| Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC March 11, 2003 Department of State Initiates Emergency Preparedness EducationOfficials from four U.S. cities with their counterparts from cities in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Indonesia are in Washington, D.C. this week to kick off the first of a series of meetings on emergency preparedness. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, through a grant to Sister Cities International, developed the reciprocal exchange to provide both U.S. and foreign cities with critical and useful information on preparing for emergency situations.
Approximately 32 city officials representing Sister City partnerships between Tucson, Arizona and Almaty, Kazakhstan; Arvada, Colorado and Kyzylorda, Kazakstan; Houston, Texas and Baku, Azerbaijan; and Forth Worth, Texas and Bandung, Indonesia, will meet with officials at the U.S. Department of State and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), members of Congress, and staff at the Arlington County Fire Department. Program participants will exchange information regarding planning methodologies, tools and techniques, and the role of emergency management officials in response to catastrophic events.
After visiting Washington, D.C., the four groups will return to their U.S. sister cities to continue discussions on developing local emergency response plans. These exchanges are designed to increase contact among local government officials, non-governmental organizations and businesses in the Islamic world to discuss governmental plans for responding to emergencies.
Contact: Nicole Deaner, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs |
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