Patrick Hardy doesn’t teach emergency and risk management from a distance—he teaches it from lived experience. A former EMS professional, Patrick’s career was fundamentally reshaped by Hurricane Katrina, transforming him into a disaster professional who sees crisis not just as chaos, but as a powerful risk control mechanism. That perspective now anchors everything he teaches.
As CEO of Dysaster, one of the nation’s leading disaster management firms, Patrick brings real-world credibility to the classroom. He’s worked across public, private, and nonprofit sectors—from micro-businesses to Fortune 500 companies—and serves as the Small Business Representative for the United Nations’ US‑ARISE Partnership, as well as National Sector Chief for Commercial Facilities at InfraGard, the FBI’s public‑private partnership. He teaches CRM Control of Risk and advanced Ruble graduate seminars on creating elite crisis teams and evaluating comprehensive crisis management programs.
Patrick’s teaching style is unmistakably interactive. He prefers to engage with students, not talk at them, using vivid stories to challenge assumptions and spark live dialogue. One standout moment came when, returning from disaster recovery work in Jamaica, he accidentally discovered he had a webinar in 20 minutes—while landing in the middle of a San Francisco storm. With quick thinking, teamwork, and a helpful hotel staff, he turned the disruption into a live case study on resilience.
That’s what Patrick enjoys most: helping people think differently, learn in real time, and turn disruption into success—together.
Connect. Learn. Own Your Potential.
Click below to dive deeper with Patrick and other Alliance Faculty!
From Empty Bag to Everyday Readiness: Disaster Patrick’s 30‑Day Disaster Backpack Challenge
In this powerful video series, emergency‑readiness expert Disaster Patrick walks you step‑by‑step through his proven 5‑Pocket Method, transforming an empty backpack into a fully equipped, real‑world‑ready disaster kit.
This approachable, engaging challenge blends practical gear guidance with hands‑on training and realistic drills, ensuring you’re not just collecting equipment, you’re learning to use it!
Patrick Hardy, CRM, LL.M., CEM, CBCP, MBCP, MEPP is CEO of Dysaster, one of the leading disaster management companies in the US. A Certified Emergency Manager®, Certified Risk Manager®, and Master Business Continuity Practioner®, he has extensive experience working in the public, private and non-profit sectors in disaster management from micro-businesses to Fortune 500 companies. He currently sits as the Small Business representative at the United Nation’s US-ARISE Partnership and is also the National Sector Chief for Commercial Facilities at Infragard, the Public-Private Partnership with the FBI.
He has been featured on dozens of programs, including CNN, Yahoo! Finance, and Good Morning America as an emergency response and risk expert. An internationally award-winning speaker, he has addressed audiences in over 50 industries and written dozens of articles in risk management and crisis preparedness.
In the summer of 2012, he became the first small business owner ever to be selected as the National Private Sector Representative to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), spending three months in Washington D.C. constructing the first model small business disaster planning framework.
Patrick is the author of “Design Any Disaster: The Revolutionary Blueprint to Master Your Next Crisis or Emergency“ and is available on Amazon and other major book retailers.
