Building Utility Partnerships Before Disaster Strikes
Major disasters are no longer managed by a single organization. Success depends on utilities, emergency managers, first responders, and government agencies operating as one team before, during, and after an incident. Drawing on decades of experience at CenterPoint Energy, Southern California Edison, PG&E, CAL FIRE, and major national incidents, this session explores how utilities can build the relationships, common operating language, and operational integration needed to accelerate restoration and improve community outcomes. Through real-world case studies, attendees will learn practical strategies for coordinating repair and restoration efforts during active incidents, supporting recovery operations, and preparing today to implement a Whole Community approach to the complex emergencies of tomorrow.
Panelists:
- Tom Jacobus, Director of Emergency Response, CenterPoint
Thomas Jacobus is Director of Emergency Response Operations at CenterPoint Energy, where he leads the company’s emergency response operations and helps strengthen incident management capabilities across the organization. Prior to joining CenterPoint, he spent more than 22 years at Southern California Edison, serving most recently as Manager of Business Resiliency. During his tenure, he led the utility’s business continuity and crisis management programs and played a key role in developing and maturing its incident management teams, emergency response processes, and Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) incident management framework. With more than 25 years of experience spanning utility resilience, emergency management, business continuity, and security operations, Thomas is widely recognized for building cross-functional response organizations that improve operational readiness and resilience before, during, and after major events.
- Scott Holmquist, Associate Partner, URTA
Scott Holmquist is an Associate Partner at URTA with more than 40 years of experience in all-hazards emergency incident management, response, and training. He retired from CAL FIRE as Assistant Deputy Director of Fire Protection Operations and served as a Type 1 Incident Commander. Scott later founded Pursue It Consulting, providing incident management training, fire prevention, and mitigation services to public and private sector organizations, including utilities. He also spent four years with Pacific Gas and Electric Company as a Public Safety Specialist, supporting emergency planning, exercises, and incident response. A FEMA-certified instructor, Scott teaches numerous incident management and Emergency Operations Center courses and has delivered training throughout the United States.
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