right audience. When we met almost seven years ago, you were just fresh out of PR school and had never responded to an emergency. You are now an experienced member of the Butterfly Effect Communications team. You've responded to emergencies in three different regions and many incidents and projects from mitigation through to recovery. So I'm curious, when you think back from then until now, tell us what experiences stand out and why.

Kendra Stoner (02:12):

Yeah, for sure. Emergency response has been the most rewarding work, the high intensity, the adaptability during an activation and having communities rely on me and my team for crucial information during such incredibly vulnerable times and being able to support them has really filled my cup professionally and personally. Although the work is very stressful, as you know, I've just really, I've truly enjoyed helping people during the difficult times in emergency. Something that stood out to me was probably when you watch your work and the work that you and your team have completed, and you watch that on the five o'clock news and you see the impact that your work has been doing on the communities and residents and the media and the whole world. That stood out to me over the years and it's just truly showed the importance of the work that I'm part of and really grateful seeing communities come together during such trying times also has stood out to me as seeing humanity work together and support each other. It's truly spectacular.

Tim Conrad (03:14):

Yeah, it, it's really neat to see that resilience come together in people. I love that part of seeing how human people become in those moments and just that teamwork that goes into this is really just super enjoyable. So this season was unique for you as you supported both EOCs, that you were in both emergency operation centers remotely, which you had never done before. I had never done that before. So besides when I did have a stint during Covid, I was supporting in healthcare. But when you were first in the Shuswap, you were supporting a team which was in person. So you're in a hybrid situation there. You were the only one, I believe, dialing in remote. And so that made it into a hybrid EOC. What made that challenging?

Kendra Stoner (04:12):

Yeah, I think communicating amongst the team was primarily the most difficult part of that hybrid model. An in-person EOC, you're able to kind of support each other on a different level. Reading into body language and keeping an eye out for burnout and those kind of signs is essential. During those challenging times, being able to check in and ensure everyone is doing simple things that often get forgotten is really helpful. When I was deployed in person, I would often say water break to my team members, and although comical, it was a good reminder, we forget those very minute, easy, simple tasks when you're activated like that. My past experiences working in a, in-person, EOC helped with my remote deployment for sure. Understanding the EOC dynamics and how an instant command system works and operates. It supported my ability to kind of manage and know who to call on with certain tasks and questions.

(05:10):

And of course, having a supportive supervisor and team in you and other FRAs team members to bounce ideas during activations and tapping into my friends and family support system was huge, and just trying my best to maintain a self-care routine helped me be successful in that as well, because people don't really realize that your social and everyday life routines completely go out the door during an emergency response. So taking that into consideration during my activations in the hybrid model was important and probably the most challenging part because you're not fully submerged in person with people. You're not going out for lunch with them. You jump on a call and then when you have your 10 minutes of not being on a call, you're like, wow, okay, I'm alone. You are not really in that community, and I missed that. That was probably my most challenging part.

Tim Conrad (06:02):

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And yeah, you're right with the routines, they just vanish like everything goes. And I particularly remember in 17, because it was so frantic at some particular times in 17 that time vanished hours and hours the whole day sometimes. And I remember people having to remind me to go to the bathroom. I would forget that. And it was funny, like I'd go to the bathroom, it's like, wow, I really did need to go to the bathroom.

Kendra Stoner (06:30):

I didn't even realize.

Tim Conrad (06:33):

And it's just like, yeah. So it's very overwhelming. You forget to eat, you forget to drink all those things. The team at the Columbia Schwab Regional District faced many big challenges in their wildfire and really deserve lots of credit for overcoming all of those challenges. There's so many, it was a very, very challenging situation. They were in. Many people probably don't realize that there were more structures lost and more infrastructure damage in the Shuswap as compared to Kelowna. Kelowna got a lot of the attention because it hit there and it was of course, very visual. There's more media in that area and more population. So it was broadcast as that hill was lighting up, whereas the Shuswap was going through the exact same thing at the same time. So tell me about the day that that wind event happened and some of the moments that you remember.

