8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.

Beacon B Foyer, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Registration

 

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8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Beacon B, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Breakfast

 

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9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

Beacon A, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Welcome Remarks and Program Overview

 

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9:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Beacon A, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Session I:

Who is in Charge of What? Understanding Local, State and Federal and Roles during Emergencies

Emergency response begins at the local level, but when local resources become overwhelmed, it is the state’s role to ensure a well-coordinated response through the combined efforts of local government, state and federal agencies, and the private sector.  Understanding the scope of federal, and state emergency authorities and how they interact is an important part of preparing for and responding to any type of emergency. This session provided participants with an understanding of the critical role that federal, state, and local governments play in emergency planning and response.

• Francisco Sánchez, Jr., Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator, Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Harris County, Texas

Presentation | Audio

• Mr. Mark S. Ghilarducci, Director, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services

Audio | Resource: 1

• Veronica Verde, External Affairs Advisor, Region IX, Southern California, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Presentation | Audio

 

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10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Beacon A, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Session II:

Identifying the Hazards and Multi-Jurisdictional Mitigation Planning

A successful effort to plan and prepare for a disaster includes an updated knowledge of the hazards that can impact a particular community.  Communities face a number of threats; therefore, it is crucial to develop a sustained course of action to reduce, or, when possible, eliminate long-term risk to people and property.  A multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan enables comprehensive mitigation approaches to reduce risks that affect a region; an updated plan creates a shared framework for risk-based decision-making and resource allocation to reduce damages to people, property and the economy from future emergencies or disasters.  This session provided an overview of effective strategies for multi-jurisdiction hazard mitigation planning.

Session Chair: Hon. Anna Tovar, Mayor, City of Tolleson, Arizona;  Former Arizona State Senator

• Anne Rosinski, Earthquake Program Manager, Region IX, Southern California, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Presentation | Audio

• Michael Antonucci, Emergency Services Manager, San Bernardino County Fire Department, Office of Emergency Services, San Bernardino County, California

Presentation | Audio

• Tom Jacobus, Principal Manager, Business Resiliency, Southern California Edison

Presentation | Audio

 

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12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Beacon A, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Roundtable Strategy Discussion

These roundtable discussions provided participants the opportunity to delve deeper and further discuss the content presented by the experts and from their respective roles as policymakers to identify how they can engage in these issues to help their communities prepare for, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from various types of disasters and emergencies.

 

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12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Beacon B, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Luncheon Remarks:

Welcome to Long Beach, California

• Robert Garcia, Mayor, City of Long Beach, California

 

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1:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.

Beacon A, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Session III:

Communications and Mass Evacuation during a Disaster

A well-coordinated communications and evacuation plan can be lifesavers during emergencies.  Appropriate and accurate communication during an emergency or evacuation can help prevent panic, coordinate response among first responders and stakeholders, reach vulnerable and at-risk populations, and mobilize needed resources.  This session provided an overview of the Emergency Alert System and communication strategies jurisdictions use to maintain and share critical information.  Participants also learned about the types of events that might require a mass evacuation and the different elements that should be considered during an evacuation, including multi-jurisdictional and agency coordination.

Session Chair: Hon. Adrian Garcia, Commissioner, Harris County, Texas

• Nicole McGinnis, Deputy Bureau Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, Federal Communications Commission

Presentation | Audio

• Bryan Hoskins, Associate Professor, Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology, Oklahoma State University

Presentation | Audio

• Francisco Sánchez, Jr., Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator, Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Harris County, Texas

Presentation | Audio

 

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3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Beacon A, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Roundtable Strategy Discussion

These roundtable discussions provided participants the opportunity to delve deeper and further discuss the content presented by the experts and from their respective roles as policymakers to identify how they can engage in these issues to help their communities prepare for, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from various types of disasters and emergencies.

 

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3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Beacon A, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Session IV:

Housing and Education Needs for Displaced Residents

A top priority after a disaster is making sure that all displaced families have a safe, accessible, and affordable place to live while they get back on their feet.  Housing is essential to the economic, social and psychological recovery after a disaster; equally as important are schools.  Schools are also an integral part of recovery efforts.  Children in crisis benefit from the sense of normalcy provided by going to school; therefore, reopening schools, when safe, should also be one of the primary priorities of disaster relief efforts.  This session highlighted strategies to support long-term housing needs for displaced families and best practices for schools to provide additional support for students affected by disaster.

• Sarah Mickelson, Senior Director of Public Policy, National Low Income Housing Coalition

Presentation | Audio

• Kenya Haynes, Program Specialist, SERVE Center, National Center for Homeless Education

Presentation | Audio

• Belinda Reyes, Executive Director, Multicultural Curriculum, Instruction, and Compliance, Osceola County School District, Florida

Presentation | Audio | Resource: 1

 

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5:00 p.m. – 5:10 p.m.

Beacon A, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Roundtable Strategy Discussion

These roundtable discussions provided participants the opportunity to delve deeper and further discuss the content presented by the experts and from their respective roles as policymakers to identify how they can engage in these issues to help their communities prepare for, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from various types of disasters and emergencies.

 

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5:10 p.m. – 5:20 p.m.

Evaluation

 

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5:20 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Closing Remarks

 

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5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Beacon B, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Opening Reception

Title Sponsor: State Farm®

Opening Reception Patron: The Walt Disney Company

 

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7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.

