Emergency Management
Arlington Featured at Terrorism Response Conference
County Recounts Sept. 11 Response at Conference; Teamwork Key to Efficient Operations
Local Response to Terrorism: Lessons Learned from the 9-11 Attack on the Pentagon, was held July 28-30, 2003 at the Crystal City Gateway Marriott. The three-day conference was expected to draw 850 first responders from around the country, but ended up attracting closer to 1,000.
Keynote speakers included Attorney General John Ashcroft, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and FBI Director Robert Mueller.
First responders made several recommendations to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Office of Domestic Preparedness on how to improve regional coordination, training and communication.
Arlington County speakers included: Fire Chief Ed Plaugher, former Police Chief Ed Flynn, Assistant Fire Chief James Schwartz, Assistant Fire Chief John White, Fire Captain Mark Penn, Fire Battalion Chief James Bonzano, Deputy Police Chief Rebecca Hackney, Deputy Police Chief Steve Holl, County Manager Ron Carlee and County Board Chair Paul Ferguson, who gave the opening remarks.
Since Sept. 11, Arlington County has spent countless hours updating its emergency management plan. County executives and first responders have traveled the country to share the County's experiences responding to Sept. 11 and the results of its Sept. 11 After-Action Report. The bottom line is that Arlington’s team approach to dealing with Sept. 11 has been hailed as a model for the country.
James Schwartz, Arlington's emergency services manager, summed up Arlington’s reliance on teamwork in times of crises: "A key message of this conference is that first responders must build relationships long before a disaster strikes. Teamwork is essential. Every local jurisdiction must rely on many partners, public and private, local, state, regional, federal and others."
County officials credited solid relationships with surrounding jurisdictions and federal agencies, as well as advanced planning from Y2K, as part of the process that led to its well-organized disaster response.
The conference also included breakout sessions providing opportunities for emergency managers, fire and EMS personnel, police and city/county managers to brainstorm solutions to improve their responses.
Media coverage of the conference included 10 different television stations, including CNN and networks ABC, NBC and Fox. In addition, several radio stations and newspapers, numerous trade publications and most of the major wire services also sent reporters.
The conference was sponsored by: Arlington County, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Justice, the Office for Domestic Preparedness, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the International City/County Management Association and the National Sheriffs' Association.
