Posted on Jul 31, 2018 in
FORT BEND'S FINEST
Name: Dakota Duncan
Title: City Emergency Management Coordinator
Years of Service: Nearly a year with Missouri City, five years in emergency
management, seven years in public safety, eight years US Navy Reserves.
Family: Wife Mikah and a Siberian Husky fur baby.
By Joan Frances | Photo by Mary Favre
• Why public service? I always loved doing what most people can’t do, and it is rewarding to help others.
• Greatest thing about your job: I love getting to work with every department in the city and the public equally. I work with some of the very best leaders this country has to offer.
• What does an Emergency Operations Manager do? We do a lot of behind the scenes coordination to ensure all public safety professions, healthcare systems, private industries and education systems can all work together in an efficient manner during an emergency or disaster. Overall, we ensure a community is able to prepare, mitigate, respond and recover from disasters.
• Since this is hurricane season, what basic preparations does the public need to know about? Stay informed of what’s going on in your area, so you don’t get caught up in a developing emergency. Subscribe to local emergency alerts, have an AM/FM radio and utilize social media platforms. Finally, it’s paramount to have some emergency supplies on hand. I recommend having a 72-hour bag for each family member, and I also keep additional kits in each car.
• Inspiration: My parents, who always encouraged me to take risks and pursue my dreams relentlessly.
• Hobbies: I love extreme sports and am known to always be pushing new limits. I have kayaked the Apostle Islands, ran sled dogs across the Upper Peninsula, surfed the California coastlines, wake-boarded all across the Midwest and grew up on motorcycles, ATV’s and boats. Additionally, I like to read and have read over a hundred books in the past year alone.
• Guilty pleasure? I love tailored suits and high-end dress clothes – just something about a newly tailored suit and freshly shined shoes makes me happy.
• One thing you want to share with the community: I am honored to be here and work with such an amazing team. We are listening to the comments and concerns from the city and the public, especially following Harvey, and we are working diligently to bridge those gaps.
