Brady Helms is the Emergency Manager for GSFC, joining the Goddard team in October 2022. In this role, he provides guidance and expertise for the center in the prevention of, protection from, preparedness for, response to, recovery from, and mitigation of crises and disasters. Prior to this role, Helms was the Disaster Management Coordinator for the NASA Earth Applied Sciences Disasters program area where he maintained situational awareness of disaster activations around the world, supported program personnel for successful response and collaboration, coordinated with international partner agencies and organizations, and communicated with stakeholders.
Helms first began working with NASA in 2013 as a contract Emergency Management Analyst at Kennedy Space Center. During this time, he helped manage the Center’s response to various emergencies, and planned events, such as rocket launches. He was the EOC Manager during the Center’s response and recovery for Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Irma in 2017. Prior to his work with NASA, Helms served as a District Training & Exercise Coordinator for the Indiana State Department of Health’s Public Health Preparedness and Emergency Response Division, and as Chief Deputy Director for the Spencer County (Indiana) Emergency Management Agency.
Helms received the Center Director’s Gold Dollar Award in 2018 and three separate group achievement awards while at Kennedy Space Center.
Helms received an A.S. in Emergency Management and Planning in 2007 and a B.S. in Homeland Security and Public Safety in 2014 from Vincennes University. Helms is also a member of the International Association of Emergency Managers and has been a FEMA-certified Incident Command System and Emergency Management instructor since 2008.
