Washington, D.C. - The National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices co-sponsored an executive-level policy summit to discuss policy issues concerning domestic terrorism with the National Emergency Management Association, July 10-11, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. State teams of governors' key policy advisors and lead state officials in law enforcement, public health, fire, and emergency management convened with federal officials to learn from one another and candidly discussed both successes and mistakes. Speakers at the two-day event included HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson; U.S. Attorney General John D. Ashcroft; West Virginia Governor Bob Wise; U.S. Representative Chris Shays (R-CT); U.S. Representative Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) and District of Columbia Mayor Anthony Williams. The two-day agenda was structured around a tabletop bioterrorism exercise, designed to give state teams an idea of the challenges and decisionmaking difficulties they might confront in detecting and identifying a public health emergency of a bioterrorism nature. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there is little experience, especially in the United States, with the deliberate release of biological agents to cause major disease outbreaks. Events of recent years have focused attention on the increasing possibility of such incidents, particularly to the possibility of terrorist incidents aimed at the civilian population. "Governors have a critical interest in domestic terrorism because responding to the consequences of terrorist events are clearly within their roles and responsibilities," said West Virginia Governor Bob Wise. There is not a governor in this nation who will not become engaged at the first hint of an incident of terrorism that threatens the welfare and safety of their citizens. Governors, with the support of the federal government, are responsible for ensuring the ability of state and local authorities to deal with natural disasters and other types of major emergencies, including a terrorist incident." All states are now in the process of developing a comprehensive state terrorism strategy, or plan that recognizes the unique features and characteristics of their communities. Governors and their states know better than the federal government their vulnerabilities and needs for training, equipment, technical assistance and funding. "Various agencies have determined that the nation's public health infrastructure must be enhanced if we are to adequately address a bioterrorist event," said John Thomasian, Director of the Center for Best Practices. "Preparation for and response to acts of terrorism will be a major responsibility of states, in coordination with federal and local government. This is why this summit is so vitally important. Training for such unusual situations needs to be developed and carried out with federal assistance. Better working partnerships between public health, medical, public safety and intelligence agencies are needed." The closing session of the policy summit will give state teams and other attendees the opportunity to discuss their top concerns, priorities and recommendations. These key issues will be compiled and shared with appropriate federal agencies and congressional committees to help define the future of the nation's domestic preparedness policy. NGA, founded in 1908, is the instrument through which the nation's governors collectively influence the development and implementation of national policy and apply creative leadership to state issues. Its members are the governors of the 50 states, three territories and two commonwealths.
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