Iowa Homeland Security Conference Session Summaries

Are You Ready?

Speaker(s) & Professional title: Deanne Criswell, Administrator, FEMA

Summary: “Are You Ready?” challenges leaders, communities, and individuals to confront the growing risks of disasters in an era of climate change, misinformation, and strained systems. Drawing on decades of crisis leadership, she offers practical strategies for building resilience, fostering trust, and staying mission-ready when it matters most. This talk is a call to action for those who must lead through uncertainty.

Website: FEMA

Iowa Insurance Fraud Bureau: Disaster Response & Detection

Speaker(s) & Professional title: Matt Mortvedt, Bureau Chief, Iowa Insurance Division Fraud Bureau

Summary: This presentation will familiarize the audience with the Iowa Insurance Division's response to natural disasters.  The Iowa Insurance Division will discuss their past responses, common fraudulent schemes in disaster areas, and available resources.

Website: Iowa Insurance Division

Measles Destroyer

Speaker(s) & Professional title: Alicia Steines, Senior Public Health Nurse, Linn County Public Health
Maddie Gilmore, Epidemiologist, Linn County Public Health

Summary: Alicia Steines RN, BSN and Maddie Gilmore, MPH from Linn County Public Health will present on the workflow and the tools created by Linn County Public Health to respond to a large-scale outbreak. The presentation will demonstrate how these tools were used during a measles response but could be used for any large-scale outbreak. The team worked to create tools to aid in communication between local and state partners while reducing the workload burden placed upon local public health during an event. Using lessons learned in previous responses was critical in the development of workflows and surveys.

This interactive session places participants in small groups to walk through the 2025 Linn County measles response, where over 200 residents, including infants exposed at a daycare, were monitored. Attendees will use their cell phones to simulate exposure reporting and follow-up monitoring. The demonstration highlights how data is collected in real time, integrated into response tools, and shared across public health partners.

Website: Linn County Public Health

Family Assistance Center Planning and Coordination

Speaker(s) & Professional title: Kelly Kruse, Associate State Medical Examiner, Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner
Brent Spear, Bureau Chief, Bureau of Emergency Preparedness and Response (BEPR), Iowa HHS

Summary: This presentation provides an overview of Family Assistance Center (FAC) planning with an emphasis on county-level responsibilities.  It highlights how state agencies can support local jurisdictions and outlines expectations for counties in preparedness, facility identification, and operational planning.  Attendees will gain a better understanding of how state and local partners can collaborate to establish and operate an FAC to ensure a timely, coordinated, and compassionate response that meets the needs of affected families.

Websites: Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner, Iowa HHS Bureau of Emergency Preparedness & Response

Utilizing Tier 2 Data for Disaster Planning & Response

Speaker(s) & Professional title: Adam Broughton, Emergency Planning & Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) Lead, Iowa DNR
Simon Stecker, Tier 2 Chemical Inventory Reporting Coordinator, Iowa DNR

Summary: This presentation will discuss utilizing Tier 2 data to plan for and respond to natural disasters in your community. During natural disasters facilities containing and handling hazardous materials are sometimes impacted putting the greater community at risk. We’ll look at Tier 2 data and show how the data can be used to improve planning and response when disaster strikes.

Website: Iowa DNR

IEDA Grant – Solar Powered Command Tent

Speaker(s) & Professional title: Mandy Bieber, Emergency Management Coordinator, Delaware County 

Summary: In this session learn how to use the IEDA Preparedness, Innovation, and Energy Education Program Grant to procure solar powered disaster response equipment. We’ll discuss the grant application and then the procurement and payment process. The tent specifications and use cases will be covered. Then we’ll head outside to explore the solar powered command tent. You’ll see firsthand how to set up the tent, the solar panels generating in real time, and the HVAC and lighting system.

Website: Delaware County Emergency Management
Social Media: LinkedIn

Refugee Disaster Preparedness

Speaker(s) & Professional title: Sonya Loynachan, Community Engagement Coordinator for the Bureau of Refugee Services, Iowa HHS
Stephanie Moris, Director, Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa

Summary: Iowa has a long history of welcoming refugees. However, refugee communities are often disproportionately affected and underserved during natural disasters. This presentation will explore key considerations for disaster preparedness in refugee communities, including current programs and resources, the roles and responsibilities of first responders, and relevant case studies that highlight best practices. 