Kendra Stoner (07:27):

Yeah. During that deployment, it was the most devastating day in wildfire history in its region from what they knew, and it was so high stress, and we had already been working so hard and with all hands on deck with managing the response, it was difficult. With the weather changes and a lot of land and flames, it became very clear that largely populated areas needed to evacuate and really quick. We all worked really long into the night and there was little to be done. Realistically. Mother Nature was going to take its course and BC Wildfire Services and other agencies did everything they could to save as much land and infrastructures as possible while ensuring everyone's safety was top priority, which is a tricky balancing act for sure. Incident like these become difficult on local EOCs as well. A lot of people don't realize, but the people working in these EOCs are typically locals themselves.

(08:24):

So the response becomes very personal. And this work, as you know, although rewarding is an incredible emotional rollercoaster. When things are going well, it's going really well. And when they're going bad, it's very challenging. Lives, properties, making tough decisions and not always receiving necessarily positive feedback can be gruesome. Managing emotions at certain times, it can be really overwhelming, but having no distractions and taking mental health breaks like a quick walk can make it's somewhat manageable. But to be honest, as a single person, managing that every day became too difficult. And for me, I personally had to move in with my parents when I was activated to help me get through it. They helped me with simple tasks like cooking and making sure my water bottle was full, making sure I was taking those bathroom breaks like you mentioned. And it just became impossible with back-to-back meetings and staying up to date with fire behaviors and completing necessary tasks throughout the day, and especially in this challenging event. It was a 24 7 response.

Tim Conrad (09:30):

Yeah, yeah, that's right. And while you were supporting the Shuswap, I was here supporting Squamish Lil'wat remotely at that particular time. And so we were confiding in each other how we were doing and everything else and making sure we were okay. But perhaps the odd thing for me was I was working on a fire that was technically behind me and looking out the window was the shoe swamp fire, and I could see that burning off in the distance and got to watch it as it exploded. And I remember sending you a message saying it's it's ready reward now. Right. Ready and get ready. Buckle

Kendra Stoner (10:11):

Up.

Tim Conrad (10:15):

When doom and gloom strikes, you want butterfly effect communications in your favorite contexts. We bring calm to chaos through effective communications. We believe ethical communications can guide populations and organizations to prepare, respond to and recover from crises, emergencies, and disasters. But hey, we're not all doom and gloom. We do fun things too. We can help with projects like stopping glass from going in a blue card or grease, going down a drain, writing a report or understanding how a community feels about something new. Maybe those aren't all that fun, but they are to us. When you are looking to engage, educate or expand, put butterfly effect communications in your favorites, find us at www.butterflyeffectcommunications.ca. When you moved over to Squamish Lil'wat where they had that fully remote EOC, they were dealing with multiple wildfires, which were both close to each other and far apart. It was kind of a weird mix there. So they had some in a clump in one area that was doing, causing all sorts of mayhem in that particular area around roads in particular, and then eventually took some structures and then some others that were quite a distance away. So tell me about a challenge you encountered in your months with them and how did you overcome it?

Kendra Stoner (11:37):

Definitely. It kind of coincides with what you just mentioned about seeing the CSRD wildfires out your window yet working for the SLRD. What I wanted to mention was the personal detachment that is sometimes essential during an emergency activation when there's personal attachment such as your friend's family house under flames or you're looking out the window and seeing a fire approaching, making those tough decisions and remaining calm can be really challenging and makes it more difficult. So I think for me, the challenge is that personal attachment and having emotions, but remaining detached during an activation has been an essential tool in my toolbox to manage and maintain professionalism and essentially getting the job done as best as possible. So of course, it's inevitable to completely put your emotions aside, but choosing the right time to emote those emotions is really important and the emotional attachment and build up response and self-care comes after when you have a sec to do that.

(12:39):

But one of the most challenging parts of the role is when locals call in into the phone line that we operate and they often with high emotions, inevitably concerned about their homes and their loved ones and agriculture seeking guidance and support and helping those individuals by reaching out to other organizations and agencies to gather that correct information they're looking for, and then relaying that information back to them to help them through the process of seeking information, gaining the resources they need are just ease of mind. Although time consuming to support that one-on-one interaction, sometimes it is necessary and has for me, created the most memorable work. And during these difficult times, supporting the public, maintaining a calm voice and offering suggestions while following up on your word during those vulnerable times is essential and residents appreciate it. And that makes it that more personal attachment, but also staying detached at the same time by doing the work and helping them.

