I learned to respond to emergencies and disasters the easy way and the hard way. Growing up on a tropical island located in both the Ring of Fire and Typhoon Alley, you learn firsthand how important it is to be prepared for the unexpected. I have also learned the easy way by being what is known as a “military brat,” the daughter of a Navy sailor whose New Zealand wife fell in love with Guam and made it our home. I have been through many severe storms in a variety of capacities, from a civilian experiencing the power of a CAT 5 hurricane, on the radio keeping the community updated on emergency situations and by continually training in Crisis Communications.

Over the last ten plus years, I have trained with Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and real-time workplace training exercises. I have trained for live shooter situations and a simulated radiological mass casualty event. I take advantage of training opportunities and regularly participate in Full Scale Exercises (FSE). Keeping people informed and up to date is paramount in a crisis situation.

I hold the following Certificates of Completion in training for crisis communication:

• Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense, ICS-300 Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents, 2024
• Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense, ICS-400 Advance ICS: Command and General Staff, 2024
• Government of Guam Office of Technology, Cybersecurity Awareness Training, 2024
• Federal Emergency Management agency (FEMA), IS-100.B: Introduction to Incident Command System ICS-100, 2018
• Federal Emergency Management agency (FEMA), IS-100.HC: Introduction to Incident Command System, ICS-100 for HealthCare/Hospitals, 2009
• Federal Emergency Management agency (FEMA), IS-200.A: ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents, ICS-200,2009
• IS-700.A: National Incident Management System (NIMS) An Introduction