Social Media: Iowa HHS Facebook, Iowa HHS Twitter (X), Iowa HHS Instagram, Refugee Alliance Facebook

Crowd Management & Venue Protection

Speaker(s) & Professional title: Darin VanRyswyk, Major, Iowa State Fair Police Department

Summary: This presentation provides a practical framework for safely managing crowds while protecting venues during planned events. It emphasizes that effective crowd management is proactive, focusing on planning, communication, and understanding crowd behavior to prevent escalation and reduce the need for enforcement actions. Attendees learn how to classify different types of crowds, recognize key behavioral factors, and identify triggers that can lead to disorder.

The session highlights essential components of venue protection, including risk assessment, access control, surveillance, screening, and coordination with partner agencies. It also underscores the importance of clear communication strategies, professional officer presence, and a “guardian mindset” to influence positive crowd behavior.

Operational guidance covers pre-event planning, on-scene management, and when crowd control measures may become necessary, stressing proportional, lawful responses. Legal considerations and officer wellness are also addressed. The key takeaway is that successful outcomes depend on preparation, coordination, and professionalism, with the ultimate goal of ensuring safety while maintaining public trust and legitimacy.

Social Media: Iowa State Fair Police Facebook

Iowa DOT Winter Operations Update

Speaker(s) & Professional title: Craig Bargfrede, Winter Operations Administrator, Iowa DOT
Ashley Hochberger, Program Manager, Iowa DOT Traffic Management Center & Highway Helper Program

Summary: This presentation will provide an overview of Iowa DOT Winter Operations and our Traffic Management Center capabilities and traffic operations. We will highlight some of the equipment we have on our plow trucks that collect winter operations data. We will review our GPS/AVL program along with our forward/rear-facing camera capabilities plus our JD Path Low Visibility program. We will also review our Interstate Closure plan and how we plan/execute the closure and reopening of Interstates across the State of Iowa. As part of the Interstate Closure plan, we will review the roles/responsibilities of the County Coordinators during severe winter weather events that require Interstate Closures.

Website: Iowa DOT

Systems of Care: Preventing Re-traumatization in Emergency & Recovery Support Function

Speaker(s) & Professional title: Lindsey Mack Schneider, LISW Trauma Informed Care Systems Coordinator & Change Agent, NAMI Greater Mississippi Valley

Summary: In the wake of a disaster, the very systems designed to provide relief, such as mass care, temporary housing, and public health responses, can inadvertently become sources of secondary trauma. This presentation will clearly define what re-traumatization is and illustrate exactly what it can look like during a crisis response. We will explore this critical concept within the operational context of Emergency Support Functions and Recovery Support Functions. By examining lessons learned from cross-sector coordination and first-responder wellness initiatives, attendees will discover actionable strategies to integrate trauma-informed principles into their emergency plans. We will review practical checklists and policy frameworks designed to ensure the holistic needs of individuals and families are met without compounding their distress. Ultimately, this session equips emergency management professionals to build resilient, compassionate recovery systems that support both survivors and the personnel serving them.

Websites: NAMI GMV, Quad City Area Trauma Informed Consortium
Social Media: Quad City Area Trauma Informed Consortium Facebook

Pioneering a New Model for Healthy, Disaster-Resilient Communities

Speaker(s) & Professional title: Cody Smith, Director of Climate Initiatives, Iowa Environmental Council

Summary: Iowa communities frequently grapple with natural disasters including flooding, heat waves and tornadoes. These increasingly powerful weather events have disproportionate and long-lasting impacts on low-income, racially diverse communities, especially those with high levels of chronic disease and limited access to resources. Local officials are looking for solutions and novel partnerships to prepare more effectively. Philanthropic foundations are often called upon in disaster response but rarely have a seat at the table during preparedness discussions, highlighting the need for more cross-sectoral collaborative planning.

Iowa Environmental Council partnered with Iowa Public Health Association, Iowa Council of Foundations, CDC Foundation and William Averette Anderson Fund to create a Climate Change and Environmental Health Map and a novel tabletop exercise. The map identified three communities most vulnerable to extreme weather, informing exercises that provide critical health information and bring together new partners, including philanthropy, not typically involved in emergency simulations.

In 2026, IEC will deliver these exercises with public health, emergency management and philanthropic officials. This session shares materials, lessons learned and stakeholder feedback, while engaging participants in a modified exercise. Presenters highlight collaborative disaster response and offer a roadmap for building inclusive, cross-sector preparedness strategies centered on vulnerable populations.

