BROWN LEADS HEARING ON STATE PREPAREDNESS
Thursday, October 13th, 2005 -- 12:16 PM
An area State Senator held the first in a series of public hearings yesterday to assess the state?s ability to respond to a major disaster. Sen. Ron Brown, a Republican from Eau Claire, says recent natural disasters along the Gulf Coast, as well as the recent terrorist threat in New York City, have highlighted the immediate need for state officials to analyze their ability to respond effectively in the event of a major disaster."I was very satisfied with the position we find ourselves in right now and our ability to respond," Brown said of the initial preparedness report. "Anytime you have a plan in place, the best thing you can do is review it and improve it. I think from this point forward, you'll see some significant improvements in this state's response capabilities."
Brown was recently appointed to the National Conference of State Legislatures Homeland Security Task Force. He says the review has gone well so far.
Future hearings will include government agencies at the local, state and federal level, including representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as well as representatives from the private sector who specialize in emergency services.
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