November 3, 2003

IMPORTANCE OF ‘REGIONAL COOPERATION’ TO BE HIGHLIGHTED AT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT GROUP SYMPOSIUM, NOVEMBER 13-14

It is a daily part of our post 9-11 world. Not a day goes by that homeland security and the response to threats at home and abroad aren’t topics of discussion.

An essential part of homeland security is emergency response — the ability of local, state, and federal agencies to react in a time of crisis. Cooperation that transcends municipal and jurisdictional lines could mean the difference between success and failure in an emergency situation.

On Thursday, November 13, and Friday, November 14, the Eastern Montgomery County Regional Emergency Management Group will host its second “Emergency Disaster Incident Training Symposium” (EDITS) at Williamson’s, Easton and Blair Mill roads, Horsham. The 2003 theme will be “One Mission — One Team.”

“After 9-11, we, as a group, wanted to develop a program to provide quality training on a regional level for emergency managers and incident commanders from the Delaware Valley and throughout the state. The first event proved very successful with about 300 people in attendance,” said Paul Leonard, Township Manager and Emergency Manager for Upper Dublin and Planning Committee Coordinator for the EDITS event. “Our goal is to attract exceptional speakers who can share their personal experiences and the lessons learned from previous events. ‘One Mission — One Team’ highlights the fact that we’re all working toward the same goal — saving lives and ensuring public safety.”

Captain Drew Tracy of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Department knows all too well the importance of regional teamwork. Tracy was a tactical operations commander during the Beltway Sniper investigation in October 2002. It was one of the largest manhunts in United States history, involving the FBI, the ATF, U.S. Marshals, and state and local police from several jurisdictions, which ultimately led to the arrest of John Allen Muhammad and Lee Malvo.

“On October 3, 2002, we had a series of five shootings in a two-hour time span in Montgomery County — there were six in a 24-hour period at that point. With an investigation of this size and scale you have to assess the problem and assess the expertise that you have available to you,” said Tracy, one of several speakers who will be taking part in the two-day EDITS 2003 event. “For the first couple of shootings, we knew that it was a high velocity shell and that there were no witnesses — the shot was taken from a distance. We had trained snipers assess, based on their own expertise, the location from which the shots came from.”

Tracy said following the “three C’s” — communication, control, and command — ensures that everyone stays on the same page and is working toward a common goal.

“The key here was our ability to work together to track down the evidence and information necessary to make an arrest. We started as a team and we finished as a team,” he said. “For 23 days straight, we kept that team together all the way through to the take down.”

Speakers during the EDITS symposium will also include Pennsylvania State Police Major Lyle Szupinka, who was involved in the recovery efforts for Flight 93 in Somerset County; Worcester Fire Department Chief Thomas Creamer, who will speak about terrorism for incident commanders; and Federal Emergency Management Agency Federal Coordinating Officer Scott Wells, who helped coordinate recovery efforts during the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in February.

“When the president declares a disaster, he appoints an outside representative to head up the agencies that will be involved. During this incident, a state of emergency was declared in Texas and Louisiana,” Wells said. “We were responsible for collecting shuttle debris, remains, and ensuring the safety of the public.”

Literally thousands of people were involved in the recovery efforts, including members of FEMA, NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Forestry Service, the Department of Defense, and the United States Navy. The detailed ground search stretched for close to 2,500 square miles, according to Wells, not including limited searches in areas of California, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Nevada, which were based on eyewitness accounts and film footage of the explosion.

“Our first priority was to ensure public safety. With the shuttle, we knew we were dealing with some very toxic chemicals,” Wells said. “The first couple of weeks were spent clearing away all material from public buildings, such as schools, in Nacogdoches (Texas) and other towns along the flight path. We had to ensure that every bit of material — and it came in all shapes and sizes — was removed before anyone was allowed back in those buildings.”

Wells said the shuttle recovery made it essential for several agencies who had never worked together before to coordinate their efforts.

“I think one of the first lessons we learned was that the response operations begin and end on the local level. The local first responders were always the first on the scene and often the last to leave,” he said. “They provided a great foundation for the federal folks to build on.”

Additional speakers will talk about a variety of topics related to “One Mission — One Team” theme. U.S. News & World Report journalist David Whitman, will discuss “learning to live with the media;” and Robert Murgallis of the National Fire Academy, will focus on critical decision making. Traffic consultant John O’Loughlin will talk about the difficulties emergency responders face dealing with steadily increasing traffic while Pennsylvania Emergency Management Association Director David Sanko will highlight issues for today’s emergency management agencies.

During the EDITS event, U.S. Representative Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania’s 7^th District, who will also speak at the conference, will receive the Eastern Montgomery County Emergency Management Group’s “Eagle Award” for his outstanding support for first responders. The Eagle Award, the highest recognition given by the organization, will be presented at 9:15 a.m. on November 13.

Participants at EDITS will also have the opportunity to visit exhibits displayed by more than a dozen vendors.

Sponsors for EDITS 2003 include the Center for Sustainable Communities at Temple University Ambler, McNeil Healthcare, Montgomery County Community College, Montgomery County Consortium of Communities, the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety, PECO Energy, and the St. Joseph’s University Public Safety and Environmental Protection Institute.

The Eastern Montgomery County Regional Emergency Management Group is a partnership between emergency management officials from 12 townships and boroughs, whose jurisdictions comprise      33 percent of the county’s total population. Additional partners include the Willow Grove Naval Air Base, Abington Memorial Hospital, Holy Redeemer Hospital, Abington School District,  the American Red Cross, PECO Energy, and McNeil Healthcare. The organization has made a commitment to work together on all emergency management issues and incidents.

For more information on EDITS 2003, the Eastern Montgomery County Regional Emergency Management Group, or an event speakers schedule, contact Susan Spinella at 215-283-1307 or spinellas@mail.temple.edu.