Meet Arthur J. Simental | Founder & CEO, Simental Industries Ltd. & EM Disaster Gaming

We had the good fortune of connecting with Arthur J. Simental and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Arthur J., what role has risk played in your life or career?
This is an interesting question… As a career, professional Certified Emergency Manager who builds systems to manage disasters and emergencies of all types I’d argue that I view risk differently than the typical business owner. As an Emergency & Disaster Management professional, naturally I’m risk adverse. However, as an entrepreneur and innovator I have come to accept risk as inevitable in everything I do. I have developed a tolerance for risk that varies based on my understanding of the the environment on which that risk is built. There are many factors that contribute to risk. I often look to examples from other highly successful business leaders and innovators such as Simon Sinek and Peter Senge to mitigate risk and reduce it. Simon Sinek has had a profound impact on how I have shaped my business and operate in relation to his theories on business and organizational models. Likewise with Peter Senge who wrote “The Fifth Discipline”. In the Fifth Discipline Peter Senge states two things that have stuck with me and served as a guide in navigating risk, uncertainty, and disruption. 1. “There are two types of businesses, ones that embrace disruption, and those that don’t. Those that embrace disruption adapt, overcome, and survive, those that don’t go out of business”. We saw this first hand through COVID-19 and its impact on businesses. 2. “Fail small, fail often, learn quickly and adapt”. Over my career and through my journey starting my business I have failed numerous times both big and small, with varying impacts financial and other. Each time I looked at that failure as a lesson to be learned and have sought to adapt as quickly as possible. This has helped make me very adaptable, nimble, and able to navigate much of the uncertainty and disruptions through the recent trade wars and tariffs mostly unscathed.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Uniquely, I make Disaster “wargames” or board games. This was a unique area of the training, education, and board game space where I found a niche that I could apply my knowledge, subject matter expertise, and real world experience to fill a gap in an authentic way by bringing together two things I love gaming and emergency management. It took 2 years of research, testing, trial and error to develop my product Emergency Operations Center Board Game “Wargame” series – Wildfire Mayhem. Wildfire Mayhem is based on the historic Waldo Canyon Fire here in Colorado. I served at Waldo the Waldo Canyon Fire in 2012 as the Logistics Section Chief in the El Paso County Emergency Operations Center. What makes Disaster Gaming so unique is that it is an adaption based on professional military style wargaming. Think Dungeons and Dragons which has been the most famous civil adaptation of the wargaming practice.

I created EM Disaster Gaming “Disaster Wargaming” to help prepare and educate families and communities for future emergencies and disasters so they can learn in a creative way how disaster response works. I’ve also created EM Disaster Gaming so that First Responders, Emergency Managers, and disaster workers can use this as an opportunity for more immersive and engaging training and education. I hope to challenge them to critically think, strategize, communicate, cooperate, and better plan for disasters through more robust tabletop disaster wargame exercises.

Wargaming has been used famously by the military and defense community since the early 19th century as a way to prepare for and understand the impacts and consequences of war. This is a practice that I am bringing for the first time to the homeland security & emergency management community in an affordable and readily available way so that we can better safeguard the nation, communities, and families across all mission areas – prevention, protection, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery to achieve readiness for disasters and ultimately resilience.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite spots in Colorado Springs that I would recommend are the following:

One of the most unique places in Colorado Springs is the COG Railway that goes to the new visitor center at the top of Pikes Peak. Its one of the most beautiful and iconic locations in Colorado Springs. Kathy Lee Bates was inspired to write America the Beautiful after visiting the summit atop Pikes Peak. You can definitely see why and the area reflected in the lyrics.

The United States Space Foundation is also a best kept secret in southern Colorado. They have a highly interactive and immersive museum and education center that is a must see! Colorado is one of the top three states in the U.S. for aerospace and the Space Foundation has a special footprint with its headquarters here in the springs making it a great attraction to see the latest in space. They have all sorts of amazing attractions from an indoor drone range to a module from the International Space Station that you can tour.

The Roadhouse Movie theater is the best in town offering a unique mix of restaurant and movie theater. The food is fantastic, very diverse, and regularly being updated with themed food and drink movie offerings. The seats and theater is fantastic. Oh, and did I mention its paired with an arcade next door?

Food wise, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention The Broadmoor. It has some excellent and unique restaurants such as the Golden Bee and Restaurant 1858. They also have their own bakery that makes its own delicious sweets. They have the best raspberry gluten free muffins I’ve ever had.

Best breakfast would be a little outside of town a small humble dinner called Omelets Etc. The prices are great and portion sizes very filling! Their breakfast burritos are fantastic and the produce is deliciously fresh.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First off, to my friends and family whom I would not be able to have been successful without. First and most importantly, the love of my life, my incredible wife April Simental, who has been my rock, biggest supporter, and guide. Secondly, to my mother in law Cathy Harrington who helped us win our production war and I liken to come from a generation of strong, independent women aspired after “Rosie the Riveter”. Cathy, you have made me stronger and I derly appreciate your guidance, wisdom. I appreciate you keeping me honest and challenging me. To my mother Pearl Chavez, thank you mom, thank you for rallying the family and working to make this possible!

To my amazing fur babies Teddy & Bumblebee.

Lastly, to the amazing emergency management and first responder community who have overwhelmingly supported EM Disaster Gaming. My work is to honor and support you! Thank you all for supporting me with my novel endeavors.

Website: https://emdisastergaming.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emdisastergaming/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthursimental/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564709270154

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@EMDisasterGaming