Veoci Blog

John Duddy and Rich Smith are subject matter experts in emergency management and response. They’re not just Veoci team members, but first responders who gear up and run towards a crisis while everyone else heads in the opposite direction. They are firemen: brave individuals who frequently put their lives on the line to protect the personal safety of complete strangers.

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), the California-based utility that provides service to almost two-thirds of the state, initiated a public safety power shutoff (PSPS) on October 9th to around 500,000-800,000 of its customers. Most of those customers reside in the northern part of the state in counties surrounding San Francisco and Sacramento. A lesser portion also resides around Los Angeles.

Here's an account of Mark’s career, the lessons he’s learned, and how he envisions the future of emergency management and response.

In honor of National Preparedness Month this September, we decided to brush up on our internal company preparedness at Veoci!

Here are some tips for keeping you and others safe when a disaster or emergency forces you to power up your generator.

CERT is a volunteer organization that aims to teach citizens about emergency preparedness. The goal is for CERT members to be familiar with how to respond to risks specific to their area. Volunteers are trained in disaster response skills, such as light search and rescue, first-aid, and fire safety.

Since being introduced to the market, drones have been used by enthusiasts around the world to gain all-new perspectives, including shots of wildfires, even at a risk to others.

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be front and center in an Emergency Operations Center (EOC). So when the opportunity presented itself, I accepted without hesitation. I’ve always found that experience is the best teacher.

Five days before hitting the Florida panhandle, Hurricane Michael was nothing more than a slight disturbance making its way towards the Gulf of Mexico.Over the next five days, a historic hurricane developed in the gulf. Hurricane Michael soon swelled to become the fourth category 5 hurricane to make landfall in US history.

We see that towns across the country demonstrate a clear need for evacuation plans from officials. What do these plans need to contain, and how can a town make sure the official plan is accessible?