By RON DERRICK, An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness, July 19, 2023.
The Whataburger Command Center team uses a hybrid form of the Incident Command System when an unexpected event threatens the company’s stability, reputation, or operations. The main goal is to minimize damages and ensure the company’s survival and quick recovery.
Narrated by MacGregor Stephson.
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Ron Derrick
Ron Derrick serves as the senior emergency manager at the Whataburger Command Center and oversees the daily operation of the Command Center and its staff. Ron spent over 30 years in fire and emergency medical services (EMS) and has been in emergency management since 1993. He has a bachelor’s degree in emergency management from Jacksonville State University. Ron spent more than 20 years in the Kerrville Fire Department and Fredericksburg Fire and EMS and another six years as the operations manager for South-Central Texas for Acadian Ambulance Service. After a long fire and EMS career, he spent five years as the regional director of safety and emergency management for the Baptist Health System in San Antonio and six years as a senior controller in the USAA Command Center before taking his current position at Whataburger over five years ago. Ron is a Certified Business Continuity Professional and a certified State of Texas Pyrotechnic Operator. He has been a speaker at numerous conferences, including the TEEX Leadership Development Symposium and the Texas Division of Emergency Management Conference.
