iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Mike | TheMicroNomad

Dr. Samantha Montano @samlmontano.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

You cannot understand emergency management today without understanding how the Bush administration & Congress took advantage of the post-9/11 shock to create the homeland security apparatus.

Just a few months later, two planes crashed into the Twin Towers and the window was opened for the largest reorganization of the federal government since the National Security Act of 1947. US emergency management was turned upside down, as reckless policy decisions that contradicted decades of disaster research and emergency management expertise were imple-mented. 402 The cataclysmic post-9/11 policy changes laid the groundwork for the failed response to Hurricane Katrina and the levee failure only a few years later, 403 and still contribute to slow and ineffective responses today.

The most significant of these changes was the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. A month after 9/11, Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) and Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) cosponsored a bill that took inspiration from the concept of the National Homeland Security Agency, proposing the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As had happened when Representative Thornberry introduced nearly the same bill in the House months before, hearings were held, but no vote taken. The Bush administration, with support from the Hart-Rudman findings, presented a similar bill to Congress in June 2002. With pressure from the White House, the bill finally passed, and DHS was created. FEMA was subsumed by DHS along with other agencies, including the Coast Guard and Secret Service. In the reorganization, FEMA lost its status as an

independent, cabinet-level agency. Across the country, emergency management agencies got whiplash. 404
As this drastic reorganization and refocus of the federal government was underway, Congress wanted answers about the circumstances that led to the 9/11 attacks including an analysis of how intelligence agencies had failed to communicate with one another before the attack. Most relevant for emergency man-agement, Congress also wanted a better understanding of the effectiveness of the response at the Pentagon and in New York City. The answers to these questions were compiled into the 9/11 Commission Report released in 2004.405 The 9/11 Commission's findings concerned many emergency management ex-perts. 406 The Commission found that the immediate life-saving response measures conducted at the Pentagon had been success-ful. On the contrary, they criticized the response measures in New York City as uncoordinated.

This conclusion ran counter to the findings of disaster researchers in important ways. Disaster scholars documented first responders running into the towers, despite knowing they might never run back out. Inside the towers, people banded together to help each other out of the buildings, carrying coworkers who were disabled down dozens of flights of stairs, resulting in upward of sixteen thousand people evacuating in just 102 minutes.
Those who died were largely located on the floors above where the planes collided, making evacuation impossible.
Those who escaped the towers found people outside ready to guide them out of the dust. Local businesses opened their doors to offer refuge, and others handed out water or bandaged

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

The roar of a distant waterfall and sounds of a rushing river bring pleasantry as a small breath of wind feeds your senses of fresh mountain air... Beyond horizons, distant mountains with dustings of snow. Arriving, one question ponders the mind: where to begin? #Yosemite #NationalPark #SonyAlpha

A winding river through a valley fed from a distant waterfall.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

POV: You open the tent door after awakening from an afternoon nap at your backpacking camp to a view of Half Dome. 😌🏞️ 📍 Ahwahneechee Lands 🧭 Yosemite National Park 📷 Sony A7IV 🗓️ June 2022

A zipped open tent door with views of Half Dome.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Redwoods 🌲 It's never quite easy to capture just how tall the Redwood trees are. Off the beaten patch and onto dirt roads, exploring this forest makes me appreciate the scale of nature. 🌲😌🌲 🧭Redwood National & State Parks 📷 #Pentax K1000 🎞️ Kodak Gold 400 🗓️ May.2026 #MadeWithKodak #Redwoods

An SUV parked alongside a dirt road going through a Redwood Forest.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

El Capitan & Half Dome 🏔️ The first new day of the first new year, one of the captures with my new zoom lens providing me new ways to capture the awe of Yosemite. 📷 Sony A7CII 🗓️ JAN.2026

El Capitan and Half Dome with a dusting of some snow

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

A Rocky Path ⛰️ Volcanic rock and not a shade to be found as the mid sun ever so shines on this barren... Yet beautiful land. One does not simply walk... And well, you know the rest 😅 📍 Mountain Maidu Lands 🧭 Lassen Volcanic National Park 📷 Sony A7CII 🗓️ Captured 08.2025 #NationalParks

