Safeguard Iowa Thanks Outgoing Director Doug Reed for his Service and Welcomes Director Brian Payne to our Board of Directors

SIP Chair Pat Waymire recently presented outgoing Director (and Pottawattamie County EMA Director) Doug Reed with a SIP Certificate of Appreciation for his service to the Board of Directors.

Safeguard Iowa thanks him for his continued support of our organization and mission.

We wish him all the best as he assumes the position of 1st Vice President of the Iowa Emergency Management Association (IEMA)

Brian Payne is the Emergency Management Director for Scott County, IA.  He began his career with Scott County Emergency Management in 2017 as a Planning Specialist. He was named Deputy Director of the Agency in 2019 and appointed as the Emergency Management Director in 2023. He was elected as the 2nd Vice President of the Iowa Emergency Management Association (IEMA) in 2025.

In 2024, Brian was named by IEMA as the Emergency Manager of the Year. Under his direction, Scott County Emergency Management has continued the evolution of emergency management services in the area by establishing and strengthening cross-sector relationships, the development of an Incident Command System training regime for local first responders and use of graphic information systems (GIS) based tools for improved situational awareness. Prior to starting his career with Scott County, Brian was an Ambulance Supervisor for Genesis Health Systems for over 13 years.  

Scott Gooch selected as Safeguard Iowa's Board of Directors Newest Private Sector Director

Scott is the current Corporate Security & Safety Director for EMC Insurance. He has been at EMC Insurance for 38 years, serving in multiple capacities in the security and safety department for 25 years. 

Scott leads a team that helps provide specialized high-quality services to protect the safety and health of team members and guests, protects company physical assets, provides emergency management leadership, and promotes effective business recovery efforts using a risk-based approach. He is a designated Systems Maintenance, Facilities Management and Real Property Administrator. 

Scott also currently serves as the Vice President of the Downtown Sky-walk Security Association and a Member-at-Large of the Cutty's Campground Board. He has been a Safeguard Iowa member since 2019. The SIP Board looks forward to his future contributions to our organization and mission. 

Disaster Support for Central Texas 

Our partners at PSEMA and the PSEMA Foundation ( https://psema.org ) continue to coordinate with private sector business and industry partners to support impacted communities and critical lifelines in Central Texas. To assist those affected, please consider supporting trusted nonprofit partners affiliated with PSEMA who are active in the region. These organizations are providing food, shelter, cleanup supplies, and long-term recovery support to families and businesses in need. 

The best way to help right now is with a financial donation. Cash allows our nonprofit partners on the ground to purchase exactly what’s needed, when and where it’s needed most.   

As a reminder, please do not self-deploy without coordination as that will only cause additional stress on the local systems.

TEXSAR DONATION LINK

SALVATION ARMY DONATION LINK

TEAM RUBICON DONATION LINK

If your company or organization would like to provide in-kind products or services to assist PSEMA with the response and recovery, or if you need additional information, please email them contact@psema.org 

Safeguard Iowa/Partners Support Central Iowa's Water Conservation Efforts over High Nitrates

Pending an imminent risk of violating the nitrate standard, all commercial and residential lawn watering is prohibited.

This ban is effective immediately and affects all businesses and residential customers served by Central Iowa Water Works. 

Central Iowa Water Works has made the decision to enact the first-ever lawn watering ban to ensure treatment facilities can produce enough water for essential use in our communities.                 

Use less water to keep our water safe

Stage III CIWW Daily Updates: https://www.ciww.gov/news-1/stage-iii-daily-updates

Read more: https://www.ciww.gov/news-1/ciww-issues-lawn-watering-ban-effective-immediately

For more Info: https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/emergency-management/nitrates

To report violations in your communities:                Call the customer service line on your water bill.

Supporting the Training Needs of our Non-profit Partners as They Support Iowa and Iowans

Our mission allows us the opportunity to provide security assessments and critical training opportunities to support the needs of our community oriented non-profit partners like Primary Health Care of Iowa.

Since 1981, PHC's mission remains to provide healthcare and supportive services to all, regardless of insurance, immigration status, or ability to pay.

Together Helping Iowans.

Safeguard Iowa Working with Future Leaders on Preparedness and Force Protection Training

Enjoyed a great training session in Iowa City with the Cadets and Cadre of Air Force ROTC Detachment 255 sharing some critical skills and scenarios that they can use to protect themselves and their future airmen.

Are your Employees Protected? Check out our Updated Vaccination Program Guidebook

To Download a PDF Copy of this Flyer CLICK HERE

Polk County EMA Hosts Public Private Partnership Lunch & Learn with Safeguard Iowa

Great crowd in attendance for the recent Lunch and Learn at the Polk County EOC. Thanks to our partners from Hy-Vee and Clay/Polk County Emergency Management for their excellent presentations and supporting our efforts to enhance public/private sector collaboration during disaster response and recovery in Iowa.

Safeguard Iowa's Board of Directors Selects our Newest Public Sector Director, Franny Medeiros

On March 18, 2025, the SIP Board of Directors selected Franny Medeiros, to fill the vacant Public Sector Director position and broadened the public health perspective on our Board. Franny has been a member of Safeguard Iowa since 2015 and currently serves as the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for Polk County Public Health. With over 15 years of experience in Public Health and Emergency Management, Franny is a seasoned professional dedicated to improving community resilience and response strategies. Throughout her career, she’s played a pivotal role in responding to large-scale emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic, H1N1, and flooding. Notably, Franny led the establishment of the first local Medical Coordination Center during the COVID-19 response. This critical initiative helped streamline healthcare efforts and laid the foundation for a new healthcare coalition.

