By Dana Bykowski
February 6, 2006

There has never been a greater need to protect the nation’s infrastructure. The threat of terrorism, natural disaster, and pandemic disease, coupled with aging municipal assets and growing citizen demands, has made implementation of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) a high priority for the federal government. Fortunately, by taking advantage of the information technology and tools required to comply, municipal governments can realize more efficient, effective management – even when there is no emergency.

EMA, a U.S. Conference of Mayors Platinum Partner, is working with cities to realize those objectives. Judith Cascio, Director of EMA, Inc.’s Public Sector practice, spoke to mayors about the importance of being prepared when and if disaster strikes. Cascio touched on some of the many enhancements that EMA can bring to your city, such as the development of tabletop exercises to test the plan and develop emergency response skills and a SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system with automatic monitoring allows surveillance and taking steps to prevent an emergency before it happens.

Cascio also shared a haunting video with mayors that illustrated the horrors of what take place during natural or man-made disasters that often leave a region devastated and unable handle the scope of the catastrophe. The video, which can be viewed on the website www.fourthcanyon.com/ema, featured scenes the tsunami that devastated Indonesia, earthquakes of Pakistan and hurricanes of the Gulf Coast region demonstrated the importance of coordinating disaster relief efforts and having a system in place before something catastrophic takes place, wiping out infrastructure, electricity and other public utilities. The video also stressed the importance of coordination and communication among all levels of government through the use if NIMS

“There are ways that cities can use these federal grants, achieve NIMS compliance, and manage more effectively, even when there is no emergency,” said Cascio, who leads EMA’s Public Sector practice. “The key is to understand how to make the information technology, internal and external practices and people work together.”

For more information about our Platinum Partner, send EMA, Inc., contact Kathryn Kretschmer-Weyland via phone at 301-450-2521 or send email to kweyland@usmayors.org.