Regional emergency planners, environmental officers, and digital equity managers highlighted why internet access and digital literacy are critical lifelines during climate crises and natural disasters

KC Coalition for Digital Inclusion Sept 2026 Recap

Sept 4, 2026 – The September 2026 meeting of the Kansas City Coalition for Digital Inclusion examined the critical intersections of disaster preparedness, emergency response, and digital equity. Highlighting experiences from recent local storms and the devastating 2025 St. Louis tornado, speakers included Dan Manley, Senior Planner with Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), Jensen Adams, Chief Environmental Officer in the City of KCMO’s Office of Environmental Quality, and Tanjii Cole with the City of St. Louis and ConnectSTL who discussed building robust community “resiliency networks” and bridging infrastructure gaps.

State Policy Update: Kansas Office of Broadband Development (KOBD)

Bill Abston, Executive Director of KOBD, shared key state broadband milestones. KOBD’s primary goal remains providing accessible, affordable, reliable, and future-proof internet access to all Kansans by 2030, regardless of ZIP or area code. The office is currently managing a $1.1 billion combined portfolio across nine broadband programs. KOBD recently executed one of its first BEAD contracts and anticipates permitting will begin within 60 days of executed contracts to get $90 million moving into active deployment.

Additional state updates included:

• Broadband Acceleration Grants (BAG): KOBD is currently running the BAG 6.0 iteration to surgically target unserved locations missed in previous RDOF or CAF2 funding rounds. BAG 7.0 is scheduled to launch in December.
• Digital Opportunities: The state’s ADOPT and DOCK programs will continue running through the end of the year. Meanwhile, the Competitive Digital Equity Grants will be run directly through NTIA, with a notice of funding expected in December.
• Guidance on Non-Deployment Funds: NTIA released guidance regarding leftover BEAD non-deployment funds. Because a provider declined an award covering approximately 8,500 locations, KOBD will need to run a 90-day “benefit of the bargain” (BOB 2.0) round to re-allocate those funds.
• Broadband Apprenticeships: KOBD is partnering with the Kansas Office of Apprenticeship to shepherd candidates into apprenticeships with ISPs and other tech employers.

Local Spotlight: The Storm That Powered KCK Off

As disasters strike more frequently, our society must be better prepared to handle them and build resiliency during a crisis. Entities from the federal, state, and local level, as well as those in the private sector, are working to help the public better prepare for when disaster strikes. This meeting’s panel examined the intersections between disaster relief and resiliency with digital inclusion–how we can continue to stay connected to the resources needed to navigate the myriad issues caused by a disaster. 

The meeting’s focus on disaster relief hit incredibly close to home. KC Digital Drive’s Digital Inclusion Program Manager, Leslie Scott, shared her experience following the devastating August 19 storms that swept through her Kansas City, Kan., neighborhood. Left without power for six days, she emphasized how electrical blackouts completely eliminate household phone and internet connectivity, turning simple daily tasks—like charging a smartphone to access emergency warnings—into a major neighborhood struggle.

Helen Beteet of the Vernon Multipurpose Center in Kansas City, Kan., echoed these challenges. Although the center had recently received KOBD ADOPT 2.0 grants for public Wi-Fi and device distribution, the storms knocked out their power, internet, phone services, and air conditioning for six days, completely halting their community programming. The experience highlighted an urgent need for neighborhood centers to plan for resilient utility backup systems to act as true “resiliency hubs” next time.

Featured Panel: Digital Preparedness, Climate Resiliency, and Emergency Response

Moderated by Leah Henriksen, the featured panel examined how digital systems, internet infrastructure, and digital skills act as critical safety nets during emergencies.

Dan Manley, Senior Emergency Planner (Mid-America Regional Council – MARC)

Manley, a retired fire chief, discussed the four-phase emergency management framework: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. He highlighted how modern public warnings, threat notifications, and post-disaster coordination entirely depend on stable cellular and fiber networks.