A hiker on a rocky path looking beyond towards Lassen Peak in the distance

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Painted Dunes A landscape seemingly out of this world and one of many highlights. 🚀The bronze and reddish-yellow hues of the sweeping volcanic sediment really does seem as though it were out of a painting. 📍 Mountain Maidu Lands 🧭 Lassen Volcanic National Park 📷 Sony A7CII 🗓️ 08.2025

Dunes of volcanic sediment with sporadic trees in its landscape

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

May The Forest Be With You 🌲 In the far reaches of Northern California, the Redwoods. To be at least in proxy of where Star Wars was filmed is pretty neat! And if you know, you know: you have friends everywhere ✌🏽 📷 Pentax K1000 🎞️ Fuji 200 #MayThe4ThBeWithYou

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

🌍 This Blue Planet 🌎 Waves thunder across the shores, fog obscuring the forest beyond, and in the distance, you perceive marine wildlife. A fantasy tale this is not, but rather the reality of this amazing blue planet. This realm is our home adventurer, what will you do to protect it? #EarthDay

Waves crashing along forested cliffs with fog partially obscuring views beyond.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

Found out my Masters Thesis, which I hope to one day make into a peer-reviewed article, was cited in a Doctoral Thesis. My excitement is beyond measurable! 🥹 To the author now a Dr. (PhD) I say congrats! In due time, I'll get back to pursuing a PhD after finding this little motivation. #Academia

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

And hi again all in the BlueSky! Still here 😅 been inactive a bit adjusting with social media and life. Been promoted in my org with additional responsibilities and now an alert warning officer for internal alerts... This'll be interesting. Not that I'm in a seismically active area or anything 🫠

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

National Public Telecommunicators Week, a week recognizing the voices of calm in emergencies. Just a shout-out to the team I work with in SAR who not only speaking with people in peril, but also assist in the coordination speaks to their character in the overall effort in saving someone's life. 🛟

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Weathering the Storm It was in this moment, I'm reminded about resilience... For a landscape which has stood the test of time, sculpted from earthquakes, storms, and even fires, it still remains... resilient as ever. 📍 Coast Miwok Lands 🧭 Point Reyes National Seashore 📷 03.JAN.2026 Sony A7Cii

A rocky beach with tumultuous waves with a coastal fog cresting amongst the cliffs

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

Want to update my profile pic, instead, created a new character. Sure it's "off brand" for me. Is it awesome? Yeah! In the new year, not letting algorithm dictate what to create as I lean more on other tidbits which make me, me! A depiction of my DnD character 📍Tsnungwe, Hupa Lands 📷 Sony A7Cii

A human figure in a forest wearing a blue tunic and poncho, adorned with a satchel and pockets, with a quarterstaff on the back.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

🎄 Wishing everyone a Happy Holiday! 🎄🙂 📍 Ahwahneechee Lands 🧭 Yosemite National Park 📷 Sony A7Cii

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

Breathtaking ⛰️ In 2024, finally got a chance to visit a National Park I've had on my list for a while. Although a short visit, the inspiring landscape was just breathtaking... literally and figuratively 😅 📍 Ute & Cheyenne Lands 🧭 Rocky Mountain National Park 📷 20.AUG.2024 Sony A7Cii

A vast mountain range with a cloudy sky and dense forest below.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

Winter ❄ So begins the period when days after Winter Solstice slowly become longer, but not before we at least enjoy the solitude and calm of the Winter Season. 📍 Mountain Maidu Lands 🧭 Lassen Volcanic National Park 📷 01.DEC.2024 - Sony A7Cii

A river creek flowing through a snowy forest.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

Weather sure is keeping things busy. Flash Flood Warning for a good portion of Humboldt County. Lots of traffic incidents this morning too. Stay safe out there folks, probably best not to travel to the Redwoods today.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

Looks like the heavy rains originally intended for the SF/Bay Area went further north... When it rains, it pours, and it's definitely feeling like it! 🌧️

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

Visited the Peanuts Museum a while back where a little exhibit on a wall stood out to me changing my approach to the everyday life: The Creative Process. Specifically the spontaneity of creating... Inspired, a new creative habit formed. 🙂 🧭 Charles M. Schulz Museum 📷 Sony A7Cii 🗓️ 20.OCT.2025

A building entrance with a partial view of letters affixed to the top. The full title of it would be Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center.

A foyer interior with the rear wall depicting two of the Peanuts characters Lucy holding a football and Charlie Brown ready to kick the ball.

