32 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MARCH 20-26, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com FACE TO FACE Emergency planning and response services in Monterey County have evolved dramatically over the past 25 years. Wildfires and storms are more volatile and unpredictable, further complicated by a global pandemic. Meanwhile, the rise of renewable energy brings both opportunities to mitigate the impacts of our rapidly changing climate as well as new challenges, like those related to battery storage. In short, preparing for and managing the aftermath of disasters is increasingly complex. Kelsey Scanlon, the first director of what is now the Department of Emergency Management, has not only been navigating these changes but has also lived through some of these disasters personally. “I was actually sleeping in my office when I got the call that [my home] had been destroyed,” she recalls, describing her evacuation during the 2021 debris flows on River Road. “When I first started in 2017, we had five positions,” Scanlon says. “Ten years ago, we might have had an emergency once a decade that required the Emergency Services Council to be activated. Now, we’re seeing the Emergency Operations Center activated one to three times per year.” Stay tuned—this summer, the department will update both its hazard mitigation and emergency operations plans, and they’ll be looking for public input. Weekly: What’s your day-to-day look like? Scanlon: I like to rephrase it as, what are we doing in between disasters? Since I started it has been a relentless barrage of different emergencies in terms of scale, complexity, probability, impact and frequency, and so we are constantly recovering from the last disaster. For context, we’re still doing cost recovery from the 2017 winter storms. In Pajaro in particular, we’re still rolling out actual direct service recovery programs, which is new and novel for us. Recovery is a big function, but we’re also looking at developing capabilities and services to respond to all hazard events. I think what’s unique about our agency is our mission is really flexible in nature, [which] is to meet the needs of the community, whatever that might be tomorrow, 10 years from now, 100 years from now. Do you feel like your job has changed a lot since you started? Or is the question better asked, do you feel like you’ve changed since you started your position, and how? Absolutely, I’ve seen a change in the community’s expectation and need for our department and the increase in service that we’ve provided over time. We’ve had a significant amount of support and we have invested a lot of time and effort into the new department. And quite honestly, it shows. There’s an unspoken silence amongst people who see trauma day in and day out. I think people would presume that it’s in the negative, but it’s actually in the positive. For every really dark day, I see unbelievable strength and commitment from disaster service workers, from our community to take care of their family, friends, businesses, environment. It’s inspiring to see people bend over backwards to participate when they’re not even asked. I’ve changed a lot. There wasn’t really anyone to learn from, so we’re building the plane as we fly it, and we’re learning what to do and what not to do as it’s all occurring. There hasn’t been a day that I haven’t learned something. Have you always known that this is what you wanted to do? I’ve been impacted by disasters throughout my life. I can’t tell you how many times my family was evacuated from wildfires. I think the world just kind of pushed me here. The short of the long is that county government is such a unique opportunity. You get to see the impacts your work has on the community. You’re an excellent public speaker. Do you like public speaking? I don’t like people not having the voice to advocate for themselves, and so I think what comes naturally when I’m standing at a podium or making a presentation is the heart that comes with advocacy and making sure that the smallest voices are heard. I do, however, have a bachelor’s of science in political communications, which has helped for sure. Are changes happening at the federal government level shifting your planning for disaster? Not really. All emergencies start and end locally, which means no matter what agencies from the federal government come in, at the end of the day we’re responsible for what occurs in the Monterey County operational area, and after they’ve left, we’re still responsible. Deep Impact The county’s Emergency Management director, Kelsey Scanlon, makes the best of the worst. By Katie Rodriguez “The driver for wanting to be in humanitarian work, in disaster work, is advocating for victims, says Kelsey Scanlon. In one of the worst moments in their lives, she adds, many people need help finding resources and information. DANIEL DREIFUSS Koda Want to meet Koda? Please ll out our online adoption questionnaire. If you’d like sponsor our next ad, give us a call. 831-718-9122 | www.POMDR.org Koda is a happy, a ectionate pup who loves being around his people. He enjoys strolls, playtime, and soaking up all the love he can get. 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