Bridging the Gap IAEM Series – Episode 10: Kansas City Metro Area Emergency Management

In this special IAEM Conference episode of SummitET’s podcast Bridging the Gap, host and former emergency manager Ron Crane sits down with Claire Canaan and Morgan Hunter, emergency managers from the Kansas City metropolitan area. They discuss challenges in the EM field including staffing shortages and communication barriers, and the importance of embracing change and innovation.

Regional Coordination in Kansas City Metro Area

Claire, the current Emergency Management Director with the City of Belton, Missouri is joined by former colleague, Morgan Hunter, Emergency Management Planner with Johnson County, Kansas. Due to regional proximity, Morgan and Claire use a regional coordination technique that encompasses unique cooperation and resource sharing in the Kansas City metropolitan area, facilitated by the Mid America Regional Council. This allows for seamless collaboration across state lines for small and large events like the Super Bowl parades and the upcoming FIFA World Cup in 2026. This collaboration drew them to participate in our podcast series as a team to discuss their unique and shared challenges in emergency management. 

Challenges and Successes in Emergency Management

Claire and Morgan consider their experiences and challenges as newer emergency managers. COVID-19, for example, had a serious impact on each of their careers, changing the way they previously operated and shifted their understanding of the importance of communication and relationship-building in emergency management.

Our guests agree the emergency manager’s role is continuously evolving, pushing practitioners into new areas on a consistent basis. This evolution creates the need for more personnel and dedicated positions to remain successful and effectively serve their communities. Additionally, restructuring and redefining responsibilities within their departments has become important to allow space for upcoming emergency managers to experience continued education and growth. 

Morgan and Claire also stressed the importance of community outreach and collaboration with various stakeholders, including other city or county departments, nonprofit organizations, etc. Specifically, they emphasize creating dedicated or known channels to directly communicate with stakeholders on an ongoing basis. They feel this approach would allow them to maintain lines of communication that are on-the-ready when an emergency event occurs.

Embracing Change and Innovation

Morgan and Claire urge experienced emergency managers to accept change and innovative ideas. They recommend making training more engaging with technology-based learning and improving communication by using social media and digital platforms to connect with communities and partners.

The Future of Emergency Management

Both Morgan and Claire express the need for more opportunities for new professionals in emergency management. They recognize the value in fresh, innovative ways to communicate with stakeholders and advocate for opportunities to train and perform with new fervor for the field. This also helps spotlight emergency management, creating new pathways for entry and increasing visibility to communities and elected officials on the importance of the role of emergency managers. With support from the community and government, they hope they can better allocate resources, make timely decisions, and continue to operate at a high standard that continuously results in the highest success rate.

Meet the Experts Featured in This Podcast

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