Breakout Session Descriptions

Policy and Planning

H1N1 Status - Anthony Mangeri, Mangeri Group and Eskil Danielson - This session will provide an update on the status of H1N1 and lessons learned -so far.

How to Save Residents Money with CRS - Jim DeAngelo, Project Manager; Michael Baker Corp and Adam Slutsky, Pricipal Engineer with Somerset County - This session will provide an overview of the National Flood Insurance Program and the Community Rating System, its goals and how it works to save residents real dollars.

Planning a Full Scale Exercise for Damage Assessment - Fran Pagurek, Mount Laurel Emergency Management - This program will demonstrate how to effectively set up and conduct a full scale exercise for damage assessment. With these exercise basics presented, you can easily train and exercise damage assessment teams and conduct community outreach at the same time. This exercise methodology will give emergency management coordinators a good sense of the completeness of their plans and what staff can perform this vital function.

A Disaster Declarations has Been Signed, What Next? A Conversation on HMGP Opportunities and Requirements - SFC Robert Little, NJSP and DSG Katherine Klemp, NJSP - After the November 2009 Nor'Easter, New Jersey received a Presidential Disaster Declaration. This declaration affords NJ the opportunity to benefit from Hazard Mitigation Grant (HMGP) projects under DR-1867-NJ. This session will outline the State and Federal response machines, HMGP requirements and submission timeline, eligible and ineligible projects, and the Municipal, County, and State agency application process. Applicants: Local, County, private contractor, and State project engineers, emergency managers, and those tasked with compiling information for HMGP applications can benefit from the information given here. Questions for the State Hazard Mitigation Officer and success stories will also be entertained at the end of the presentation.

Plan Today, Prepared Tomorrow:Creating and Maintaining Safe Schools - Deborah Bleisnick, NJ Department of Education - This presentation will provide a three year update on New Jersey’s School Security Initiative, an H1N1 Influenza update, forthcoming mandates, recourses, key best practices, and other timely topics. The School Administrator Procedures for responding to critical incidents will be discussed. This document was developed as a companion document to the law enforcement model policies for school security which include school lockdown, active shooter, bomb threats, emergency evacuation, and public information procedures recommended by the School Security Task Force and directed by the Attorney General.

Domestic Preparedness

Community Wildfire Protection Plans - Don’t Llet Your Municipality Be Without One - Maris Gabliks, State Firewarden, NJ FFS; Gregory S. McLaughlin, Division Firewarden, NJ FFS; Mike Drake, Division Firewarden, NJ FFS; William F. Brash, Jr., District Supervisor, Mercer County SCD - Through a new initiative that began this year, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service is offering to develop Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP’s) for select municipalities throughout the state. The FFS will bear the responsibility and expense for CWPP development. Once a municipality adopts a CWPP they will be eligible to receive grant funding from the FFS to implement wildfire protection practices that are prescribed in the CWPP. “This program integrates the mission and goals of the NJ Forest Fire Service with that of local emergency management agencies to achieve a cooperative and coordinated approach to wildfire planning”, said Gregory McLaughlin, NJ Forest Fire Service. Please join us to learn more about making your community safe from wildfire. For more information about wildfire in New Jersey or Community Wildfire Protection Planning, visit our website at www.njwildfire.org

Physical Security, Protecting Your Facility - SFC Michael Scala, NJSP - This session will provide an overview of physical security, and the process to follow to deter, detect and defend against threats to your facility. The session’s objective is to provide situational awareness and planning guidance, which will enhance a facility’s prevention capabilities and capacities with an “All Hazards” approach. The topics discussed and defined during the session will include: Threat Assessment, Vulnerability Assessment, Risk Management and Physical Security Countermeasures.

Secure the Cities - SFC Thomas Scardino - The Secure the Cities program is a federally funded pilot program to protect New York City and the surrounding region from a radiological or nuclear attack. Securing the Cities is a coordinated effort among the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, the New York City Police Department and numerous other regional law enforcement partner agencies in portions of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. This program will provide radiation detection equipment and training to the areas surrounding New York City to increase the overall region’s ability to prevent and interdict a radiological or nuclear attack. The goal of this program is to develop a multi-jurisdictional, multi-pathway defense-in-depth architecture for the defense of New York City and the surrounding region.

