The Velocity of Crisis: The Speed Gap That's Killing Communities
In this episode of the Crisis Lab Podcast, host Kyle King introduces the “velocity of crisis”—a powerful yet overlooked concept in emergency management. As disasters escalate faster and ripple through interconnected systems, our current response models are falling behind.
Kyle explores how predictive analytics, anticipatory positioning, and automation can help us stay ahead. Featuring real-world examples like the 2021 European floods and innovations like California’s Alert program, this episode unpacks how we can shift from reactive to proactive crisis management—and build systems ready for the speed of modern emergencies.
Tune in to discover how understanding crisis velocity could reshape how we protect our communities.
Show Highlights [00:00] What is the “velocity of crisis” and why it matters [01:23] The dangerous speed gap in emergency response [02:09] How modern disasters cascade through systems [03:00] Spain & Portugal blackout: a case of systemic failure [05:03] Why warnings failed during the 2021 European floods [06:02] Tech solutions that anticipate crises, not chase them [07:06] Three principles to interrupt crisis escalation [09:19] Matching crisis velocity with automation and AI [10:20] Rethinking emergency management for today’s risks
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12:34
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12:34
The Resilience Paradox: Why We Expect More From Citizens Than From Systems
In this episode of the Crisis Lab Podcast, Kyle King unpacks the “Resilience Paradox”—why we expect people to be self-reliant during emergencies while tolerating fragile infrastructure. Triggered by the mass blackout across Spain and Portugal, Kyle examines the deeper disconnect between how cities are planned and how they perform under stress. He makes the case for embedding resilience into the design of power, water, and communication systems—so communities can function even when external support fails.
Tune in to rethink how we design for disruption, not just efficiency.
Show Highlights [00:00] Examining the massive power outage that paralyzed Spain and Portugal [00:27] Introducing the concept of the Resilience Paradox in modern urban systems [01:29] Unpacking the contradiction between citizen preparedness and fragile infrastructure [02:27] Revealing the professional disconnect in how communities are designed and protected [04:11] Rethinking infrastructure resilience through real-world examples and failures [07:00] Outlining integration pathways to build inherently resilient communities [07:21] Emphasizing the urgent need for governance reform and cross-disciplinary education [07:58] Highlighting the importance of measuring and incentivizing resilience alongside sustainability
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11:01
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11:01
Are We Measuring Against the Wrong Thing?
In this episode of the Crisis Lab Podcast, Kyle King challenges the core assumptions of American emergency management. He contrasts FEMA’s focus on efficiency with Europe’s emphasis on survival, revealing why traditional measures like response time and coordination no longer reflect the realities of modern disasters. Drawing on examples such as the Texas floods, Hurricane Maria, and the Texas winter storm, Kyle explains why it's time to measure how long communities can function without help, not how fast help can arrive.
Tune in for a critical look at outdated preparedness models, a fresh perspective from European strategies, and a path forward that prioritizes resilience over speed.
Show Highlights [01:38] Why it is urgent to rethink how we measure disaster preparedness [02:05] A look at the performance metrics in American emergency management [03:05] The assumptions built into current disaster response strategies [03:32] How Europe’s wartime mindset shapes crisis preparedness for survival [05:27] Real-world failures from Texas floods to Hurricane Maria [09:13] What the U.S. can learn from Europe’s focus on self-sufficiency and resilience [12:40] A call to shift American emergency management from efficiency to endurance [14:38] Reflections on building readiness for disasters when help may not come
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16:54
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16:54
Suffocating Under Relief: How Emergency Management Lost Its Path to Coordination
In this episode of the Crisis Lab Podcast, Kyle King shows how growing disaster aid has weakened emergency management. He traces FEMA’s move from a coordination role to a relief fund handler, points out the costs of grant-driven processes, and makes the case for rebuilding from first principles.
Tune in for a close look at institutional hurdles, a proposal to separate relief and response, and a roadmap to restore true surge capacity—so communities are ready long before the next disaster hits.
Show Highlights [00:19] FEMA’s shift from civil defense to all-hazards management [01:18] How coordination gave way to relief-focused work [02:54] The downsides of relying on post-disaster aid [03:40] Key events that reshaped emergency management [05:11] How relief priorities hollowed out coordination skills [09:10] Bringing back rapid national mobilization [10:59] Structural changes to balance readiness and relief [15:58] Putting coordination back at the center of emergency response
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18:51
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18:51
The Courage to Say 'We Don’t Have the Answers': First Principles Reform in Emergency Management
In this episode of the Crisis Lab Podcast, host Kyle King challenges us to rethink everything we thought we knew about emergency management. Rather than layering on new frameworks after each disaster, Kyle argues for the courage to admit we don’t have all the answers—and to start over from first principles. He explores how institutional inertia traps us in “adding machine” thinking, why true innovation often comes from outside the field, and how we can design a system where response is truly a last resort.
Tune in for a bold vision of embedded resilience and the tools we need to build inherently safer, more adaptive communities.
Show Highlights
[01:08] Challenges to internal reform amid institutional inertia and failure of imagination
[02:15] Applying first-principles thinking to break free from outdated emergency management models
[03:25] Innovations emerging from outside the field to drive adaptive resilience
[05:56] Reimagining the system through community-centered, anticipatory approaches
[08:55] Outlining the path forward for building resilient communities
When Crisis Management Requires More Than Expertise Alone
The Crisis Lab Podcast serves senior professionals ready to transform domain expertise into strategic influence. Each episode bridges critical intersections where today's most consequential crisis management insights emerge—between military and humanitarian perspectives, government and private sector approaches, technical knowledge and policy impact.
Our conversations go beyond tactical solutions to address the questions that experienced professionals actually face:
- How do you adapt established frameworks when crises refuse to respect traditional boundaries?
- Where are the opportunities to shape policy rather than simply implement it?
- What approaches work when complex challenges cascade across interconnected systems?
Hosted by crisis management veterans who understand the difference between theoretical frameworks and real-world application, each episode features decision-makers who have led through the world's most challenging crisis scenarios. These aren't academic discussions—they're strategic conversations that help you expand your influence beyond technical knowledge.
The Crisis Lab Podcast connects you with a community of 20,000+ senior professionals actively shaping how organizations and nations prepare for and respond to emerging threats. These relationships create opportunities that technical expertise alone cannot unlock.
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