About this Event
As part of EMA Appreciation Week, IDHS is proud to highlight the outstanding work of one of Indiana’s dedicated emergency managers. Angelia Ramos is not just serving a community, but a sovereign nation.
A Unique Role with a Broad Reach
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians is a federally recognized tribe with reservation lands across 10 counties in Michigan and Indiana, including the South Bend area. Its emergency manager, Ramos, plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of Pokagon citizens nationwide and coordinating preparedness and response efforts across tribal lands.
Unlike traditional emergency management roles confined by county boundaries, her responsibilities span multiple jurisdictions and require a culturally grounded, community-first approach.
“Being a tribal emergency manager means serving as a bridge between my community’s rich cultural heritage and modern emergency response practices,” she said. “It’s not just a job — it’s a calling.”
Leadership During Earthquake Exercise
This summer, she served as incident commander during the Indiana Wabash Valley Seismic Zone earthquake exercise, a full-scale event designed to test multi-agency coordination in a low-probability, high-impact scenario.
Her primary responsibilities included:
Despite a real-world weather event unfolding at the same time as the exercise, she maintained real-time communication with her tribal logistics section chief and coordinated effectively with the exercise’s IMAT team.
“The exercise reminded us that earthquakes — though rare in our region — can happen. It revealed capability gaps we can now address,” Ramos said.
Collaboration and Cultural Wisdom
The exercise also offered a chance to work with unfamiliar teams under realistic conditions, much like an actual deployment. Her leadership helped ensure smooth collaboration with supporting agencies, many of which were familiar partners.
Her approach to emergency management is deeply influenced by tribal culture and traditional ecological knowledge.
“Our elders and those with access and functional needs have always been prioritized,” she said. “Native cultures understand the signs of nature — when certain plants close their leaves, it signals changing weather; when wildlife takes shelter, we do the same.”
A Career Built on Passion and Purpose
Ramos’ path into emergency management began in health care, where she served as a nursing manager. That experience led her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in emergency management from North Dakota State University, followed by the National Disaster and Emergency Management University (NDEMU).
She now holds the Michigan Professional Emergency Manager (PEM) designation, serves as chairperson of the Tribal Affairs Caucus within the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) and is now pursuing her master’s degree in emergency management from Purdue University.
“It’s an honor to work alongside someone who brings such depth, professionalism and cultural insight to the field. Her leadership during the Wabash Valley exercise was exceptional, and her commitment to building resilient, inclusive systems is a model for all of us,” said IDHS District Liaison Dustin Drake. “EMA Appreciation Week is the perfect time to recognize her contributions — not just to the Pokagon Band, but to the broader emergency management community across Indiana.”
Building a Resilient Future
Ramos’ efforts extend beyond exercises and planning. She writes a preparedness column for the tribal newsletter, teaches FEMA courses tailored to tribal communities and leads outreach initiatives to keep Pokagon citizens informed and empowered.
She continues to advocate for:
“Emergencies begin local and end local,” she said. “That’s why I’ve built strong relationships with emergency managers across all the counties where our tribe resides. Mutual support is essential.”