The State of Catastrophic Planning in New Jersey - Joseph Picciano, P.E.; NJ OHSP and LTC Jerome Hatfield, NJSP OEM - NJSP OEM and OHSP presents on joint efforts in the development of regional catastrophic disaster response plans for our State and our Region. An overview of ongoing planning, products and efforts with NYC, New York State and FEMA as well as a discussion on the interface between all levels of government; including federal, state, county and local in addressing the major threats to our region and the importance of the private sector in the process.

TSA VIPR Program (Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response) - Michael Ianelli, Federal Air Marshal Service - The Transportation Security Administration's Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service through the recommendations of the 911 Commission ACT has been directed to develop VIPR teams to augment the security of any mode of transportation at any location within the US. VIPR Teams are an asset that can be utilized throughout the state of NJ to mitigate terroristic and criminal threats against the transportation infrastructure. VIPR teams have also assisted nationally at large sporting events (Olympics, Super Bowl, etc...), national conventions (RNC, DNC), and natural disasters (Katrina, Gustov).

Strategic Planning for Special Events - Anthony Mangeri,MPA,CPM; Mangeri Group, LLC - The session will look at strategic planning considerations when building operational strategies to ensure the development of effective response systems for community special events. Public Safety and community contingency planning considerations for special events will be explored. Using the Incident Command System as defined in the National Incident Management System, this workshop will also look at developing the EMS elements of an Incident Action Plan for a community or special event.

Response and Recovery

Unified Command Really Works!-Sunoco Refinery Explosion and Fire-May 17, 2009 - Dave Carpenter, New Castle County OEM, Chief Bill Kelly, Sunoco Refinery, and Chief Mark Harris, Claymont Fire Company - On Sunday, May 17th at 10:15 pm, an explosion and fire occurred at the Sunoco Refinery in Marcus Hook in the Ethylene Complex. The explosion was heard and felt up to 7 miles away and was initially reported to 911 in Delaware County, PA by residents. The Ethylene unit resides in DE. The unified response and command and actions by the initial responders from Sunoco, Claymont, DE Fire Company and Marcus Hook-Trainor FD, PA were outstanding and commended by Delaware Gov. Markell in reducing any further impact from the incident. Several strengths were recognized in the response, along with after action improvements in media coordination and liaison integration.

NIMS and the November '09 Nor'easter - Frances J. McCall and Art Treon, Emergency Management, County of Cape May, and Sergeant Patrick Gorman, NJSP - Cape May County OEM and NJSP OEM South Region will present an overview of the response and coordination to the November 09 Northeaster Storm and the utilization and implementation of NIMS. This storm proved to be 1 of the 5 largest storms in this region. Without use of NIMS and its components the response and control of resources would have been chaotic.

Hazards & Response Tactics for Utility Emergencies - Anthony Natale, Consolidated Edison of New York - This session will provide the critical information necessary to identify and safely respond to various types of utility emergencies. It will cover the hazards and response tactics associated with gas, electric, steam and carbon monoxide incidents. Participants will be given an overview of each hazard along with the basic response tactics as well as the lessons learned from historical field activities.

Case Study: Miracle on the Hudson, Hoboken Mid Air Collision, Multi State Responses - Sergeant Robert Paddock, NJSP and Erik Grisof, NTSB - Representatives from the New Jersey State Police and the NTSB,who responded to the ditching of US Airways flight 1549 and the Hoboken MidAir Collision, will discuss the operational and organizational challenges encountered in responding to these large-scale, high-profile, multi-agency/multi-jurisdictional accidents.

Underground, Under Water and Under Heavy Pressure: Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) Response - James Munday,CEM and Adam McLaughlin, MPA,CEM; Port Authority of New York and New Jersey - The 2004 Madrid train bombings, the attacks on London’s transportation system in 2005, and the explosives attacks on India’s passenger railroad in July 2006 have made it clear that rail networks are high value targets for terrorist organizations. Subsequently, this presentation will discuss techniques used by the Port Authority of NY & NJ OEM to manage an interagency planning effort, including two full-scale exercises between 2007 and 2009, to effectively respond to an explosives attack on a Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH) train moving under the Hudson River between Exchange Place station in Jersey City and the World Trade Center station in lower Manhattan.