Tim Conrad (13:40):

Yeah, absolutely. And I really enjoy those phone line calls whenever I can get on one. It's difficult in our role, especially when we're in the lead role of information to have that opportunity. But as you mentioned, I remember in the Caribou last summer, I had a woman call and she called and she's like, well, I'm not really sure why I'm calling, but I just thought I saw the work that you folks were doing, and I thought I'd reach out and give you a call and make sure you knew that really appreciate it. Everything you doing, and that's

Kendra Stoner (14:20):

So special. We forget the work we're doing and the impact of it sometimes because we're so activated and okay, we've completed one thing, we're onto the next, that those little moments of appreciation is it gets us through. Yeah.

Tim Conrad (14:34):

And it was great. So it took a moment to make sure all of her information was up to date, and it was just lovely to hear from her. And yeah, those calls are wonderful. So

Kendra Stoner (14:47):

They're special. I remember one time in the caribou as well, we had a lady call in wanting to feed her chickens in a evacuation order area. And as people know when you're ordered out, you aren't supposed to go in there. And for whatever reason, I think we had a bit of a lull in the EOC. We really wanted to help this lady get into her chicken coop to be able to fill up their waters and make sure they were okay. And I remember we wrote on the board during our brief meeting in the morning Chicken Lady, and we just really wanted to support her, and it just became this common goal for us to just, we had the capacity, let's support this lady through this little challenging time. It's something that matters to her, and then it becomes a matter to us. We're all human. That's what people forget, I think too, is behind the scenes of we're evacuating this area. We're just humans. We're doing our best and we're just trying to, your safety is our number one.

Tim Conrad (15:41):

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And it is, you mentioned about you're kind of detached, but you're also human and you do bounce between those two worlds and you have to, because you're kind of a machine and just chugging through things, but at the same time, you always, it's our job as information officers to make sure that the rest of the EOC are aware that people are on the other end of things. Like we're all moving at a very fast pace.

Kendra Stoner (16:08):

Definitely. And coming at it with our communications as well, when giving that information is compassion as well. We want to be informative and be quick with our messaging, but the way that we say that messaging too, we need to make sure that, hey, we understand that this is a tough time. We're in this with you. We're a team in some capacity.

Tim Conrad (16:28):

Yeah, absolutely.

Kendra Stoner (16:31):

Here are some quick stats, butterfly effect communications activities during 2023 season of emergency preparedness and response, 10,000 kilometers traveled the equivalent of 24 weeks, worked in emergency operation centers, 12,000 residents evacuated 49 public engagement events where we had over a thousand conversations with residents. 9,000 KN 95 masks given to residents, nearly a mask for every person in that region. 2,600 videos and photos. 1,300 spokesperson mentions in one month reverse media coverage from significantly negative to positive in just two weeks. Over 1 million words written or reviewed, zero lives lost. Now back to the podcast.

Tim Conrad (17:34):

So you've held the PIO role, the public information officer role, which is the incident management team's leader for information collection and delivery. It's a stressful and busy job as you've gotten across here, even when the incident is small or transitioning. So for example, going to recovery or something like that. Tell us about the importance of consistency in the team positions and gaining public trust

Kendra Stoner (18:06):

When it comes to public trust, it's huge. It's how your message is coming across, and it's what you're going to do from that messaging as well. So when it comes to the public trust, when you see a consistent spokesperson in the media, that can be really helpful. And when they deliver that message, you're essentially creating a relationship with that spokesperson. And there's an opportunity for the public to build trust in them as they deliver those crucial messaging and information. And the way, like I mentioned before, the way the messaging is delivered needs to remain consistent as well. People are seeking quick, accurate, and informed messaging during these difficult times. So maintaining consistency is huge. Providing simple things like dates on updates, it allows the public to know when the latest update was, or going back to basic messaging of who, why sometimes the simple messaging is usually the most effective.

Tim Conrad (19:01):

Yeah, absolutely. And yeah, I find with a lot of things, if you sort of add some complexity there, even a little bit of complexity in messaging during a disaster, it really backfires. And so when you say about keeping to one or two spokespeople that face, that's something I've learned over the years, it's quite key to do that. So I've certainly told you that, and it's something we've kept up and it helps to really build that trust and just to demonstrate that the Caribou region, which have worked a lot in that region, but just in the little bit after. So I was in there the first time in 2017 and then ended up doing a public engagement process as we, that's where we began working together and met a ton of people in person then that had seen me in video in the videos that we were doing. And then again, the following year was back again and helping out with the floods and fires. And when I was out in the community, what started to happen was I would get hugs when people would see me, and I was like, I don't know these people. And it was just kind weird,

Kendra Stoner (20:20):

But they know you, but they knew me.

