Sean Crawford
Vice President of Programs and Quality Assurance
Years of Experience in
National Policy & Emergency Management
Agencies Partnered With
Year Joined
SummitET
Why I work at SummitET
Preparedness, resilience, and helping people are some of my core values, which SummitET shares. Aligning these values throughout all facets of my life gives me purpose and fulfillment, knowing that those with whom I surround myself aim to make this nation safer. SummitET is a relatively young and small company; the quality of the individuals and the focus of the mission gives me the opportunity to help shape the growth of something great.
My work/research will make a difference in the world because
I have dedicated my career to focusing the federal government’s time and resources to collaborate with the whole of government to develop and build policies, plans, standards, systems, training, capabilities, and exercises that make this nation better prepared for and resilient from the threat of a catastrophic CBRN incident or attack.
Three things you may not know about me
- I am an avid amateur photographer.
- My billiard team went to nationals, and we were ranked in the top 200 in the nation.
- I lived in New Guinea, Indonesia for seven years and have traveled to over 65 countries.
What do you perceive is the greatest challenge facing America today regarding your subject matter expertise?
Preparedness starts with the individual, and it grows from there. The general lack of preparedness in this nation is either due to the lack of education/awareness and passiveness or a false sense of security regarding the potential threats Weapons of Mass Destruction pose to our nation.
Education
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS
B.S. Environmental Science, 1996
EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY
Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering Technology/Technician, 1990
Awards
-
2014
Contributions
DHS Strategy for Improving Improvised Nuclear Device Attack Response
About Sean
Sean joined SummitET in 2022 as Vice President of Programs and Quality Assurance. He brings to the team 25 years of experience in emergency management, extensive CBRNE expertise, and a reputation within the interagency for developing innovative, agile approaches for addressing both new and institutional challenges. In addition to QA, Sean’s oversees SummitET’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and emergency management-related programs.
Prior to joining SummitET, Sean was the Director of FEMA’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Office, where he led a large team in building FEMA’s strategy, policies, training, exercises, partnerships, and outreach to mitigate the risks and consequences of CBRN events. During his time with FEMA, Sean established the RadResponder Network as the result of lessons learned from Fukushima. RadResponder has evolved into CBRNResponder, a network that allows all federal, state, and local first responders and emergency managers to respond effectively to data collected and shared by all responding organizations using a single common operating picture.
In 2020, Sean was recruited by the White House COVID-19 Testing Task Force, where he introduced the concept of drive-thru testing for community-based testing sites, designed and developed logistical requirements for patient testing, and established public-private sector partnerships to bring COVID testing to retail pharmacies. Recently, he was chosen by the State Department to develop a CBRN recovery planning methodology for a post-conflict Ukraine.
Sean has worked for three different agencies during his career and has partnered with several federal departments and agencies, including the White House. Working with FEMA, the principal coordinator of national emergencies and disasters, allowed him to collaborate with all facets of federal, state, and local governments, including various private sector partners. This gave him a unique look at how the giant apparatus of agencies, authorities, policies, and jurisdictions can coordinate and effectively work together in times of need.