Bordering on Disaster (BOD) Conference

The 2017 Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting in Las Vegas became one of the deadliest mass casualty events in modern U.S. history when 58 people lost their lives and over 700 people suffered injuries. In the aftermath, hundreds of emergency responders, medical professionals, government agencies and volunteer organizations came together to save lives, support survivors and begin the road to recovery.

At Bordering on Disaster 2026, attendees will hear directly from professionals who were involved in the response and recovery. This session will explore lessons from the tragedy, the importance of community preparedness and how after-action findings have shaped emergency management practices.

The panel features three experienced leaders:

Irene Navis, AICP brings more than four decades of planning and emergency management experience. As Clark County Assistant Emergency Manager from 2012–2018, she held key response and recovery roles during major incidents, including the Route 91 shooting. She now leads Navis Strategic Services and supports pediatric emergency management and preparedness initiatives at the regional and national level.

Dr. Misty Robinson has led public health emergency preparedness initiatives at the Southern Nevada Health District since 2006. She oversees all-hazards planning, training and exercises and works closely with healthcare, emergency management and government partners to strengthen regional readiness.

Misty Richardson serves as Special Events Advisor for the Clark County Fire Department, providing strategic guidance for some of Las Vegas's largest and most complex public safety operations. A former Assistant/Deputy Emergency Manager for Clark County, she brings nearly three decades of public service and experience supporting major incidents and large-scale events.

Together, they will share real-world lessons on preparedness, multi-agency coordination, mass casualty response and recovery, offering insights that communities can apply when preparing for the unexpected.

Effective communication is the foundation of successful emergency management, yet it remains one of the greatest challenges faced during a crisis. Katherine Guest, CEM, brings more than a decade of experience in crisis management, disaster preparedness, and business continuity, supporting organizations across North America in strengthening resilience through strategic planning, emergency operations, and recovery initiatives.

In this presentation, Katherine will explore how strengthening both internal communication among emergency management professionals, partner agencies, and decision-makers, as well as external communication with the public, can enhance preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. Through lessons learned, emerging technologies, and best practices in crisis and risk communication, she will examine how timely, accurate, and consistent information builds trust, supports informed decision-making, and fosters collaboration.

A Certified Emergency Manager (CEM), Katherine is recognized for her collaborative leadership, practical approach to complex challenges, and commitment to helping organizations and communities better prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies.

When incidents escalate, radio communications can quickly become part of the challenge rather than the solution. Channels become overloaded, agencies compete for airtime, and responders can lose clarity about who should be communicating where.

Tracy Price, Manager of Business Services for the Alberta First Responders Radio Communications System (AFRRCS), works to strengthen the interoperability, reliability, and resilience of Alberta’s public safety communications network. With more than 20 years of experience with the Government of Alberta, Tracy brings expertise in strategic planning, emergency management, and cross-ministry collaboration.

Throughout her career, Tracy has supported complex initiatives in land-use planning, FireSmart program development, and environmental framework integration, applying technical expertise and creative problem-solving to operational challenges. At AFRRCS, she leads strategic initiatives focused on stakeholder engagement, agency partnerships, and ensuring Alberta’s first responders have the communication systems and confidence needed during critical incidents. 

Disasters come in many varieties. From the routine floods, wildfires, tornadoes and blizzards to the truly unexpected, events become disasters when their consequences overwhelm the local coping capacity. As a result, emergency management programs promote hazard awareness and risk reduction strategies to identify and prepare for the most common threats using familiar and proven methods. The challenge, in our increasingly unstable physical and social environment, is how to plan for the impacts we don't expect. This presentation will explore how unprecedented events often share recognizable characteristics that can guide effective improvisation while identifying where unique approaches are needed.

Drawing on more than 35 years of research and applied emergency management experience, Jack Lindsay brings a unique perspective shaped by leadership roles in Canada and New Zealand, as well as his work as an Associate Professor in Brandon University's Applied Disaster and Emergency Studies department. His experience spans emergency planning, disaster management, professional standards development and emergency management education, offering practical insights that help organizations build resilience for both expected and unexpected events.

Flood forecasts and mapping provide critical information, but information alone does not manage a flood. During a high-water event, municipalities need to quickly understand what is at risk, what needs to happen next and where to focus their resources.

During this session, Spencer will showcase a practical, scenario-based GIS tool designed to turn flood intelligence into immediate, actionable information for municipal Emergency Operations Centres. By connecting forecasted river flows, where available, with predefined flood scenarios, the tool helps EOC staff rapidly identify the most likely situation, understand potential impacts and move from information to response.

With a selected scenario, the tool brings critical operational information together in one place, including evacuation areas, road and trail closures, temporary flood protection measures, outfall impacts, berm risk areas, affected infrastructure and other response actions.

Beyond the technology, this presentation will explore the process of building a tool that works when it matters most. Learn how flood mapping can be structured into operational scenarios, how triggers and response actions can be established and how GIS solutions can be adapted to municipal workflows, resources and risk profiles.

Drawing on recent projects in Alberta and British Columbia, Spencer will deliver practical lessons for turning complex flood information into clear decisions, coordinated action and faster response; leaving attendees with a better understanding of how municipalities can move beyond simply having flood data to building tools that help them act with confidence when the water rises.

Effective emergency response relies on more than individual agencies acting alone. It requires strong partnerships, clear communication, coordinated action and public trust.

Dr. Simon Kapaj, Medical Health Officer with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, will explore these essential connections during his Bordering on Disaster Conference presentation, Public Health Emergencies: Coordinating with Municipal Partners and the Public.

Drawing on his extensive experience in public health, infectious diseases and outbreaks, disaster and emergency planning and community partnerships, Dr. Kapaj will examine how public health agencies, municipalities, community partners and the public can work together before, during and after an emergency.

The session will also explore how responders and public health organizations can strengthen their relationship with the communities they serve. From building trust before an emergency occurs to communicating clearly during times of uncertainty and supporting communities through recovery, attendees will examine ways to foster stronger connections between agencies, responders and the public.

Attendees will explore the importance of preparedness, clearly defined roles, coordinated response efforts, effective public communication and meaningful community engagement.

With a career spanning public health, outbreak response, emergency planning and community partnership-building, Dr. Kapaj brings a unique perspective to one of emergency management's most important challenges: earning and maintaining public trust. 

Join Dr. Kapaj at this year's conference to explore how the experience and expertise of responders can be better connected with the communities they serve, creating stronger relationships and a more coordinated, trusted response when it matters most.