Bryan Koon, IEM’s Vice President for International Homeland Security & Emergency Management, participated in the Bahamian American Association of the Washington, DC & Mid-Atlantic Region’s (BAAWMAR) virtual discussion, “Prepare, Mitigate & Rebuild: A Conversation on Hurricanes and The Bahamas”. The Bahamas’ continue their efforts to recover from Hurricane Dorian while simultaneously facing what experts are predicting will be an above-normal 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. Bryan offered insights on building resilience and responding during a pandemic.

Dr. Sid Baccam, Senior Scientist, was a panelist on the National Emergency Management Association’s (NEMA) webinar “Pandemics and Preparing for the Next Big Thing Using Modeling Technology,” highlighting how modeling technology is vital in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through modeling we can accurately predict hospital needs and analyze the potential for a resurgence of cases at the state and local level. Modeling capabilities also enable emergency managers to layer different data sets and graphs to respond to hazards.

IEM’s Vice President Bryan Koon and Senior Community Liaison Pamela Patenaude participated the Bipartisan Policy Center’s (BPC) webinar on “Navigating COVID -19 Response and Recovery Funding”. Discussion focused on how COVID-19 recovery funding from FEMA and HUD will be used, they offered guidance on what is a COVID related cost, hurricane response planning, and how to plan for what’s next.

Dr. Sid Baccam, IEM’s Senior Scientist, participated in the webinar National Association of Regional Council’s (NARC) webinar “Regional Coronavirus Forecasting: Using the IEM Model for Short Term Projections of COVID-19 Cases”. The webinar highlighted IEM’s COVID-19 projection models and discussed how the models can be used to assist localities and their medical facilities to better prepare for an increase in hospitalizations, to better plan for and locate drive-through testing facilities, and to determine where increased levels of transmission may be occurring.

Madhu Beriwal, IEM’s Founder, President and CEO, participated in the Bipartisan Policy Center’s (BPC) webinar on “AI and Pandemics”. The session addressed how COVID-19 has dramatically disrupted people’s lives and reshaped society. Government, business, and civil society are all trying to find ways to counter the pandemic with artificial intelligence emerging as a silent partner. From forecasting the spread of COVID-19, to managing scarce health care resources, to developing a vaccine to the coronavirus, AI’s presence in the health response to the pandemic is everywhere. Madhu addressed how IEM is using AI to conduct our COVID-19 modeling efforts.

Madhu Beriwal, IEM’s Founder, President and CEO, keynoted the conversation and and Pamela Patenaude, IEM’s Senior Community Liaison, moderated a panel including former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour at the Bipartisan Policy Center’s (BPC) event on “Reducing Natural Disaster Costs: Building Better and Stronger.” The discussion examined how the federal government can promote safer and more sustainable communities, while also more responsibly investing limited fiscal resources.