Weather

The Never-Ending Winter of 2009-2010 - Joseph Miketta, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, National Weather Service Mount Holly, NJ - Snow-mageddon, snow-pocalypse, snow-icane. Enough already. Close the dictionary, throw away the thesaurus. Instead, let's take a moment to review the major storms of the 2009-2010 winter season. Record setting coastal flooding, heavy snow, and river flooding have hit the region hard. What did we do right? What lessons have we learned? What should we do differently? How can the National Weather Service provide better Decision Support Services for future weather events? Come participate in the discussion with Joe Miketta from the Mount Holly NWS office.

Decision Support Services-Buffalo Air Crash - Judith Levan, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, National Weather Service-Buffalo, NY - On the evening of February 12, 2009, Continental Flight 3407 en route from Newark, NJ to Buffalo, NY crashed, taking the lives of 50 individuals. The disaster occurred less than 5 miles from the Buffalo National Weather Service office. Over the hours and days that followed the catastrophe, NWS personnel worked as a team to provide specific weather forecasts to aid in a rapid recovery effort. This talk will highlight the importance of the training, teamwork and long-term cooperation between NWS and its Emergency Management Community in responding to such disasters.

Emercency Managers Web Portal - Focus on Hydrology - Nancy Furbush, Senior Service Hydrologist, New York Weather Forecast Office and William Marosi, Hydrologist, Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center, State College, PA - Water, water, everywhere, what should you do? Depend on the National Weather Service. A wealth of information is available to emergency managers via the NWS web site. This presentation will focus on what is available to emergency managers and other key decision makers during significant flood events, as well as other scenarios. Nancy will focus on some of our local challenges, including hydrology in highly urbanized areas. Bill will add the perspective from our regional center of hydrologic expertise.

Hurricanes - A review of the 2009 season plus a look ahead - Bill Read, Director, National Hurricane Center - Bill will review the 2009 hurricane season for lessons learned, and provide an outlook for what we can expect in the 2010 season. Bill will cover the best ways to utilize the products provided by the National Hurricane Center and the local NWS offices during a tropical cyclone situation. Find out the latest product changes and improvements for the 2010 season. If this past winter is any indication, we could be in for a wild ride during Hurricane season 2010. Come on by and spend some time getting ready.

Media and Weather - Steve Lyons, The Weather Channel - This presentation will review the role of the media in weather forecasting, and how the media interacts with the National Weather Service, academia, and other private and public sector partners during major weather events. Most times the partnership works smoothly, but once in a while there is a bump in the road. We'll review the ways the partnership works best, as well as recommendations on keeping those bumps to a minimum. Come by and hear our longtime friend and supporter of the conference speak on these topics.

Health

Dosimetric Reporting and Information System (DoRIS) - Jeffrey Winegar, NJDHSS and Benjamin Steinhauser, NJIT - DoRIS is a web based computer application the NJDHSS will employ during a radiological emergency, to track and report radiation exposures to all emergency workers. Emergency worker names are pre-populated in DoRIS and, during an event, worker exposure doses can be entered in the system at the County EOC. Emergency workers that are showing increased exposure levels can easily be identified and can have their exposure risk mitigated by removal from the scene or relocation to safer areas, as necessary

Burn MCI Triage & Transfer Criteria for EMS & Hospitals - Kathe Conlon, BSN,RN,MSHS; Saint Barnabas Health Care System - In a mass casualty incident it is estimated the 20-30% of all injures will be burns. To meet the needs of this unique population The Burn Center as Saint Barnabas has developed both a state-wide and regional tiered response, in accordance with American Burn Association disaster guidelines. Designed to coordinate with local, state and federal protocols, this presentation focuses on initial and secondary triage and transport of burn patients for EMS and receiving hospitals, for the first 96 hours of an incident.

Information Sharing and the Integration of Medical Intelligence - Brandon Graham, The George Washington University - This session will discuss how medical and public health intelligence integrates into fusion centers, what this means to those in the field, and how to use the information in strategic and tactical planning.

