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CONFERENCE SUMMARY
The 2008 National Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Conference was held April 21-23, 2008 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Over 850 attendees participated in an exciting program. The conference brought together a combination of UASI participants from across the country with DHS leadership and subject matter experts most intimately involved in UASI and related programs. The conference provided a forum for exchange of information on both technical and managerial aspects of the program.
The conference opened with a general session presentation on the bioterrorism threat by Dr. Jeff Runge, Chief Medical Officer and the Assistant Secretary for the DHS Office of Health Affairs. After the opening session, 11 beak out sessions were held over six functional tracks: Project Management, Fire, Law Enforcement, Medical, Interoperable Communications and Fusion Centers. The final closing session was a moving presentation by Rocco Forte, Emergency Preparedness Director, Minneapolis on the I-35 bridge collapse and how UASI aided in the response. A highlight of the conference was a huge BBQ and equipment display where over 600 attendees mingled among mobile hospitals, SWAT vehicles, command buses and the Charlotte Pipe and Drum Band.
Everyone agreed that the conference was an amazing success, serving as
a one-of-a-kind opportunity for sharing best practices from Urban Area
Security Initiatives programs across the country.
Information sharing and collaboration was the major thrust of this
conference. This web site will continue to provide the opportunity for
interaction and information exchange between UASI participants.
Presentations <LINK> from the conference subject matter experts
are being hosted on this site and our message boards <LINK> and a
mail list <Link to new Discussion List> will be used to continue
the dialogue that started in Miami, continued in Charlotte and will
take us forward as we prepare for the next conference. This site will
be used for discussions, making plans and sharing information on issues
that affect all UASIs.
As with our first conference, our goal remains the same: To provide an
information sharing environment for UASI participants to both share
information with, and get answers from, other UASIs on current issues.
Through this network, we hope to bring a closer working relationship to
those disciplines involved in the UASI program across the nation.
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