Tim Conrad (20:22):

And it started, after a while, I started to hear a similar thing, which was you came into my house every day and kept me calm and kept me informed and you became part of the family. So they still, so yeah, I was doing this preparedness project up there this last year or two, and same thing was happening. I was bumping into people that now I recognize 'em and they come and it's just the hug is standard, and if there's any baked goods, they usually give me those too. So it's

Kendra Stoner (20:52):

Love those. Yeah, it gives you credibility and you become this safety blanket almost of like, we know Tim, we know that face. It's familiar. Familiar means action almost. You see, they give you credibility and they're going to want to do what you're saying because they believe you and they trust you, and they know that what you're saying comes with these intentions of safety and security.

Tim Conrad (21:21):

Yeah, absolutely. And the other side, I'll just throw this on and we'll go to our next question here, but the other thing I found too is just always being as real as possible so there's not polished and fixed up, no makeup and all that. So if I would look tired, I'm tired. It's so kind of showed, and that's something that people picked up on that they were like, we can see that what is happening right now isn't good. And that's something to always keep in mind when you're doing disasters. So

Kendra Stoner (21:55):

Transparency, it's huge,

Tim Conrad (21:57):

Right? It

Kendra Stoner (21:57):

Is. It's more reason for people to not buy in, but appreciate you. It's common emotions aside, we're here, we're existing together and all doing our best. And when they see that and they see you're transparent and not a robot, they'll be there for you with

Tim Conrad (22:20):

You. Yeah, absolutely. So you've also learned how important it's to have strong processes and templates and guides prepared before the incident. What can you tell us about how critical they are when you join a team during an act of emergency?

Kendra Stoner (22:36):

Yeah, it's very important. Having that set up, having approved and effective templates and graphics and standard operation procedures is essential for team members coming into a new EOC, especially coming in at such a highly activated time, it's important to have established documentation to help support delivering messages to the public without delay and with effectiveness. So when you're gaining situational awareness, when you're first coming into an EOC, that's number one. You need to know what's the emergency and how do you need to jump in there? And developing new documentation that will appeal to the public the most effective should not be the priority when you're entering a new team. It should already be established for sure. It takes up too much time to create that stuff, and you just need to get in and respond.

Tim Conrad (23:25):

Yeah, absolutely. And it's so important to get a lot of that base material prepared in advance. It's the guides on how to do things. What's the login for different things and who has the authentication to get into that account and so on. Boy, I'll tell you, I got to do that a little bit this summer and spent three days trying to get into one account in one case. And so it's things like that that you don't want to have to overcome in the middle of a disaster. So go through prep those things, but also practice 'em and make sure that everything's working properly. One of the things that I do with our crisis comms plans is I tell clients, once you've got this, give it to someone that doesn't do communications and see if they can do it, because that's how good it should be for people to operate. So yeah,

Kendra Stoner (24:22):

A hundred percent. Yeah, I completely agree.

Tim Conrad (24:26):

The Safety Moment Podcast is produced by Utility Safety Partners, a nonprofit corporation that has been providing communication service between the digging community and owners of Berry facilities since 1984. It's a great discussion about damage prevention, excavation, safety, locating and marking, watching for overhead power lines and legislative matters to ensure contractors and neighbors can all do their work safely. Catch me in season four, episode 53 of the Safety Moment podcast, because safety is always a good conversation.

Kendra Stoner (24:54):

As an emergency management expert that goes, and you assist so many different regional districts each year, what are some of the most important things that have helped you be successful in your role?

Tim Conrad (25:06):

So I think I'm always learning. That's one thing. I'm constantly looking for how I can be better and improve my skills. So in the off season in particular, I do a ton of reading. If there's a course to take, I'll take the course. And just really getting to understand, I have training in incident command system up to the level 300 here in Canada. And so that's essentially 100, 200, 303 levels up. And I'm always also looking at what the data's sort of saying for the season ahead for everything, flood, fire, all that kind of stuff. So it is all of those things that kind of goes into it, but what a lot of people don't see is what I'm doing in the moment. So I actually watch quite a bit. So when I'm done in the EOC, you think I go home and I rest. I continue to work, although at a lighter pace, but I'm looking at information from the public.

