Lessons-learned and partnerships discussed at emergency managers conference | 10.02.2007 | 07:07:35 | Views: 10705 | ID: October 2 '07: In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at the annual National Emergency Managers Association conference attendants said they focused on recent lessons-learned after heavy snowfalls this past winter and vernal torrential rains flooded the state activating record response measures. The Norman Transcript reported "Networking and sharing experiences were the messages" of the conference. Albert Ashwood, the director of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and president of NEMA told the Norman paper, "Preparedness and response are not just federal issues, they have to start at local levels," and that one of the main obstacles is "keeping it out in front as an issue that can affect cities and counties." The region surrounding Oklahoma - Kansas, the Panhandle of Texas, Nebraska, Western Arkansas and Eastern Colorado were all hit with wildfires, heavy rains, summer storms producing tornadoes, winter blizzards and other natural disasters which have put tremendous strains on the emergency response apparatus in those areas. Organizers and attendants at the NEMA conference said it was essential to cooperate with federal, state, local, tribal, non-profit and corporate leadership to organize effective emergency response and preparedness lessons-learned and best practices so that communities could prepare themselves and help to mitigate the future impact of any disasters.
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