March 11th, 2026
2pm - 3pm EST
Attend on Campus or Online
Summer Safety & Emergency Preparedness
Keeping communities safe and prepared is a core function of public health, but how can we better anticipate summer-specific risks and develop plans that are resilient in the face of crisis?
Moderated by UK College of Public Health student Hollie Hagan, this session features a panel of leaders and experts with frontline experience in Kentucky’s emergency training, preparedness, and response efforts. Panelists will share practical lessons from their work in summer safety, emergency management, flood recovery, and injury prevention research. The discussion will explore effective strategies for collaboration and coordination, equipping participants to meet summer’s challenges with confidence. Attendees will gain actionable insights and tools to enhance safety and support recovery in their own communities.
Hollie Hagan is a public health major at the University of Kentucky with hands-on experience across multiple areas of public health. She currently serves as a senator in the University of Kentucky Student Government Association representing the College of Public Health, where she advocates for student needs and public health initiatives. Hollie is also a member of the Lewis Honors College. Through her academic and leadership experiences, including work with a local health department and in other community settings, she is passionate about improving health at the community level.
Robert McCool is a program coordinator at the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC) in the UK College of Public Health. During his 30 years at KIPRC he has served as the principal investigator for numerous funded projects and as a project manager, program coordinator, injury prevention specialist, training developer and instructor, and program evaluator. Robert has worked in a wide variety of prevention areas but his specialties include traffic safety, residential fire prevention, emergency preparedness, and training development. When he is not working for KIPRC, Robert serves as a part-time police officer and police instructor. He is also a certified firefighter and emergency medical technician as well as a state-approved search and rescue instructor. Robert is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University (BS, '88; MS, '94). He has also completed doctoral coursework at UK and is recognized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a Master Trainer.
Joshua Horton joined GCHD in December 2019. He has over ten years of experience in leadership and has worked to grow all the programs here at the health department. Joshua is originally from Hardinsburg, Kentucky. Before joining GCHD, he was the Safety, Compliance, and Emergency Management Coordinator at Breckinridge Health, Inc.
Joshua is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, Western Governors University, Western Kentucky University, and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College. He earned a Master's in Safety, Security, Emergency Management, Master’s in Business Administration, Bachelor's of Science in Education, and an Associate of Arts.
Marlaina Meier serves as the HR/Finance Director and Preparedness Coordinator for the Grayson County Health Department, where she has worked for 20 years. She holds associate degrees in Arts, Business Administration, Human Resources, and Accounting.
Throughout her career, Marlaina has contributed to numerous initiatives, with three projects standing out as those she is most proud of: collaborating with the local Board of Health and county emergency management to secure 50% of the funding for a community emergency preparedness trailer; writing a state grant to purchase fire extinguishers and smoke/CO₂ detectors for distribution at community events; and helping plan and coordinate a countywide active shooter drill involving law enforcement, EMS, and the local hospital. Marlaina is especially passionate about educating the community to be proactive, rather than reactive, when preparing for disasters and emergencies.
