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National Conference Trains Emergency Planners/ Responders in Emergency Preparedness, Counter-Terrorism

Release Date: 10/30/2003
Contact Information: David Sternberg, (215) 814-5548

David Sternberg, (215) 814-5548

NORFOLK Va. - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region will hold it’s annual Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Conference at the Norfolk Waterside Marriot, in Norfolk, Va., November 16-19.

The conference will examine real-life emergency scenarios and case studies in 80 workshops, exercises and drills related to counter-terrorism, emergency response preparedness and chemical safety.

This will be one of the nation's largest gatherings of emergency planners and responders. More than 1,500 emergency planners and managers, first response personnel, community leaders, emergency medical providers and industry representatives will learn the best ways to plan, prepare, and prevent accidental hazardous materials incidents and to combat security threats.

The conference will include numerous topics and training opportunities for:

• Local emergency planning committee representatives.
• Environmental, emergency and safety staff from federal facilities.
• Environmental, health and safety, and operations representatives from industry.
• State emergency response commission members.
• First response personnel from fire, emergency medical, and law enforcement agencies.
• Hazmat response teams.
• Emergency managers and planners.
• Regulatory compliance specialists.
• Emergency medical personnel.

• Medical, safety and environmental personnel from hospitals.

• Maritime industry personnel.
• Transportation and distribution industry personnel.
• Power and utility industry staff.
• Counter-terrorism professionals and specialists.

Due to the 9/11 attacks and the nation's anthrax scare, this once-regional conference has grown into a large-scale event considered by many in the emergency preparedness and response fields as crucial training for emergency personnel nationwide.

Scheduled speakers include:

• Paul Hankins director, Emergency Preparedness, Transportation Security Administration.
• Thomas C. Voltaggio, deputy regional administrator, U.S.EPA mid-Atlantic.
• Vincent T. Covello, PhD, Center for Risk Communication

Despite the growth of this year's conference, the mission remains to provide a national forum where police and fire personnel, local emergency managers, planners and representatives from the environmental, transportation, utilities and medical fields come together to learn the latest techniques, trends and technologies in emergency preparedness and response.

Topics will include: security issues related to nuclear terrorism prevention and response; risk communication during epidemics and bio-terrorism alerts; transportation emergency preparedness; and pipeline spill prevention and safety.

The four-day conference is sponsored by EPA's mid-Atlantic region. Further conference information can be obtained by calling the registration hotline at 800-364-7974 or on-line at .


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