Regency E & F, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Breakfast Plenary:

¡Hágase Contar! Census Update

Host: State Farm®

• Arturo Vargas, Chief Executive Officer, NALEO Educational Fund

Presentation

 

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8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Beacon A, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Session V:

Municipal and County Track – Emergency Planning for the Elderly and Other Vulnerable Populations

Natural disasters can disproportionately impact the elderly population.  Older adults are more prone to physical or mental limitations that make it difficult to seek assistance or evacuate.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when Katrina hit, more than 70 percent of the storm’s victims in Louisiana were over the age of 60.  About three out of every four Americans 65 and older have multiple chronic health conditions, making these populations especially challenging to assist and care for during an emergency.  This session provided an overview of the challenges the elderly and other vulnerable population’s face during natural disasters and highlighted best practices for local governments and key stakeholders to incorporate into their emergency plans.

Session Chair: Hon. Anna Tovar, Mayor, City of Tolleson; Former Arizona State Senator

• Laura Biesiadecki, Senior Director, Preparedness, National Association of County and City Health Officials

Presentation | Audio | Resource: 1 2

• June L. Gin, Research Health Scientist, Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Presentation | Audio | Resource: 1 2

• Lisa Jones, Director, Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management; Emergency Manager, City of Phoenix, Arizona

Presentation | Audio

 

Beacon B, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Session V:

Education Track – Creating Safer School Campuses

An alarming number of acts of violence are being committed on school grounds all across America, from schools in rural communities to campuses in large metropolitan cities.  These acts of violence can range from bullying to mass shootings.  During this session, policymakers received an overview of the different acts of violence schools are susceptible to and learned best practices to improve school safety and create a safer learning environment for students and educators.

Session Chair: Hon. Daniel Hernández, Jr., Arizona State Representative; Former School Board Member, Sunnyside Unified School District

• Jizhi Zhang, Senior Research Scientist, American Institutes for Research

Presentation

• Meagan O’Malley, Associate Professor, School Psychology Program, Graduate and Professional Studies in Education, California State University, Sacramento

Presentation | Resource: 1

 

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10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Beacon A, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Session VI:

Municipal and County Track – Supporting Personnel: Best Practices for Pre and Post Emergency Management

Pre-disaster planning for jurisdictions increases resiliency and ensures the affected community is more prepared to undertake an organized process to support the needs of its key emergency response and recovery teams.  Two key elements at this level of preparedness include a jurisdiction’s ability to meet the needs of personnel who will be required to work or be on call for an extended period of time pre and post an emergency, and for key personnel to know and understand proper record keeping processes and FEMA’s reimbursement procedures and guidelines.  In this session, participants had the opportunity to learn best practices and lessons learned from jurisdictions that had gone through this process, pre and post disaster, and helped participants better prepare their communities to respond and recover when a disaster strikes.

• Lisa Jones, Director, Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management; Emergency Manager, City of Phoenix, Arizona

Presentation | Audio

• Jorge A. Rodriguez, Deputy Chief, Emergency Management Coordinator, El Paso City and County Office of Emergency Management, Texas

Presentation | Audio

 

Beacon B, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Session VI

Education Track – Supporting Recovery and Strengthening Resilience for Schools and Students

These roundtable discussions provided participants the opportunity to delve deeper and further discuss the content presented by the experts and from their respective roles as policymakers to identify how they can engage in these issues to help their communities prepare for, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from various types of disasters and emergencies.

Children caught in natural or man-made disasters can suffer from trauma and bereavement far longer than adults realize.  These experiences have an effect not only on how well they perform at school but also throughout the trajectory of their lives.  This session provided policymakers with a better understanding of how children’s social and emotional health after a disaster impacts their academic performance.  The discussion also highlighted best practices policymakers and school administrators can develop before a disaster strikes to support a long-term recovery plan that addresses shelter, and counseling and education needs of their students, as well as their own recovery efforts.

Session Chair: Hon. Sergio Lira, Trustee, Houston Independent School District, Texas

• Scott Newgass, Education Consultant, Connecticut State Department of Education

Presentation

• Belinda Reyes, Executive Director, Multicultural Curriculum, Instruction, and Compliance, Osceola County School District, Florida

Presentation | Resource: 1

• John Ortega, President and Chief Executive Officer, Emergency Preparedness Group, Inc., Board Member, Orange Unified School District, California, Board Member, NALEO

Presentation

 

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11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Beacon A, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Incident Command System Overview

Policymakers were provided with a basic understanding of the incident command system, unified command, and multi-agency coordination.  This overview was intended as a system overview for those responsible for setting policy.

• John Ortega, President and Chief Executive Officer, Emergency Preparedness Group, Inc., Board Member, Orange Unified School District, California, Board Member, NALEO

• Z. Rich Rebenstorff, Consultant, Emergency Preparedness Group, Inc.

 

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12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Regency E & F, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Luncheon Plenary Program:

Best Practices and Lessons Learned from El Paso, Texas

• César Blanco, Texas State Representative
• Jorge A. Rodriguez, Deputy Chief, Emergency Management Coordinator, El Paso City and County Office of Emergency Management, Texas

 

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1:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

Beacon A, Upper Level, 4^th Floor

Best Practices-Scenario Exercises

This session provided participants with the opportunity to put into practice the critical elements around emergency response and management.

• John Ortega, President and Chief Executive Officer, Emergency Preparedness Group, Inc., Board Member, Orange Unified School District, California, Board Member, NALEO

• Z. Rich Rebenstorff, Consultant, Emergency Preparedness Group, Inc.

 

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3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Evaluation and Closing Remarks

 

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