NOVEMBER 2024 19GOVERNMENT CIO OUTLOOKINSIGHTSCXONicholas Thorpe, Director of Emergency Management, Franklin County, NCByTA PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG EMERGENCY MANAGERhrough this article, Nicholas highlights the importance of valuing and effectively managing volunteers, who can be crucial in emergencies despite their lack of formal compensation. He highlights the need for thorough documentation and planning beyond immediate incidents to drive progress in emergency management.I don't know how much longer I can call myself "young" (I've been in the field for 15 years), but it seems that only yesterday I was completing community emergency response team training in Washington, D.C. It was while volunteering with Serve DC, the Mayor's Office on Volunteerism, that I found my passion for emergency response and helping people in crisis. It wasn't long before I was managing a neighborhood-based program that networked and trained volunteers. I worked with Kerry Payne, whom we lost all too soon. The Washington, D.C., Homeland Security Emergency Management Agency's emergency operations center is named for him. He taught me valuable lessons in building partnerships and how to build trust with co-workers and allies.Being a volunteer and then leading volunteers taught me how passionate people can be about helping during a special event, public health emergency, or disaster. I've always said that, while it is harder to manage and inspire volunteers than Nicholas' fifteen years of emergency management experience have included seven declared emergencies, three NSSE's, and having trained three thousand responders in various FEMA courses. He serves as the Director of Emergency Management in Franklin County, NC. Nicholas studied history at The American University and homeland security at Texas A&M University.Nicholas Thorpe
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