EM1 Appoints Tom Sivak as Chief Emergency Manager to Advance AI-Driven Emergency Preparedness and Response.

EM1, an AI company, has appointed Tom Sivak as its new Chief Emergency Manager. Sivak has extensive experience in emergency management, including his tenure as FEMA Region 5 Administrator. He will lead efforts to build trust with the emergency management community and shape policy engagement, training frameworks, and company expansion. Sivak will ensure that EM1's technology is informed by the needs of practitioners at all levels.

Title: EM1 Appoints Tom Sivak as Chief Emergency Manager to Advance AI-Driven Preparedness and Response

Washington, DC, May 14, 2025 — EM1, an AI company specializing in emergency management through advanced technology and data-driven innovation, has appointed Tom Sivak as its new Chief Emergency Manager. Sivak brings extensive experience in emergency preparedness and resilience, having served as FEMA Region 5 Administrator, where he led operations across six states and 36 tribal nations [1].

Prior to his appointment, Sivak joined EM1 as Emergency Manager in Residence, demonstrating his strategic insight and operational experience. His promotion to Chief Emergency Manager underscores EM1’s commitment to integrating emergency management expertise into its AI innovation [1].

Sivak's background includes responding to over 15 presidentially declared disasters, including significant events like the second-largest in Illinois history and the East Palestine train derailment. At FEMA Region 5, he focused on natural hazards such as extreme heat and urban flooding, enhancing decision-making capabilities through advanced geospatial tools and dashboards [1].

At EM1, Sivak will lead efforts to build trust with the emergency management community, ensuring that the company’s technology is informed by the needs of practitioners at all levels—federal, tribal, state, and local. His role will also involve shaping policy engagement, training frameworks, and company expansion to operationalize AI into the profession [1].

“I’m excited to continue serving the emergency management community in this new capacity,” said Tom Sivak. “Technology must be developed with—and for—the people on the front lines. At EM1, we’re building solutions that reflect the realities of emergency management while pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with AI” [1].

Originally from East Cleveland, Ohio, Sivak is a Certified Emergency Manager with the International Association of Emergency Managers and holds a Master of Science in Public Service Leadership from DePaul University and a Bachelor of Arts from Marquette University. His public service career includes leadership roles in Cook County and the City of Chicago, where he managed large-scale responses to events such as the 2012 Super Bowl and the COVID-19 pandemic [1].

With Sivak’s appointment, EM1 reinforces its position as a leader in building resilient and tech-enabled emergency response systems, serving communities big and small to meet the challenges of the 21st century [1].

References
[1] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/em1-appoints-tom-sivak-chief-125500599.html