Josh Shanley has worked in emergency services since 1989, beginning in New York, and participated in responses to the World Trade Center attacks in 1993 and 2001.  Josh served as a FF/EMT-P in Massachusetts for 25 years. He worked as both a tactical paramedic and rescue technician and served as a K9 handler with the FEMA USAR Task Force (MATF-01). With a master’s degree in emergency management,  Josh led the financial recovery effort during the COVID pandemic. Since retiring in 2021,  he works with both the Department of Fire Services and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. 

Josh offers unique insight into the challenges posed by changing environmental conditions on aging infrastructure across New England—a topic he explored in his book, The Connecticut River Valley Flood of 1936.  Josh has written and spoken extensively on these issues,  providing testimony to the MA State Legislature Joint Committee on Emergency Preparedness & Management and the MA Association of Technical Rescue Specialists. He has been adjunct faculty at Purdue Global University’s School of Public Safety for 16 years. His third book, Cold War Massachusetts, will be released in April 2025.