Franny studied at Mercy College of Health Sciences and is a Certified Medical Assistant. She has completed the National Emergency Management Basic Academy (NEMBA) and numerous other trainings over the years, including Crisis Leadership and Decision Making, ICS 300, ICS 400, Critical Infrastructure Security and Resiliency, Enhanced Sports and Special Events Incident Management, EOC Operations/Planning for All-Hazards, and Pediatric Disaster Response. Franny has also held previous positions with Polk County Emergency Management. Passionate about public health, Franny continues to advocate for effective preparedness and collaboration to mitigate the healthcare impacts of future emergencies. We look forward to her future contributions to our organization and mission. 

Safeguard Iowa Brings its Business Continuity

Preparedness Workshop to DMACC in Newton, IA

Hosted by our Great Partner's in Jasper County

Thanks to Jasper County Emergency Management, Jasper County Economic Development and the Newton Development Corporation for hosting our Business Continuity Training at the Des Moines Area Community College. A special thanks to the private sector businesses, non-profits, and public sector partners who were all very engaged while investing a few hours of their Monday to work on their organization's future preparedness. Together. Helping Iowans.

Our 2025 Safeguard Iowa Partnership

Board of Directors

Safeguard Iowa's Board of Directors Welcomes Iowa Association of School Board's Executive Director, D.T. Magee, as our newest Director

On December 17, 2024, the SIP Board of Directors selected D.T. Magee, to fill the vacant Non-profit/Association Director position on our Board and look forward to his future contributions to our organization and mission.

D.T. began serving as Executive Director of IASB on July 1, 2023. He previously served as Superintendent of Norwalk Schools, one of the fastest growing districts in Iowa. His experience also includes roles across Iowa as a teacher, coach, principal, HR director and assistant superintendent. D.T. has also served as the Executive Director of the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, President and Vice President of the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification, and Interim Director of the Iowa Department of Education.

At IASB, he provides leadership in developing and maintaining programs and services that support school board effectiveness, and advocacy for Iowa’s more than 1,800 elected school board members. D.T. earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Drake University, a Master’s Degree in Education Administration from Buena Vista University, and a Specialist in Education degree from Drake University.

2024 SIP Annual meeting/Training  Thanks to all our speakers/participants

Thanks to our many Private Sector, Public (Government) Sector, Non-profit and Association partners for their continued collaboration and support of our critical mission. It was great to catch up with so many of our members at our Annual Meeting/Training. Safeguard Iowa would especially like to thank event sponsors    AED Authority, Hy-Vee, and all of our presenters. There were many public/private partnership successes to celebrate this past year as we continue to engage and improve our preparedness, response and recovery efforts across the state.                    Together. Helping Iowans.    

 Iowa Flooding and Severe Weather Response

Safeguard Iowa would like to thank it's many Private Sector, Public (Government) Sector, and Non-profit partners for all of their support during record flooding across many parts of Iowa. As SIP (along with our BEOC Liaisons) manned and worked the Emergency Support Function (ESF) 14 - Private Sector Coordination role with Iowa HSEMD and DAS in the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), we were continually amazed by the generosity and dedication of all those engaged in the flood response fight and on-going recovery efforts. Together. Helping Iowans.                                      *Photos from the SEOC courtesy of SIP and our partners at the Iowa National Guard.

Safeguard Iowa Presents at the "University of Okoboji" Emergency Management Conference

SIP Executive Director Jay Knox was invited to present training at the Iowa Emergency Management Association's (IEMA) "University of Okoboji" Emergency Management Conference in Wahpeton, Iowa. The focus of this years conference was Learn, Network and Grow. It is always a great day when you're able to train with so many of our incredible public sector partners from across the great state of Iowa and our surrounding region.

SIP TRAINING AND EXERCISES

Active Threat/Active Shooter Training

SIP recently conducted two training sessions  for the Managers and Supervisors of a major Des Moines manufacturing company after assisting them with the updating of their Active Threat Response Plan. It's a great company that invests time and effort to make sure their leadership and employees are prepared for emergencies and disasters.

Suspicious Mail - Identification and Response Training for County Auditors

SIP would like to thank our great partners at Washington and Madison County EMAs for hosting the in-person portion of our recent hybrid trainings in HSEMD/IEMA Districts 4 & 5.

Suspicious Mail - Identification and Response Training for County Auditors & their Staffs, Local Election & Political Offices, Elected Officials, Candidates, Emergency Management and Local 1st Responders:

A few pictures of the great discussion between our public sector partners following an Active Threat Workshop held at the Johnson County Emergency Operations Center on February 16th. A second session was conducted on Feb 27th at the Clear Creek Amana High School for District Staff. Our thanks to Johnson County Emergency Management for their partnership in delivering this important training.

Our thanks to Keokuk County Emergency Management and Public Health for hosting Safeguard Iowa for an Active Threat/Active Shooter Training Workshop and Tabletop Exercise in Sigourney, IA on January 25, 2024.  It was a great day of training with many of our public and private sector partners in attendance.

Thanks to our partners with Clinton County Emergency Management and Grow Clinton for hosting a great day of Business Continuity Training on Nov. 17th in Clinton, IA.  We had awesome engagement and discussion from a diverse cross-section of local private-sector organizations who "invested" a few hours to be better prepare for emergencies or disasters.

Together. Helping Iowans. Safeguard Iowa and our longtime private-sector partner, Hy-Vee, once again responded to Iowan's in need following a water main break in Ackley, IA on November 1, 2023 that left the towns residents without potable water. In coordination with Hardin County Emergency Management, Ackley Fire Department and community volunteers,    Hy-Vee Disaster Relief was on-scene within eight hours with an emergency supply of bottled water to help the town get through this local disaster. Job well done!