A text on the wall discussing the main topic about Charles M Schulz's creative process

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

It's been a while since I've been on here... And I just want to say, for once, I can rest easy for now knowing our trajectory is possible for a better future. With that in mind, LETS GO! 🌊🙌🏽

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

Was on the job today so couldn't join in on events today... And can't out loudly say where I stand, but there were definitely signs about where I stood. 🙂 Oh these Rebel symbols you say? Nothing in particular, just a Star Wars fan! ✌🏽

A water bottle with stickers affixed with California state, a rainbow campfire, and Rebel symbols from Star Wars

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 31/05/2025

Day 1 of 9 towards obtaining Wilderness First Responder in the books! Finally got around to taking this course, upgrading my certification from Wilderness First Aid.

A couple of Wilderness Medicine books next to a paper briefly outlining the course.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

Got myself a "new" (bought used) 70-300mm lens after capturing with my 24mm prime for the longest time. Already happy after a quick field test the other day! Can't wait to get out again 🙂 📍 Yurok Lands 🧭 Trinidad, CA 📷 #Sony #A7Cii #Photography #Outdoors #California

A camera and telephoto lens atop a table.

An unedited capture of a silhouette of a rugged shoreline at sunset.

An edited capture of a rugged shoreline with gentle waves cresting onto a beach and people walking at sunset.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

A serene backpacking adventure while exploring Endor-er... Redwood National & State Parks. 📍 Yurok Lands 📷 #Sony A7Cii #Photography #Endor #NationalParks #Backpacking

A backpacker going through an opening of a fallen tree

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

Bright Suns (Good day in Batuuan) fellow travelers! #MayThe4th be with you! ✌🏽 Just some of my favorite photography captures from Batuu West last year when I traveled to a galaxy far far away to celebrate this day. 🌌 📷 #Sony A7IV #Photography #StarWars #Disneyland

Fireworks above rocky spires and the Millennium Falcon

A small two legged droid escorted by a Batuuan

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

In a busy life, sometimes spontaneous adventures happen. Thankfully got a trusty rig for such scenarios: GALILEO. Acronym for: Gear for Adaptive Living, Integrated Logistics, & Exploration Outpost. 😅 It gets the job done! 📷 #PentaxK1000 🎞️ #Kodak Gold 200 #Travel #FilmCollective #Photography

An SUV parked in a forested campground with a rising morning sun shining through the trees.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

Limitless Exploration 🌐 When I visited the Exploratorium in SF for the first time, felt like a kid again as I took such appreciation for the sciences. The world is our classroom and we still have lots to learn. 📷 #PentaxK1000 🎞️ Fuji 200 #SanFrancisco #FilmCollective #Photography

A museum entrance with the word Exploratorium written sideways.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

Happy Earth Day! 🌎 Some of the smallest actions can build towards a sustainable future and it doesn't necessarily have to be outdoors. A trip to the science museum to learn about our home can be just as impactful. 🧭 California Academy of Sciences 📷 Sony A7Cii #EarthDay #Science #Sustainability

Looking at the roof of a dome housing a rainforest.

Two people observing fish in a giant aquarium

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

Pause & Enjoy ☕ In midst of chaos, sometimes life might give you a subtle hint to just pause and to enjoy the moment. 📷 Sony A7CII 📍 Native Lands of the Wiyot 🧭 2025.JAN.09 in Eureka, CA #Photography #SonyCamera #CoffeeShopVibe

Inside a coffee shop with tables and chairs in front of a window bringing in warm light while the words "Enjoy" sit above.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

What an amazing sight to witness! ✊🏽 Some quick captures of the #HandsOff Rally at the Humboldt County Courthouse in Eureka #California

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Life is like a Rollercoaster A throwback as I ponder how best to describe the feelings and general sense of what life is giving these days. Also reminder to myself of the simple amusement enjoyed in good company. 🧭 #Disney California Adventure Park 📷 #PentaxK1000 🎞️ #Kodak Gold 200 #FilmPhotography

A rollercoaster with a coaster train on the track.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

Watched a short documentary of the Super Bowl Halftime show and wondered, what if #EmergencyManagement did this level of production to showcase the profession using exercises? It might give understanding of what Emergency Managers do beyond response for the public. (Can you spot ICS-style vests?)