(26:22):

So what are the public saying? What are they saying in comments, reading the news stories that are out there, reading people if they've done blog posts or they've done videos watching those. So really getting a good sense of what the whole picture of the public and what the public is also seeing. So what other information is presented out there. So I'm constantly drawing in that information. And so really doing research so that I can build out and strategize what the next steps will be. And then I think the other thing is too is just having respect for the people in the room. Everybody has different job and most people are doing it for the first time when I get there, so I respect that and I try to do as much as I can to mentor that. I think I've done around 21 disasters now, and so I've come in with a lot that I can offer. And I've worn every vest in the EOC at least once, often more than that. So I understand the jobs and I can kind of help people along and be supportive for them. So yeah, there's a couple things that kind of come to mind for that.

(27:33):

I enjoy it though. It's good work and I really enjoy helping people. That's the big thing for me. So you worked some of the longest days of everyone on the Butterfly Effect Communications team last summer. You worked over 20 hours on one day, 15 hours on two other days just after that. So it was a pretty rough go that first week. We also know that you worked remotely the entire season supporting both the Columbia Shuswap Regional District and then switching over to Squamish Lil'wat Regional District. So the EOC isn't for everyone. Some people really struggle with the situation, the structure, the pace, the hours, the intensity. So for those who are curious about working in an EOC, what can you tell them about the experience?

Kendra Stoner (28:23):

It's both the hardest and most rewarding work you would ever do. It involves bravery and courage to face these emergencies and incredible mental and physical strength to get through most days. Those who are self-aware and capable of putting your life completely aside during these activations are the ones that will succeed and be more successful. You get wrapped into the response, and although you're trying to maintain a level of professionalism, there are moments you need to take to yourself behind the scenes and doing a few pushups, having a quick chat, stepping outside to breathe in some fresh air, or honestly having a cry are sometimes what you need to get through. For me, having the Justice Institute of British Columbia credentials has supported me staying current and informed. And what you mentioned, being able to wear all those vests, knowing other departments and everyone's roles within the ICS fan system really helps support all internal and external communication needs. But like you said, the EOC honestly isn't for everyone. And yeah, it's tough, but if you love helping people, this is, you will never forget this kind of work.

Tim Conrad (29:32):

Yeah, that's right. And a lot of the people that I've worked with that have decided not to do it again, not that they don't care about people or anything, it's just that sometimes there's a pressure point somewhere and there's nothing wrong with that. I shame nobody, of course not, that doesn't want to do this work. That's extremely important because I'm thankful for any time that anybody puts in, and it is very difficult work, no matter which position you have in the emergency operation center. It's tough over and over again. And what we're seeing now, of course, is I mentioned 77 days in 2017. Well, we thought that was a massive amount of time. Nothing had ever come close to it at that particular time. This summer we were in two EOCs that went to near 100 days, actually three with the Caribou. So crazy what's happening now that these disasters and emergencies are getting stretched out even longer periods of time. So you've met hundreds of people who have filled roles in the EOC and despite your experience, you are still among the youngest on most teams. And when you think about the people who work in the EOC, what personal and professional traits stand out to you?

Kendra Stoner (30:50):

The people that work in an e ooc that are hardworking, driven, motivated, passionate and kind are the ones that have always stood out to me. Ones that check in with their teammates and know how to look for signs of burnout, the ones that tell you to step outside, go use the bathroom when you're neck deep in all your tasks and responsibilities, but know you need a moment to go take a breath. I've always admired in a short period of time when I get deployed in a region, I'm able to notice those who are reliable and come prepared for meetings, able to get the job done, keep a cool level-headed as much as they can, and follow through on their tasks are the ones I gravitate towards and rely on the most during emergencies. And I may be young, but I am mighty. And my post-secondary education focused on professional communications and emergency management, and I continue and will continue adding training to these areas. And I have committed to being a lifelong learner, and I'm continuing to advance my education, training and experience to bring sound advice, leadership and professionalism to the table. And that's my goal.

