Conduit Street Podcast
From the halls of the State House to the heart of county government, the Conduit Street Podcast breaks down the decisions shaping Marylanders’ daily lives. Produced by the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo), this weekly podcast offers smart, accessible insights on the latest state and local policy — with counties always at the center.
Explore how legislation, executive actions, and agency decisions affect essential public services like education, infrastructure, public safety, health, and other core functions that matter most to Maryland residents. With special guests from across the state and the occasional world-famous dad joke, Conduit Street keeps you informed, engaged, and ready for what’s next.
Whether you’re a policymaker, a public servant, or just policy-curious, this is your front-row seat to Maryland’s political landscape.
Conduit Street Podcast
Elevating Emergency Management
On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Maryland Department of Emergency Management Acting Secretary Russell Strickland joins Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson to discuss the shifting landscape of emergency management. From new and evolving threats to harnessing new tech to build resilience and redundancy, learn why elevating emergency management to Cabinet-status strengthens state/local collaboration, communication, and coordination to advance community emergency preparedness.
Last week, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) became the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM). As previously reported on Conduit Street, the Maryland General Assembly this year passed SB 658, which establishes MDEM as a forward-facing, Cabinet-level entity. The bill also transfers the 9-1-1 Board to the Department.
MACo supported the bill, as MDEM will work directly with county emergency management offices to develop scalable, flexible, and adaptable concepts and better align critical roles and responsibilities when disasters strike. This partnership will ensure the continuity of government in the face of an innumerable number of catastrophic events.
In addition, as Maryland’s 9-1-1 system is a vital part of the State’s emergency response and disaster preparedness network, MDEM is the proper entity to help advance the deployment of a statewide NG911 system that our residents expect and deserve.
The Conduit Street Podcast is available on major platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Episodes are also available on MACo’s Conduit Street blog.
Listen to previous episodes of the Conduit Street Podcast on our website.
Useful Links
Maryland Department of Emergency Management
Follow MDEM on Twitter and Facebook
Previous Conduit Street Coverage:
Introducing the Maryland Department of Emergency Management