Resources for WRMC
Resource Center
Workshop Resources
The true value of attending the WRMC is in the resulting action you take upon returning to your organization. Conference resources are available here to help you take the next steps
The information presented at the WRMC and in the resources below reflect the opinion of the individual presenters and/or their organizations. The WRMC represents a shared risk management philosophy, but is not a standard-setting body and does not certify or endorse practices.
WRMC Tracks
Emergency Planning & Crisis Response Track: Planning for and responding to field incidents and large-scale crises, supporting affected parties, post-incident response.
2025 Presentations:
- Building Organisational Resilience for Climate Change - Loren Miller 2025
- Crisis Management Case Study - Katie Baum Mettenbrink 2025
- Critical Evacuations_ Helicopter Responses in Remote Areas - Helene de Lagillardaie 2025
- Unimaginable Disaster Presentation - Alex Schwartz 2025
Past Presentations:
- A Case Study in Systems Failure: NZ’s Mangatepopo Tragedy Presentation – Jeff Jackson 2011 (pdf)
- A Critical Evaluation of Certifications – Curt Davidson, Graham Ottley 2014 (pdf)
- At the End of My Rope and Hit by a Rock and Stuck in a Hard Place: Two Patients' Perspectives vs. Perceptions – Jeannette Stawski, Christine Lagattolla 2019 (pdf)
- Blindspot: Near Miss Trauma – Brendan Madden 2017 (pdf)
- Communicating with Families in Challenging Situations – Laura Herrin 2007 (pdf)
- Complexities in Intercultural Emergency Response – Tim Hare 2016 (prezi link)
- Conducting Internal Incident Reviews – Kurt Merrill, Kris Wright 2006 (pdf)
- Crisis Case Study - Responding to a Lightning Fatality at NOLS - Katie Baum Mettenbrink, Shana Tarter 2024 (pdf)
- Distributed Organization Staff Support_Handout - Emma Walker, Brooke Rutherford 2024 (pdf)
- Distributed Organization Staff Support - Emma Walker, Brooke Rutherford 2024 (pdf)
- Contemporary Crisis Management Workshop Resources - Clare Dallat, Deb Ajango 2024 (pdf)
- Contemporary Crisis Management Planning - Clare Dallat, Deb Ajango 2024 (pdf)
- Three Phases of a Critical Incident Plan - Clare Dallat, Deb Ajango 2024 (pdf)
- Building Climate Change Resilience in the Outdoor Industry - Shana Tarter, Brendan Madden 2024 (pdf)
- Crisis Communications Boot Camp – Skip King 2015 (pdf)
- Crisis Communication in the Digital Age: The Basics Still Matter – Bruce Palmer 2016 (pdf)
- Crisis Management: A Preplan in Action – Drew Leemon, Katie Baum Mettenbrink 2020 (pdf)
- Crisis Management: A Preplan in Action – Drew Leemon 2016 (pdf)
- Crisis Management: Emotional Support for Participants, Staff, and Families – Suellen Sack, Steve Neal 2019 (pdf)
- Critical Incident Stress Debriefing – Deb Ajango 2004 (pdf)
- Critical Incident Stress Debriefing: Helpful or Harmful? – Tod Schimelpfenig 2005 (pdf)
- Don't Let a Crisis Shock You- Sharing Our Experience Managing the NOLS Lightning Fatality - Drew Leemon, Fraces Mock, Katie Baum Mettenbrink 2023 (pdf)
- Exceptions to Medical Sceening at NOLS – Drew Leemon 2005 (pdf)
- Expecting the Unexpected – Todd Duncan, Catherine Hansen-Stamp, Tony Rango 2018 (pdf)
- Field Emergency Decision Making – Deb Ajango 2012 (pdf)
- Getting Beyond Operator Error: Using Systems to Analyze Accidents – Jeff Jackson 2013 (pdf)
- Green Horns to Gurus: Program Supervision Strategies for Managing and Supporting Field Staff – Chris Benson 2015 (pdf)
- How to Feed Alligators: Ten Things You Need to Know About Communicating in a Crisis – Skip King 2017 (pdf)
- Incident Data Project – Drew Leemon 2013 (pdf)
