EMERCOM Officials Visit San Diego Counterparts
Ten professionals from the St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Ministry for Emergency Management (EMERCOM) took part in a Community Connections exchange program on “Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness in the U.S.” from September 25–October 17, 2008. Hosted by the Citizen Diplomacy Council of San Diego, the program included professional visits to the city’s Fire-Rescue Department and Lifeguard Services, the county’s offices of Emergency Services and Health and Human Services, the University of California-San Diego Medical Center-Hillcrest and Tri-City Medical Center, BioNet, and the Medical Reserve Corps. These meetings offered the Russian participants an in-depth perspective on U.S. mechanisms for emergency response, including disaster mitigation legislation, integration of disaster mitigation into reconstruction projects, international disaster response and assistance mechanisms, the National Response Framework (NRF), community and state strategies for pandemic influenza and avian influenza mitigation, civil-military cooperation in emergency response, and cooperation with the media during a disaster. At the conclusion of the visit, each participant received an Honorary Citizen of San Diego certificate issued by the Mayor.
EMERCOM delegates returned from the program with new plans and ideas that they intend to implement in St. Petersburg and to share with their colleagues throughout Russia. Community Connections is managed by Project Harmony, in collaboration with World Learning.
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| Russian emergency responders participate in an exchange program in San Diego. |
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