WASHINGTON — President George W. Bush announced on June 6, 2008 the appointment of Chief Gregg C. Lord of George Washington University’s Office of Homeland Security to the National Commission on Children and Disasters. Chief Lord currently serves as Associate Director of the National EMS Preparedness Initiative and Senior Policy Analyst within the Office of Homeland Security. Chief Lord brings to the Commission over twenty five years of emergency preparedness and response experience. He retired from Worcester EMS in 2001.
Minority Leader John Boehner announced on April 17, 2008 that he was appointing Chief Larry Tan of New Castle County EMS as his congressionally mandated appointee to the National Commission on Children and Disasters. Chief Tan brings over twenty years of emergency preparedness and response experience to the National Commission. Chief Tan is also a recent graduate of Widener University School of Law and the Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government State & Local Executive Session.
The National Commission on Children and Disasters (NCCD) was authorized under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008, signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 26, 2007 (P.L. 110‐161). The purpose of the Commission is to:
- Conduct a comprehensive study that examines and assesses children’s needs as the relate to preparation for, response to, and recovery from all hazards, including major disasters and emergencies.
- Identify, review, and evaluate existing laws, regulations, policies, and programs relevant to such needs.
- Identify, review, and evaluate the lessons learned from past disasters relative to addressing such needs.
- Report to the President and Congress on its findings and recommendations to address such needs, including regarding the need for a national resource center on children and disasters, coordination of resources and services, administrative actions, policies, regulations, and legislative changes.
The Commission is comprised of l0 members. The President and congressional leaders have appointed 2 commissioners each.
