Bethesda, Md. — The Strategic Advisory Committee of the Mid-Atlantic Regional All Hazards Forum (AHF) recently announced new additions for the 2006 forum. Scheduled for October 10-12, 2006 at the Baltimore Convention Center, this year’s conference will focus on increasing interaction between state and local governments, educational institutions, industry, and faith-based organizations focusing on homeland security and emergency management.
“Networking, building relationships, establishing communication and breaking down barriers leads to the regional coordination we will need to effectively prepare for potential disasters, " said Dennis Schrader, the Director of the Maryland Governor’s Office of Homeland Security. “There is a clear need among our stakeholders who are looking for a substantive, educational experience and this meeting accomplishes that.” As a result, the Strategic Advisory Committee has developed a “Meeting of Meetings” concept where AHF invites key government, industry, university and non-profit organizations to host their public or private committee meetings at the AHF.
The goal of the “Meeting of Meetings” is to promote regional relationships, networking, idea sharing and collaboration between committee and conference attendees, offering stakeholders access to some of the most important work currently underway on state and local homeland security.
Among the organizations approached with the Meeting of Meetings concept are:
- ATAC Training Session
- AASHTO Security Board Meeting
- TISP Regional Interdependencies Workshop
- Quad-State Interoperability Initiative Workshop
- Industry User Group Meetings
- TRB Security Committee Meeting
- SAFE Board Meeting
- NACO Executive Committee Meeting
- ASIS Regional Meeting
- Regional Fire Chiefs Shakers Forum
In its third year, The Mid-Atlantic Regional All Hazards Forum is a first of its kind, grass roots, regional effort put together to solve the emergency management and homeland security issues at the local, county, and state levels in the states of North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, DC, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
Focusing on all three phases of a hazard; readiness, response and recovery, the AHF’s mission is to help build communication and relationship between the states in the mid-Atlantic region through a year round program of sustained interactions between its stakeholders. The All Hazards Forum provides the demand for government, industry, and universities to meet face-to-face.
The AHF is the only state-endorsed emergency management and homeland security conference and exhibition dedicated to ensuring the continued safety, preparedness and growth of the Mid-Atlantic region. No regional forum currently exists to connect, educate, equip, train, and motivate state and local homeland security planners and practitioners to better preserve our freedoms and protect our region.
For more information or to register for the All Hazard Forum, go to www.allhazardsforum.com.