EQ Conference Focus: Earthquake Loss Reduction
Western States Seismic Policy Council Meets In Portland
Release Date: September 18, 2003
Release Number: R10-03-115
Portland, OR - The Western States Seismic Policy Council Annual Conference, Toward Earthquake Loss Reduction: Developing Effective Communication, Realistic Strategies and Successful Mitigation Actions for Your Community, begins Saturday, September 20 and runs through Wednesday, September 24, at the Embassy Suites in downtown Portland. According to WSSPC Executive Director Patti Sutch, successful seismic risk communication is the first vital step in motivating communities to reduce seismic losses.
"The mission of the Western States Seismic Policy Council is to help reduce future earthquake losses by providing a forum to advance earthquake losses throughout the Western Region," said Sutch. "At this year's conference we will learn about strategies and actions that have been effective in reducing earthquake risk and encourage transferring that experience back to local communities."
Ken Murphy, Director of Oregon Emergency Management (OEM), concurs. "This conference builds on WSSPC's consistent message of pre-disaster mitigation and serves as an emphatic call for pre-disaster action," said Murphy. "Risk communication is a critical element of our preparedness and mitigation efforts, whether it be earthquakes, hurricanes, fire or terrorist strikes."
This week's conference is hosted by Oregon Emergency Management, and Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Resources (DOGAMI), and sponsored by WSSPC, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). FEMA Regional Director John Pennington will participate in the 8:30 to 9:00 a.m. welcome and opening remarks on Monday, September 22, 2003.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Additional information on WSSPC, its partner agencies and this year's conference is available at: www.wsspc.org.
Last Modified: Thursday, 18-Sep-2003 14:55:54