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Virginia Department of Emergency Management
10501 Trade Court, Richmond, VA 23236
CONTACT:
Bob Spieldenner, VDEM, (804) 897-6510
bob.spieldenner@vdem.virginia.gov
FOR RELEASE AT WILL- Mar. 3, 2010
RICHMOND, VA – Recent disasters, both natural and man-made, and their impact on the emergency management profession provide opportunities to learn during the 2010 Virginia Emergency Management Symposium to be held at the Hampton Roads Convention Center.
Keynote speaker David Bissonette, emergency management coordinator for Erie County, N.Y., will kick off the symposium March 31 by sharing his experiences in responding to the Buffalo plane crash of Continental Flight 3407 that killed 50 people. The Feb. 13, 2009, crash was the first fatal crash involving a commercial airliner in the U.S. since 2006. Also featured is Peter LaPorte, director of emergency management for Washington, D.C., who will present the Metro transit train crash of June 22 and the coordination that took place at the local and federal levels among emergency management professionals.
Other symposium sessions include discussions of U.S. search and rescue efforts in Haiti following January’s devastating earthquake, lessons learned from the November Nor’easter in Hampton and Norfolk, and response and recovery operations following the July 5 crash of a commuter plane in Rockbridge County that killed the four passengers on board.
Guest speakers for the March 31-April 2 symposium include Virginia Secretary of Public Safety Marla Decker, Assistant to the Governor for Commonwealth Preparedness Terrie Suit and State Coordinator of Emergency Management Michael Cline. Master of ceremonies is Bill Sammler, warning and coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Wakefield.
“This year’s symposium is packed with discussions of recent events that demanded the highest and best response from emergency managers in Virginia and nationally,” said Cline. “There are many opportunities to learn about changes in the field, and I encourage emergency managers across Virginia to attend.”
Some of the other training sessions include:
The symposium also features a trade show highlighting the latest products and services that help emergency managers prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies and disasters.
The theme for the March 31-April 2 symposium is “Head’s Up! Changes in Emergency Management.” Registration is available online at http://www.vemaweb.org
The Virginia Emergency Management Association and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management co-sponsor the annual learning workshop to provide training opportunities for emergency responders, planners, managers and volunteers to share best practices, lessons learned and initiatives.
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