Resilient Ketchikan

Fire Chief Rick Hines interviews Acting Assistant City Manager Shawn Hart and Acting City Manager Lacey Simpson about Ketchikan’s responses to the Wolf Point and Third Avenue landslides, emergency operations, and financial tracking during disasters.
They discuss the marine shuttle operation, coordination between city and borough, an emergency exercise for the Ketchikan Lakes Dam, challenges of dual roles in the EOC, and lessons for community preparedness and resilience.

Rick Hines interviews Samantha Forsko, Ketchikan Museums director, about preserving artifacts and emergency preparedness. Samantha shares her background, museum work, and hands-on experience saving historic documents and personal items after water and fire incidents.She offers simple, practical advice—prioritize water-damaged items, rinse and air dry, use soot sponges for smoke, store important documents in fireproof/waterproof containers, and keep digital backups and inventories for insurance. Learn about local resources, Museum Middays, and how the community can prepare and protect cherished belongings.

Emergency manager Rick Hines interviews Dave Owings, general manager of the Southeast Alaska Petroleum Response Organization, about oil-spill response, emergency operations center challenges, and lessons from the pandemic and local landslides.The episode explores logistics in remote Alaska, the importance of planning and documentation, training local talent, and preserving institutional knowledge to strengthen Ketchikan's disaster resilience.

Emergency Manager Rick Hines talks with Ports and Harbors Director Wayne Phillips about managing Ketchikan’s busy harbors, day-to-day salvage and safety operations, and the importance of preparedness for tsunamis, storms and boating incidents.They emphasize life jackets, boating plans, medication and pet readiness, plus how local teams cooperate to handle small events before they grow into larger disasters.

Public Works leaders Seth Brakke, Kara Jurczak, and Amanda Robinson discuss their daily roles maintaining Ketchikan’s streets, wastewater, and city facilities and explain how those duties shift during emergencies like the August 2024 landslide. They describe activating the Emergency Operations Center, coordinating contractors, tracking debris and costs, and prioritizing safety during large-scale responses.
The episode highlights community resilience, practical tips for preparedness — such as having a go-bag, family and community plans, and heeding weather alerts — and the importance of local training and documentation to ensure effective recovery and federal reimbursement.