Author: Mike Matzinger
With sustained winds reaching up to 150 miles per hour, September’s powerful Hurricane Helene left a trail of destruction in its path, causing widespread flooding, power outages, and significant property damage across the Caribbean and eastern United States.
The response to Hurricane Helene was a testament to the importance of preparedness and coordinated emergency management. Local authorities worked tirelessly to evacuate residents in high-risk areas, deploy rescue teams, and provide essential services to affected communities. Residents’ and emergency responders’ resilience and resourcefulness were instrumental in mitigating the storm’s impact and facilitating recovery efforts.
When faced with a natural disaster like this one or an emergency-response situation, wouldn’t you feel better knowing a former Scout is at the helm? Bill Litton is one of the many Scouting America alums providing emergency management in communities all across the country.
As a Scout in central Florida, Bill enjoyed earning the Emergency Preparedness merit badge, leading him to his career in Emergency Management. Since 2018, Bill has served as the Emergency Management Director for Osceola County (FL). Prior to that, he served as the Emergency Management Coordinator for the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, where he worked directly with the county’s Office of Emergency Management. In this role, he oversaw response and recovery for large-scale incidents that occurred in the county, including Hurricane Irma in 2017 and the high-profile court case George Zimmerman v. State of Florida. He has also had the chance to work in hospital emergency management and was involved in the Hospital Incident Command response to the PULSE nightclub shooting in Orlando in 2016.
For Bill, it’s been important to create opportunities to give back to Scouting. Using his professional experience, Bill served on the emergency management leadership teams for both the 2017 and 2023 National Jamborees. Given the roots of his career path, it’s fitting that he also serves as a Subject-Matter-Expert for the review of the Emergency Preparedness merit badge material.
As a fellow Scouting America alum, how can you use your experience and talents to give back to Scouting so that today’s youth can gain skills and confidence or find a direction for their futures? The Scouting Alumni website can help you find all kinds of ways to connect with Scouting, both locally and nationally. Check it out today! In the meantime, here’s what you can do to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene.
