Emergency Response Research Webinar Series

Free webinars typically held on the second Wednesday of the month. Special webinars on COVID-19 research are conducted as research results become available. 

EPA's Office of Research and Development hosts this webinar series to share current research activities and results. This webinar series covers the latest information on research supporting EPA's response to chemical, biological, and radiological incidents, as well as natural disasters. This forum allows EPA to communicate directly with partners and stakeholders to foster collaboration and dissemination of information. 

NOTE: Attendees have the option of receiving a certificate of attendance. Acceptance of certificates is contingent on organization requirements—EPA cannot guarantee acceptance. Closed-captioned recordings of the webinars are provided below for later viewing and as a training resource; certificates cannot be provided for viewing webinar recordings. 

Webinar dates and topics are subject to change.

On this page:

• 2025 Schedule
• 2024 Webinar Recordings
• More Webinars by Topic Area

Upcoming Webinar

AI in Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery

Wednesday, May 14, 2025, 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET

Registration Open

Disaster recovery requires a coordinated set of actions and strategies aimed at restoring affected areas immediately following an event. As the number of disasters per year significantly increases, emergency managers and responders are inundated with large amounts of data processing and decision-making required for successful response and recovery outcomes. Artificial intelligence (AI) has a significant potential for facilitating many of these activities. By enhancing decision-making and communication, AI would allow officials to concentrate more effectively on critical aspects of the response.

The EPA's Homeland Security Research Program has been working to leverage AI and enhance disaster readiness for several years. This presentation will showcase real-world applications of AI and its future potential in disaster preparedness and recovery. The EPA is researching AI technology integration in a way that can significantly improve predictive capabilities, streamline response efforts, and optimize recovery processes, ultimately reducing the impact on communities. This presentation will highlight successful implementation of AI in current disaster management scenarios, providing tangible examples of technology-driven improvements in environmental cleanup outcomes.

About the Presenter

Timothy Boe is a Geographer with EPA's Homeland Security Research Program. His work primarily focuses on response and waste management issues following chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) incidents. He is also developing computer-based decision support tools, including artificial intelligence and other virtual platforms, to aid decision-makers in responding to wide-area contamination incidents. Before joining EPA, Timothy worked as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellow where he conducted research on wide-area CBRN remediation. Timothy has an M.S. and a B.S. in Applied Science from Arkansas Tech University (Russellville).

2025 Schedule

If you are interested in being notified when new webinars are scheduled, please sign up to receive email notifications here: Receive emails for upcoming webinars.

Topic and presenters are subject to change. Additional information and registration links will be provided in advance of each webinar.

Date	Topic
Postponed	Mobile Hot Zone Decontamination Cart
May 14	AI in Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
July 9	Foreign Animal Disease Outbreak
August 13	Emergency Response Support from EPA
September 10	20 Years After Hurricane Katrina
November 12	Aerosol Treatment Testing Capability
December 10	Lithium Ion Batteries