Jeff Suggs doesn't just talk about community preparedness.
He builds the tools that make it happen. Kuraray America's corporate emergency services and security manager received the Exceptional Industry Leader Award from the East Harris County Manufacturers Association at its recent Annual Meeting. The honor recognized his leadership in completely revamping EHCMA's Community Awareness Emergency Response app.
But for Suggs, the award itself isn't what matters. What matters is the app representing something rare: an industry organization that actually listened to its community and delivered what residents asked for.
"We knew going in that people wanted faster, more detailed information," Suggs said. "When a company posts about an incident, they might not have all the answers right away. They're still figuring out what happened. But neighbors want to know immediately what's going on."
Building what the community requested
EHCMA heard a clear message from East Harris County residents. They needed faster access to information about incidents at area facilities. Suggs led the effort to turn that feedback into something people could use.
The refreshed CAER app, launched in 2025, delivers interactive mapping, realtime push alerts, quick reference guides and Spanish translation.
"Say you're downtown at work and you get an alert about something happening near your house," Suggs explained. "You can pull up the map, see exactly where it is and decide right then whether you need to worry about your kids walking home from school, your pets or your elderly parents."
The mapping shows users precisely where incidents occur. Push alerts notify them when facilities post messages about emergency response, flaring, incidents, odors, smoke or planned events. No more checking six different company websites.
EHCMA's commitment to community
Suggs points to the app as proof of EHCMA's genuine commitment to serving residents, not just protecting member companies.
"Apps cost serious money and take time to build right," he said. "EHCMA stepped up and put their resources behind this. I can't think of another industry organization that's invested this kind of effort into giving their community what they asked for."
Instead of creating something that just checked a box, EHCMA built a tool designed around how people really need and want information during emergencies. The result puts control in residents' hands.
Regional leadership in emergency preparedness
East Harris County now stands apart. While most regions still rely on scattered communication during emergencies, EHCMA member companies share information through one unified platform called enotify that populates the CAER app.
Suggs' leadership in this project reflects his broader approach to emergency preparedness. He builds bridges between industrial operations and community needs. At Kuraray, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, that's his daily work as he manages emergencies and security efforts while serving as a public information officer.
Making preparedness accessible
The app works because Suggs and the EHCMA team understood a fundamental truth: emergency tools are worthless if people can't use them. They built something intuitive with clear information, timely alerts and no training required.
During actual emergencies, seconds matter. Should I shelter in place? Should I leave work early to get my kids? Is this close enough to matter? The CAER app delivers those answers fast.
The Exceptional Industry Leader Award honors leadership that creates real tools that help people stay safe, and Jeff Suggs did just that.
Download the CAER app by searching "EHCMA CAER Online" in the Apple and Google Play stores.
For more information, visit ehcma.org/page/caer-online.
