The LSU NCBRT/ACE podcast was launched in April 2020 at the beginning of world-wide lock downs amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic. The Podcast allowed NCBRT to provide information rapidly and address issues associated with the crisis. To date, more than 45 episodes of the podcast have been broadcast covering a wide variety of public safety topics.
Early episodes focused on COVID-19 through different emergency response lenses, including large and small jurisdictions and higher education safety during the pandemic. In Episode 1 for example, top law enforcement officials shared their insights on dealing with the crisis in Washington State and offered advice on how other states could be proactive in their responses to the pandemic. The Law Enforcement Workforce Challenges episode dealt with how the coronavirus is affecting emergency responders’ internal operations. Law enforcement officials discussed what plans should be in place if an officer tests positive for coronavirus, how emergency response agencies should take precautions to ensure safety on the job, and how service calls are changing in the face of a pandemic and social distancing.
The podcast has now expanded to include discussions about policing and social justice, food safety, responder wellness, mental health and suicide prevention. A recent three-part series covered food safety, supply chain disruptions, food insecurity, and other impacts of the pandemic on agriculture. A series focusing on Tribal Nations explored the history of Tribal Emergency Management.
“We have a responsibility to provide the broadest view of a subject,” Jerry Monier, Associate Director of Research and Development for LSU NCBRT/ACE said. “We explore what is going on in the social, economic and public health and safety aspects of the pandemic and other issues that have occurred since March of 2020. All of the episodes chronicle the history of what the year 2020 looked like.”
Response to the podcast has been excellent from both guests and listeners. The podcast has been downloaded and listened to more than 5,000 times. Listeners tuned in from Ireland, Ukraine, Canada, the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico, Germany, South Africa, Mexico, the Philippines and more.
Dr. David Dyjack, Executive Director at the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), was a guest on the recent podcast episode, Environmental Health: Introduction to the Role of Environmental Health in Local Communities.
“Just-in-time information is critically important in a landscape full of content,” Dyjack explained. “NCBRT’s speakers can take conversations in a direction that shine a light on issues that normally get glossed over. NCBRT is my standard of excellence.”