- Incident Response: The Aftermath of Infectious Disease Exposure – Caroline Nassif, Rita Galdos 2017 (pdf)
- Interagency Incident Response: SAR Case Studies and Paddlecraft Safety – U.S. Coast Guard, Maine Marine Patrol, Maine Fire Department 2017 (pdf)
- It Just Got Worse: Managing Conventional and Social Media in Crisis Situations – Skip King 2014 (pdf)
- Johnny is Lost – Gates Richards 2019 (pdf)
- Lessons from the Lava Mountain Fire: Planning, Communications, Evacuation, and Post-Crisis – Matthew Cook 2017 (pdf)
- Managing Field Evacuations – Jay Satz, Kurt Merrill, Dave McEvoy 2006 (pdf)
- Media Training: Preparing for the Hot Seat presentation – Heidi White 2018 (pdf)
- Operation Art and the COVID-19 Pandemic - Lessons from the Conservation Corps - Hannah Wendel, Colin Giegerich 2023 (pdf)
- Performing Under Pressure – Deb Ajango 2014 (pdf)
- Practicing your Worst Nightmare: A Realistic Emergency Response Exercise – Gretchen Ostherr 2017 (pdf)
- Preparing and Executing Effective Critical Incident Simulations with Administrative Staff – Mark Vermeal 2015 (pdf)
- Ready for Primetime? Crisis Training for Traditional and Social Media – Travis Taylor, Karmina Zafiro 2015 (pdf)
- Risk Management of Wildfire Smoke Exposure - Andrea Stephens, Seth Hawkins 2023 (pdf)
- Risk Management: The Traumatic Aftermath – Dr. Will Marling 2019 (pdf)
- Risk Management: The Traumatic Aftermath – Will Marling 2016 (pdf)
- SAR for Outdoor Leaders – Tod Schimelpfenig 2008 (pdf)
- Shades of Gray: The Complications of Managing Incidents Overseas – Gennifre Hartman, Jennifer Royall, Leah Knickerbocker 2012 (pdf)
- Short Talk Series - Sam Sala, Jun Ping Lim, Luc Mehl, Larisa Castille 2023 (pdf)
- Small Organization Emergency Response Plans: Where Do I Start? – John Kelly 2018 (pdf)
- Supporting Families and Victims in the Aftermath of a Critical Field Incident – Jay A. Satz, Molly Hampton 2008 (pdf)
- Supporting Family and Staff During Critical Incidents – Suellen Sack 2020 (pdf)
- Surprises and Lessons from Major Incidents – Frances Mock, Lewis Glenn, Steve Neal, and Michael Lindsey 2011 (pdf)
- The Art (and Science) of Giving Bad News: Critical Incident and Death Notifications – Will Marling, Jay Satz 2018 (pdf)
- The Foreign and the Familiar: International Emergency Response presentation – Tim Hare 2018 (prezi link)
- The Wilderness Incident Investigative Interview – Kurt Merrill, Kris Wright 2005 (pdf)
- This is Not JUST a Drill – Mark Vermeal 2013 (pdf)
- Walking Towards the Storm: Lessons from a Crisis – Jonathan Igoe, Tom Costley, Emily Ferrell 2019 (pdf)
- Welcome to the Jungle: Navigating the Interface Between Social and Conventional Media in a Crisis – Skip King 2019 (pdf)
- Who Gets to Know What? Writing and Sharing Your Investigation Report – Frances Mock, Drew Leemon 2012 (pdf)
- Why Victim Relations is as Important as Pulic Relations – Will Marling 2009 (pdf)
- Worst Case Scenario: An Expedition Leader's Response to a Fatality – Jerry Isaak 2012 (pdf)
Conference Archive
Action steps are measurable tasks or ideas you should be able to do or implement in your program within a reasonably short time frame. They are not meant as large sweeping changes, rather as small steps to move you forward in your risk management strategy. The following lists are arranged alphabetically and include pre-conference workshops and posters.
- 2025 Action Steps (pdf)
- 2023 Action Steps (pdf)
- 2020 Action Steps (pdf)
- 2019 Action Steps (pdf)
- 2018 Action Steps (pdf)
- 2017 Action Steps (pdf)
- 2016 Action Steps (pdf)
- 2015 Action Steps (pdf)
- 2014 Action Steps (pdf)
- 2013 Action Steps (pdf)
- 2012 Action Steps (pdf)
- 2010 Action Steps (pdf)
- 2007 Action Steps (pdf)
