DR. DARYL SCHAFFER

CASR MEMBER
Captain, US Coast Guard (retired)
(703) 243-1584
dschaffer2@alaska.edu

Dr. Schaffer brings a perspective on disaster mitigation, emergency rescue, and contingency response to CASR drawn from more than 40 years of experience. Retiring at the rank of Captain (O6) from the US Coast Guard after serving nearly 31 years, his career included being liaison to the Secretary of Defense, Officer in Charge of military personnel for the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, Unified Commander during the initial days of Hurricane Katrina, documentation leader for the Commandant of the Coast Guard during 9/11/2001, and training thousands of recruits at basic training camp in swimming and fitness. Prior to the Coast Guard, he was an American Red Cross lifeguard instructor trainer and a water safety, first aid, and CPR instructor, an emergency medical technician for a university emergency response team, and a county sheriff rescue/recovery SCUBA diver. Since 1989, he has spoken to audiences at local, state, national, and international conferences or schools on water rescue, disaster, leadership, and disabilities.

 

Education

• Ph.D. 2025, Natural Resources and Sustainability - disaster management, University of Alaska Fairbanks
  MA, 2022, Security and Disaster Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks
  MA, 2003, Human Resource Management, Marymount University
  BA, 1992, Liberal Arts, Excelsior University

Publications (peer-reviewed)

Schaffer, Daryl and Carlson, Cameron. “Assessing climate-driven storm impacts on isolated and underserved populations: Comparative case study.” (Submitted 30 March 2025, in process)

Schaffer, Daryl and Bennett, Alec. “Distance does matter: New definitions for rural, remote, and geographically isolated. Journal of Climate Change and Health” (Submitted 30 March 2025, in process)

Pennington, John and Schaffer, Daryl. “Conflict by Design: Stafford Act Incompatibility with Alaska Tribal Sovereignty,” Journal of Emergency Management, (Mar/Apr 2025)211-227, DOI:10.5055/jem.0922

Schaffer, Daryl and Pennington, John. “Equity, isolation, and federal disaster recovery assistance: Geographic discrepancy in hurricane recovery,” Journal of Emergency Management, (Mar/Apr 2025)183-190, DOI:10.5055/jem.0894

Schaffer, Daryl. “The Resolute Resistors: How vulnerable populations are not as vulnerable as presumed.” Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal, 19(2), 38th Annual Pacific Rim Conference Proceedings Issue, (https://rdsjournal.org/index.php/journal/article/view/1280)

Schaffer, Daryl. “Disabilities in Disaster Situations: How a rescuer handles what they encounter,” Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal, 18(3), 37th Annual Pacific Rim Conference Proceedings Issue, (https://www.rdsjournal.org/index.php/journal/article/view/1173) Schaffer, Daryl. “The Light switch fallacy: Emergency management and recovery in an on-demand world,” Journal of Emergency Management, Mar/Apr 2021, DOI:10.5055/jem.0545 

 

Publications (Editorial, Commentary, Other)