Governor Kaine, Mayor Fenty, Governor O'Malley Discuss Regional Security Issues with U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Press Release

Governor Kaine, Mayor Fenty, Governor O'Malley Discuss Regional Security Issues with U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Executives commit to continue regular meetings -

Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine, Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, Maryland Governor Martin J. O'Malley, Acting Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Paul A. Schneider and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator R. David Paulison joined in an hour-long teleconference on Friday designed to respond to a simulated disaster in the Washington area. The goal of the exercise was to provide the opportunity to examine issues of crises communication, information sharing and decision making across the National Capital Region.

"We all learned a great deal about how our government agencies must continue to work together to assure the safety of our citizens," Governor Kaine said. "Virginia, Maryland and the District, along with the Department of Homeland Security, have invested deeply in the region's security preparedness and we are committed to keeping our citizens safe in an emergency."

"Public safety and homeland security is the primary responsibility of any government," said Governor O'Malley. "Today's exercise between Maryland, Virginia, the District and our federal government is critical to making sure our region's first responders are prepared to respond to an emergency. I want to thank Governor Kaine, Mayor Fenty, Acting Deputy Secretary Schneider and Administrator Paulison for taking the time to participate in this exercise."

"Disasters don't start and end at the District of Columbia border," said Mayor Fenty. "Today's exercise was an excellent demonstration of the regional teamwork it will take to keep our residents safe in a real emergency. I look forward to continuing to work with the two Governors and the Department of Homeland Security on security issues in the future."

"The result of this exercise, a true joint effort between Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia and the federal government, makes our region better prepared by fostering teamwork and enabling a coordinated response to a large scale incident within the National Capital Region" said U.S. Department of Homeland Security Acting Deputy Secretary Paul A. Schneider. "The exercise represents a culmination effort on the part of the National Capital Region Senior Policy Group and I applaud all those involved."

"The department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are dedicated to developing engaged partnerships with our colleagues in local and state governments, such as Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. I am proud of the cooperation inside the National Capitol Region, especially the coordination and interaction between the governors, District and federal officials" said FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison. "The results of this exercise are an indication of all the hard work done by everyone in the Region and I commend their efforts."

The National Capital Region, created and defined by Congress, includes the District of Columbia, Prince George's and Montgomery Counties in Maryland, and Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, and Alexandria in Virginia.

Friday's meeting was the eighth involving the executive leadership of the three jurisdictions since April 2003. The regional meetings have allowed the executives and their staff members to form strong cooperative relationships in areas of mutual interest and cooperation, including homeland security, air quality, transportation, the Chesapeake Bay, and tourism.

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