Website: Iowa Environmental Council

Emergency Deployment of Water Treatment Systems During Disasters

Speaker(s) & Professional title: Steven Combest, Chief Operating Officer, WaterStep

Summary: Mobile emergency water treatment systems—specifically WaterStep’s WOW Cart—offer a faster, more sustainable alternative to bottled water during disaster response. The presentation highlights regulatory challenges that prevent states from quickly approving short-term treatment systems, noting that existing Safe Drinking Water Act frameworks were built for permanent utilities, not mobile units. Kentucky’s “Lily Pad” program is showcased as a model solution: a statewide network of pre-approved, pre-positioned WOW Carts capable of deploying within 24 hours. These systems can produce 10,000–15,000 gallons of safe water per day, replacing hundreds of pallets of bottled water and reducing waste, cost, and logistical strain. Case studies from Louisiana, Kentucky, and North Carolina demonstrate successful deployments. The document emphasizes the need for advance planning, operator training, and standardized guidelines to strengthen resilience and ensure rapid access to potable water after disasters.

Social Media: WaterStep Facebook, WaterStep Instagram, WaterStep YouTube

Applying Quality Metrics to the Hospital Surge Planning Process

Speaker(s) & Professional title: Scott Draper, Director of Emergency Management, UnityPoint Health System
Nate Allen, Emergency Manager, UnityPoint Health Des Moines
Jake Matzen, Emergency Management Program Manager, UnityPoint Health Waterloo, Marshalltown, & Grinnell
Adam Sowells, Emergency Management Program Manager, UnityPoint Health Trinity Quad Cities & Muscatine Market

Summary: This presentation will provide an overview of the UnityPoint Health System Emergency Management benchmarking tool and how this tool is used to track regulatory compliance, best practices, and quantify program quality.  Application to patient surge planning will be explored in the areas of hospital triage, ancillary clinical spaces, information sharing, patient/family reunification, patient registration, plan documentation, ensuring essential personnel, deployment of resources (staff, supplies and equipment), and ancillary department roles.  This session is intended to be interactive for best-practice sharing with other hospitals, EMS, Emergency Management, and other agencies that are integral to successful patient care during a surge event.

Website: UnityPoint Health

Otley, Iowa Fire Response

Speaker(s) & Professional title: Greg Dillon, On-Scene Coordinator, EPA Region 7
Jeff Pritchard, Federal On-Scene Coordinator, EPA Region 7

Summary: US EPA Region 7 received a Request for Federal Assistance (RFA) from the Iowa DNR on April 2, 2025, related to an agricultural facility fire in Otley, IA. The facility contained bulk stockpiles of urea, potash, sulfur, and monoammonium phosphate and had been burning since March 31, 2025. As a result of the fire, a voluntary evacuation of several residences in the nearby vicinity was recommended by local responders. EPA On-Scene Coordinators Jeff Pritchard and Greg Dillon responded to the scene to provide air monitoring support and to assist local responders with incident decision-making. Participants in this session will gain a better understanding of the community air monitoring process with specialized equipment, how to receive assistance from US EPA for air quality information, and how EPA can provide data to local authorities to make response decisions for communities impacted by incidents in the Region.

Website: EPA Region 7

A Shout Away

Speaker(s) & Professional title: Bill Justice, Program Manager for Active Threat Response Programs for the Oklahoma Dept of Public Safety, Director of Special Operations and Outreach for the Office of the Medical Director, Associated Director for the University of Oklahoma Dept of Emergency Medicine

Summary: This presentation will define the difference between a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) and Multiple Patient Incident (MPI) response, and understanding the START/JumpSTART vs SALT triage programs. You will learn to define a casualty collection point(s) and the transition away from the centralized triage program. Will discuss the recurrent problems that plague large incidents responses and discuss some of those lessons learned.

Website: Oklahoma Dept. of Public Safety

Dead or Alive: Healthcare Must Manage Both

Speaker(s) & Professional title: Troy Erbentraut, Director of Emergency Services & Response, SouthEast Texas Regional Advisory Council (SETRAC)

Summary: During this session you will gain an understanding of expanding your capabilities, surge mortuary space, and nontraditional means. We will discuss how to establish a family assistance center (FAC) and Family Management Plans at the outset. Discuss development of a multidisciplinary mass fatality management plan that includes coordinating with the medicolegal authority. Identify gaps and successes by training and exercises from your mass fatality incident plans.

Website: SETRAC