State and federal agencies gather inside the State Emergency Operations Center in the early days of the COVID-19 activation, prior to the mask mandate. Wisconsin Emergency Management photo
“I want to thank our staff and our partner agencies for their steadfast and unyielding support to Wisconsin Emergency Management and the citizens of Wisconsin,” said Dr. Darrell Williams, Wisconsin Emergency Management administrator. “They are a shining example of the true spirit of our state and our nation. Your efforts are truly appreciated and that will never be forgotten.”
Wisconsin Emergency Management Administrator Dr. Darrell Williams tours an alternate care facility site in Milwaukee County in 2020. Wisconsin Emergency Management photo
“We want to thank everyone at Wisconsin Emergency Management for their partnership since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and the activation of the State Emergency Operations Center,” said Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Interim Secretary Karen Timberlake. “We are proud to have teamed with WEM throughout the year to distribute PPE [personal protective equipment], decontaminate masks, and set up mobile testing and vaccination clinics. Together, we are slowing the spread of this virus across our state.”
Several agencies work together at a PPE warehouse in Madison to distribute critical supplies across the state, prior to the mask mandate. Wisconsin Emergency Management
“When I declared our first statewide public health emergency for COVID-19 a year ago, we never could have imagined the challenges and tragedy the year would bring,” said Gov. Evers. “It was, and continues to be, all hands on deck. On behalf of the state of Wisconsin, I want to thank the dedicated folks at WEM. From the leadership of Dr. Darrell Williams to the regional directors, to our county and tribal emergency managers, and all the WEM staff, thank you for your good work to keep our communities healthy and safe.”
That work remains coordinated through SEOC where it began last March. It was an unusual activation with all cabinet secretaries or their top representatives instructed to report there a year ago.
Wisconsin Emergency Management Training and Exercise Supervisor Kevin Wernet instructs staff on safety protocol inside the State Emergency Operations Center in March 2020, prior to the mask mandate. Wisconsin Emergency Management photo
New roles were carved out of necessity as the response to COVID-19 evolved. Since April, Wernet has been leading task forces dealing with PPE decontamination services and mortuary resource needs.
N-95 respirators are decontaminated at the Battelle System site in Madison, Wis. Wisconsin Emergency Management photo
While WEM continues to coordinate the procurement and delivery of PPE through its county and tribal emergency managers, the monumental task of assisting with the vaccine distribution program for the state has become a huge focus of the agency’s response.
A COVID-19 testing site in Buffalo County, Wis. Wisconsin Emergency Management photo
Over the past 12 months, WEM also carried out its usual functions of responding to natural and manmade disasters and coordinating disaster assistance, as WEM is the conduit through which money, grants, and other supplies flow to affected areas that request assistance.
In late May, staff were also called to duty to respond to civil unrest — including protests and looting in several Wisconsin cities — stemming from the death of George Floyd while in custody by Minneapolis police. In Kenosha, the unrest turned deadly during a night of violence after the Aug. 23 shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha police officer.
WEM’s Bureau of Planning and Preparedness Director Greg Engle works alongside Katie Sommers, Mitigation Section supervisor, and Response Section Supervisor Natalie Easterday in the State Emergency Operations Center. Wisconsin Emergency Management photo
WEM region directors played an important role in working several fronts simultaneously in support of the state response to civil unrest and COVID-19. The southeast region was hit particularly hard with civil unrest in Kenosha and Wauwatosa in the middle of a pandemic.
“Emergency managers utilize the same skill-set regardless of the type of disaster — we look at life safety first, then property protection and immediate needs,” said Ben Schliesman, southeast region director for WEM. “Being flexible and able to adapt to any situation was key as there were a lot of moving parts. I was guiding my county emergency managers and briefing elected officials, while communicating from the ground to WEM to provide that critical situational awareness at the state level. Communication was constant.”
Local, county and state leaders meet with FEMA to survey damage along the shoreline of Lake Michigan in February of 2020. Wisconsin Emergency Management photo
“This past year has been about building upon existing relationships, but also fostering new ones that will result in further collaboration that will serve my region in the months to come,” Schliesman said. “What this past year has done is identified any possible gaps moving forward. We never want to leave anyone behind.”
Wisconsin Emergency Management All Hazards Planning Section Supervisor Paul Gazdik with State Hazard Mitigation Officer Robyn Fennig on-screen. Remote work was phased in for some staff to reduce risk within the State Emergency Operations Center. Wisconsin Emergency Management photo
“The most efficient COVID response is at the local level where talented emergency management professionals have supported their communities from testing, PPE distribution, and now mass vaccination clinics,” said Response Section Supervisor Natalie Easterday, who has been serving as operations chief through the COVID-19 activation. “They have done all of this while still ensuring a readiness for a natural or manmade disaster and accomplishing normal day job functions. We could not be as far along in our pandemic response without the work of local emergency managers.”
Wisconsin Army Nation Guard Master Sgt. Donna Muralt helps prepare and serve food for staff working within the SEOC prior to the mask mandate. Wisconsin Emergency Management photo
“I have always felt I work with some of the most dedicated and gifted people in state government,” Wernet said. “This year has validated that feeling. Many people don’t know what we do for them, but they can rest assured they have a dedicated and well-trained team coordinating in what has been a very challenging year full of multiple challenges at a time.”
State Emergency Operations Center Manager Paul Cooke, Wisconsin Emergency Management director for the Bureau of Response and Recovery, addresses the SEOC in the early days of the activation in 2020, prior to the mask mandate. Wisconsin Emergency Management photo
“We always show up and do the best we can,” Sommers said. “We are a team — no matter how tired we are, we work until the job is done.”