• Infrastructure Recovery: When primary infrastructure is damaged, emergency managers utilize resources like “COWs” (Cellular on Wheels) to keep first responders connected.
• Community Resiliency: Manley emphasized that “networking and relationships are the most important” factor for community resiliency. He encouraged members to utilize regional tools like www.preparemetrokc.org to prepare local households.

Jensen Adams, Chief Environmental Officer (City of Kansas City, MO)

Adams outlined KCMO’s Environmental Quality efforts, linking climate-induced extreme weather directly to the need for a connected city.

• Smart Automation: Drawing on his background with KCMO school facilities, he explained how smart building automation systems allow facility operators to monitor and manage climate controls remotely during heavy storms. However, this operational capability depends entirely on workers having reliable home internet.
• Resilience Networks: KCMO is actively shifting its focus from isolated resilience hubs to building integrated “resilience networks” that connect neighborhoods, utilizing extensive digital technology investments. Their broader Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan focuses on six main strategies, including mobility, natural systems, homes and buildings, and local food equity.

Tanjii Cole, Digital Equity Manager (City of St. Louis & ConnectSTL)

Cole shared powerful lessons from the devastating May 16, 2025, EF3 tornado in St. Louis, which caused $1.6 billion in infrastructure damage.

• The Pre-existing Gap: Crucially, over 50% of the homes in the hardest-hit neighborhoods completely lacked broadband access before the storm hit.
• The Disaster Divide: When physical wires and cell towers were destroyed, older and low-income residents were left in complete “deserts” of information. Residents struggled to locate emergency shelters, apply for FEMA assistance, or upload digital insurance documents because they lacked cell service and basic digital skills.
• Strategic Responses: ConnectSTL responded by deploying mobile hotspots with ISPs, sponsoring community Wi-Fi across 17 parks, and partnering with T-Mobile to distribute hotspots. They also worked with NPower to establish community help desks and pop-up computer labs in local churches to help residents apply for Lifeline and utility relief on the spot. Cole advocated that the internet must be viewed as a basic utility and integrated directly into city zoning, development, and emergency plans.

Overall, panelists concluded that digital inclusion and disaster resiliency and preparedness go hand in hand. One of the big takeaways was building partnerships with community anchor institutions, internet service providers, utility companies, and others to ensure that residents are safe and the resources they need can become available as soon as possible after disaster strikes. Some of the partnerships mentioned included Mission Telecom’s Respond Kit, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s Disaster Preparedness Kit, and the Kansas City Regional COAD network to prepare and act during a disaster. Also, after the disaster, many support programs have forms online, and digital navigators can step in to help people who lack the digital skills to do it themselves. 

 Because we live in a digital age, we have come to rely on fast, frequent and accessible modes of communication and connectedness never seen before, but that can all be taken away in an instant when weather strikes. It is imperative that all communities be aware of the environmental impacts that occur in their areas and how to be prepared when the power goes out and your internet is shut off, and how best to be safe and prepared in your digital life. 

Community Announcements

• Urban TEC’s Brothers in Technology Conference: Scheduled for September 25, this STEM event is open to middle and high school boys to learn about technology career pipelines. Read more here. 
• KC Digital Drive Annual Partner Celebration: Calling all Coalition members and KC Digital Drive partners! Mark your calendars and register at luma.com/kcdd-2026.
• Devices: Please email Leslie at lscott@kcdigitaldrive.org if you have clients in need of a free device. KC Digital Drive is gathering this information for a community partner.
• Digital Inclusion Week (DIW): Plans are underway for DIW during the first week of October. KCCDI is exploring a hybrid or in-person October meeting featuring lightning talks. Read the week’s lineup here. 

Want to get involved? Visit digitalinclusionkc.org  to learn more, sign up for updates, or watch past meetings. Membership is free—just email Leslie Scott at lscott@kcdigitaldrive.org. Join us for the next meeting on October 2, 2026 (10:30 a.m.-noon) via Zoom. More information here.