18: When the Ground Shifts - Disaster Leadership, Emergency Planning, and Adapting When Everything Goes Wrong (w/ Charles Blankenship & Pat Songer)

In Episode 18 of the H&H Impact Podcast, host Stephen Hartz is joined by EMS leaders Pat Songer and Charles Blankenship for a powerful discussion on disaster preparedness, leadership under pressure, and what happens when even the best emergency plans fail. The conversation is anchored by Stephen's firsthand account of surviving a devastating earthquake in Colombia, where he witnessed collapsed buildings, overwhelmed emergency services, disrupted communications, and communities coming together to save lives.

Drawing on decades of combined experience in EMS, disaster response, and emergency management, Pat and Charles explore the realities of large-scale disasters and the critical importance of communication, leadership, and adaptability. The trio discusses why emergency operations plans should be viewed as living documents, how tabletop exercises prepare organizations to respond when the unexpected occurs, and why organizations must build redundancy into their communications and response systems.