youtu.be

How Kendrick Lamar’s EPIC Super Bowl Halftime Show was Designed & Built in 8 Minutes

YouTube video by NFL

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Hiking season is near, stay safe out there! Being one of the coordinators for this incident on the infamous Lost Coast Trail, for this level of technical complexity and challenging region, it really does take a multi-agency response for a successful rescue. #SAR #SearchAndRescue #LostCoastTrail

kymkemp.com

[New Video] Multiple Agencies Rescue Stranded Hikers on Lost Coast Trail

“This rescue required the coordinated efforts of six different agencies, utilizing millions of dollars of specialized equipment and extensive training to ensure a safe and professional outcome.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Still Life 📷 Weather letting up for a couple days in Northern California so taking advantage of it while I can ☀️ 📍 Native Lands of the Yurok 🧭 Seascape Restaurant (Tribal Owned #Photography

Sunglasses, a camera, and decorative flowers stop a table with a harbor and pier in the background.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

This has wide ranging implications which is going to hurt many communities reliant on international tourism. In particular, rural communities whose very economy is reliant on the typical summer travel season and especially those recently affected by disasters still recovering. #ThruHiking #ParkChat

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

Protectors of History 📚 We often associate the NPS to landscapes and overlook it's other purpose. To rangers at National Historic Sites, keep being the uplifting voice whilst sharing history so we don't repeat it ourselves. 🧭 Manzanar National Historic Site #Photography #NationalParks #ParkChat

A red truck parked in front of wooden buildings at a historical internment camp with mountains in the background.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Happy #WaterfallWednesday all! Just A little something to break up the timeline a bit. Outdoors matter, you matter. 📍 Ahwahneechee Lands 🧭 Yosemite National Park 📷 Pentax K1000 🎞️ Kodak Gold 200 #NationalParks #Photography #FilmCollective #Kodak #35mmFilm

A waterfall going off a granite cliff into a pool below surrounded by forest.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

This is BAD. The NCEP data is actively used in Maritime #SAR response providing planners Monte-Carlo based models to see where distressed ships, persons in the water, or life rafts could be. This would significantly hamper search effectiveness. #EmergencyManagement #GreySky

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

Prepared my report to pass for oncoming crew and saw a different #NOAA NWS Office issued the forecast rather than our usual. Colleague and I confirmed the details covering what we need, just from a different office. We know it's mutual aid, but this should not be the new normal. #EmergencyManagement

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Standing Tall 🌲 Wishing I could join the many out there today, but other duties call... But like this Sequoia here: stand tall, be resilient. For #NationalParks, for all the rangers, for #PublicLands! 📍 Native Lands of Western Mono/Monache 🧭 Sequoia National Park 📷 Pentax K1000 🎞️ Kodak Gold 200

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

This is such a threat to the Search & Rescue community. Not only for the safety of responders, but for Preventive SAR efforts... NOAAs information, data, and especially its warning systems are vital to just about every aspect of #EmergencyManagement and #PublicSafety...

usatoday.com

Mass job cuts hit NOAA, agency that oversees hurricane center and weather service

Federal employees who monitor and forecast the nation’s weather and climate have been hit with a wave of mass firings.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

Inspired by @camarowrx.bsky.social for the #BlueSkyArtShow theme on #Abandoned A unique, jointly managed land with some historical significance up in the Aleutian Islands when I visited in 2017. #ParkChat #Photography 📍 Native Lands of the Aleut 🧭 Unalaska 📷 Nikon D5300

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

More Than A Sign The only evidence of who manages #PublicLands most often is just this, a sign. They may not be seen, but their efforts can be felt. 📍 Native Lands of Northern Wintu 🧭 Shasta-Trinity National Forest - Trinity Alps 📷 Pentax K1000 #Photography 🎞️ Kodak Pro Image 100 #FilmCollective

A wooden sign alongside a trail stating "Trinity Alps Wilderness; Shasta-Trinity National Forests" over a United States Forest Service emblem.

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Mike | TheMicroNomad @themicronomad.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

"In wisdom gathered over time I have found every experience is a form of exploration" -Ansel Adams A quote helping me view through a pragmatic lens like in the #outdoors where we can find the intersect between the natural, built, and social systems. 📷 Pentax K1000 🎞️ Kodak Gold 200 #FilmCollective

A group of visitors walking on a path towards a waterfall

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