Tim Conrad (32:01):

Yeah. Yeah. And particularly, you're right, nailing the people that kind of look out for others really appreciate that. I'll give a shout out to Lloyd on our team is definitely that guy on our team. He keeps an eye on all of us, and we do our best to keep our eye on him too, but he takes darn good care of a lot of people on the team. And what we actually, not really anybody's heard this yet, but in the Shuswap, I gave him a budget that he could go out and buy treats for everybody this year on anything, any reason, whatever. So there was always lots of little things floating around the EOC to keep people, give 'em a moment free of the craziness. So any other thoughts before we start to wrap up here?

Kendra Stoner (32:54):

Yeah, as I've mentioned, this will always be the most rewarding work that I've ever done, and I always look forward to it starting, but I always look forward to it ending. And you need to have a life that allows you to come into this work to be able to put aside other commitments, to be able to dive fully in and be present is the only way you're going to find success in this. And Tim, I just want to say thank you for all that you do for supporting all of our communities. You're honestly making a huge difference in our world, and I appreciate you.

Tim Conrad (33:26):

Yeah, thanks a lot, Kendra. Yeah, no, I really enjoy it. It makes it easier when we're working together with folks like you, so many others on the team and other people that we've met along the way and all these different emergency operation centers because we've literally come across hundreds of people and work with them just in the operation centers and then all the public. So it's an honor to do it every time. And you're right, I get excited every time for it to start, but I also get excited for the end. So true. So I gave a little bit of a hint about this earlier, but Kendra joined an exclusive club, which has been earned by few emergency managers across Canada. You worked over 600 hours last season. That is the equivalent of 20 weeks. If you were working normal working hours of 35 hours a week, so 20 weeks, you did it much less than that. It was a speedy time from the end of August until the end of October. So congratulations. Thank you. And I think we are the club executive because I joined just before you passed me and you eclipsed my hours last year. But I'm hopeful we don't see a season like that last year again yet. If we do challenge accepted,

Kendra Stoner (34:52):

Challenge accepted,

Tim Conrad (34:53):

We're on and ready to go. So I wanted to thank each of our team in a unique way. So my friend Rowan has done an illustration of everybody. So here is yours. What do you think?

Kendra Stoner (35:06):

Oh my gosh. No way. Aw, that's awesome.

Tim Conrad (35:17):

Sweet. It's funny how, because I didn't give her much guidance. I just said, Hey, we had a crazy summer. I want to have some fun with these. And then when yours came back looking like that, I was like, this is perfect. This is great. That

Kendra Stoner (35:30):

Is so awesome.

Tim Conrad (35:31):

Thanks, Ryan. That's awesome. Yeah, you're welcome. Awesome. Thanks, Tim. So you've been me in some way for every disaster in the last seven years, and I'm sure we have some more to go. Kendra, thank you so much for last Summer's dedicated effort to support tens of thousands of people who are impacted. For everyone else, check out our other episodes in this series and keep an eye out for additional podcasts we are working on. Thank you very much for joining me today, Kendra.

Kendra Stoner (35:59):

Thanks for having me, Tim. Have a good one.

Tim Conrad (36:02):

How lucky have I been to work with such wonderful and amazing people who bring their dedication, skill, and ethics to the Butterfly Effect Communications team? I was so proud of the work our entire team did, listening to residents, responders, and clients, and creating strategies to improve communication during and after the wildfires. You can reach Kendra Stoner on LinkedIn or through her contact info in the show notes.

(36:29):

Thank you for joining us for the Wildfires Floods in Chaos Communications podcast. We are so appreciative of all of those we work alongside who take time from their lives and communities to help others, and we are loaded with pride for how responders react and residents respond. You can catch longer versions of this podcast on the YouTube channel for Butterfly Effect Communications, which includes photos, videos, and sample graphics from last summer. Thanks to the team at Stories and Strategies podcast, my friend Mike Brown with the Dark Poutine Podcast and Kendra Stoner for voicing the guest bios. For more podcasts, learning opportunities and resources, visit www.butterflyeffectcommunications.ca. That's also how you can connect if you'd like to hire us for disaster emergencies, crises issues, or hey, even the fun side of public relations, we like that too. Thanks for joining us. Oh, hey, I forgot something. Do one thing this week to get prepared for an emergency at home. Try this one. Fire smart your property by keeping wood and debris away from structures. See more that you can do at www.firessmartcanada.ca. Wildfires, floods and Chaos Communications podcast is a 2024 production of Butterfly Effect Communications Incorporated. Make sure you share it with someone and go back and listen to another episode. Okay, thanks.