Building Resiliency in First Responders - James J. Drylie, Ph.D., Kean University and Cherie Castellano, MA,CSW,LPC,AAETS, Cop 2 Cop - Recognizing that first-responders, paid and volunteer, approach the call to duty with a set of “core beliefs” that can be challenged over time requires continuous peer and administrative support. First-responders as victims and vicarious victimization of responders from exposure to disaster and critical incidents are issues that must be included in any planning for and response to these events. This presentation will provide responders and personnel at all levels in the emergency management continuum with the understanding and skills necessary to remain grounded in stressful and challenging circumstances, building on individual and organizational strengths.

Response to Infectious & Biological Material Transportation Emergencies - Brian Petuch, Merck & Company, Burlington County HAZMAT and Tom Boyle, UMDNJ - Infectious and biological materials are shipped domestically and internationally every day, most without incident. This course provides the HAZMAT responder an understanding of infectious and biological materials encountered in transportation accidents, who are common shippers, defines the risks of various shipping categories, demonstrate the various shipping technologies and discuss various response methodologies.

H1N1 Lessons Learned -So Far - -

All Hazards

State Farm Social Responsibility - Teanice Wells Ernest, Public Affairs Specialist, State Farm - Introduction to State Farm Company and Foundation Grant Programs with focus on disaster preparedness, driver safety, and other loss mitigation efforts supported. Spotlight on State Farm's Youth Advisory Board, charged with overseeing $5 million in funds and awarding grants to service learing projects, considered in the five categories: disaster preparedness, environmental responsibility, driver safety, access to higher education, and financial education, and the Teen Driver Safety - Young Driver Research Initiative, a continued partnership with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, striving to reduce the fatality rates for drivers ages 16 to 19.

NJ Water Agency Response Network (NJWARN) - Rick Howlett, Executive Director, New Jersey Water Association and Scott Para, Manager of Security and Events, New Jersey American Water - The New Jersey Water and Wastewater Agency Response Network (NJWARN) has been created by New Jersey State utilities and is based on the concept of "utilities helping utilities". NJWARN members are those who have signed the standard mutual aid agreement and have been accepted by the NJWARN steering committee. This provides them with the opportunity to be prepared to share resources before a disaster happens. NJWARN provides a means for you to receive or provide emergency assistance from nearby water/wastewater utilities in the form of available personnel, equipment, materials, and other services. Where better to obtain rapid, short-term deployment of emergency services that may be needed to restore the critical operations of a water or wastewater utility. This session will identify the steps to become a member, cover how members use the Resource Directory Database (RDDB) and cover some of the recent events that show that being members of the WARN is more advantageous then simply having handshake agreements with your next door neighbors. The goal is for all Emergency Management Officials to take this information back to their respective water department or utility and encourage them to join this beneficial network.

US ARMY-ARDEC's Homeland Security Programs - Jackie Barnum, US Army-ARDEC - Review of ARDEC's Homeland Security projects to include: Unified Incident Command and Decision Support (UICDS) standards and protocols, Technology Testbed Emergency Operations Center (Testbed EOC), Port Authority Joint Situational Awareness System (JSAS), Network Interoperability, Project National Shield Integration Center (PNSIC), Mobile Command Operations Center/Network Operations Center Development, Explosive Ordinance Detection, and other programs and expertise that ARDEC can share with partners.

L-3 Communications - Save Lives, Save Money, Save Time with MarCom®! - L-3 Communications - With over 108 years on the Camden waterfront, L-3 Communication Systems - East is providing a resilient, durable and interoperable communications system for incident management. This solution builds on a product line currently designed and manufactured by L-3. The MarCom® Integrated Communication System and our Symphony™ software can provide critical fixed or mobile command stations with seamless land, sea and air communications interoperability and is currently providing interoperability to DHS at local, state and federal command centers and is also heavily utilized by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Millennium Communications - Utilizing Technology to Improve Emergency Management and Response - - Dan Aloia, Executive Manager of Business Development, Millennium Communications Group, Inc. will be discussing a technological approach to Emergency Management. Topics will include monitoring and securing critical infrastructure sites by integrating Surveillance, Card Access, and Visitor Management Systems. The deployment of a city owned Fiber Optic Network for Real-time Transport of critical Video and Data and the utilization of a VoIP Phone System as an incident management tool. Closing out the session with a discussion on Emergency Operations Centers and the Cisco IPICS solution for seamless interoperable communications.