Franklin County, NC

Nicholas Thorpe

Emergency Management Authority

Partnerships Begin with Shared Purpose

C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You Too? I thought I was the only one!’” That idea resonates strongly in emergency management.

Perhaps the reason so many first responders and emergency managers connect so easily is that we spend so much time focused on our own jurisdictions. When we meet someone from another community who shares the same mission of protecting people, we quickly realize we are not alone. That shared purpose creates an immediate connection.

Partnership building is no different. Our ability to build meaningful partnerships is often limited by how comfortable we are meeting new people, our assumptions about how useful an individual or organization can be or our inability to imagine a situation where we might need outside help. Recognizing and overcoming those barriers is the first step toward building stronger partnerships.

Looking Beyond Familiar Faces

Many people say, "I'm just not that outgoing or trusting of new people."

First responders are among the closest-knit groups of professionals I have worked with. They do not always welcome outsiders and often question people or organizations they do not know or understand. That mindset needs to change.

We should absolutely vet organizations, ask questions and do our research. At the same time, we cannot dismiss someone simply because they do not wear the same badge or uniform. We need to remain open to people and organizations that genuinely want to make emergency response more effective and better support our communities during times of crisis.

Staying Open to Unexpected Partners

Another common response is, "I would never use that organization."

Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, I worked as a consultant from the Mayor's Office on Volunteerism to the Haitian Embassy. During that assignment, I met representatives from the Church of Scientology. While I was admittedly disappointed that I did not get to meet Tom Cruise, I also learned about the organization's extensive disaster response capabilities. They had access to aircraft, trained medical and disaster volunteers and mental health services.

I will admit that discovering the Church of Scientology had a disaster response program was not something I expected. However, the experience reinforced an important lesson. Organizations that we may overlook or misunderstand can still become valuable partners during catastrophic events. Our personal assumptions or public perceptions should never prevent us from recognizing the capabilities that an organization may bring during a disaster. We need to remain open-minded about those who genuinely want to help.

Preparing for the Unexpected

Another phrase we often hear is, "That would never happen."

As first responders, we do not know everything, nor can we prepare for every imaginable scenario on our own. Across every profession and every community are passionate individuals with specialized knowledge and experience that we may not possess. If we ignore those people because we cannot currently imagine needing their expertise, we risk finding ourselves unprepared when an extraordinary event occurs.

Strong Partnerships Are Built on Mutual Support

Partnerships are about much more than meeting new people and identifying what they can do for our organizations. Every successful partnership depends on reciprocity. For every opportunity or advantage we gain, we should be willing to offer something in return.

In many cases, these organizations ask for very little. They may appreciate occasional access to a training room, opportunities to participate in additional training, information that helps them better understand emergency operations or invitations to community events where they can support response efforts or share information with the public.

We must look for ways to give back. Partnerships work the same way. They are built on mutual support and shared commitment. When both sides invest in the relationship, the partnership grows stronger. As a result, the entire community becomes more connected, more resilient and ultimately safer.