Washington, D.C., Jun 24, 2011 - Imagine if the federal government could ask the “what if” questions about a wide variety of national disasters from natural to manmade. Imagine a crisis that could be solved in hours or days, rather than months, or, better yet, prevent it altogether. Imagine a virtual command center where hundreds of ideas from across the nation could be simulated, rated for effectiveness, and placed into effect across all federal agencies within a matter of moments. Imagine if our nation had had the opportunity to train and prepare for disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Oil Spill before they even happened.

This week, the 6^th Annual Congressional Modeling and Simulation Expo showcased ways in which that can be done through the use of modeling and simulation technology.  In today’s high-tech society and with the increasing potential of global threats, the federal government must be prepared for national emergencies, and M&S is uniquely positioned to provide practice for responding quickly and effectively to disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Oil Spill.

Read more about the Congressional Modeling and Simulation Caucus, which I founded and chair, here.

Here are some photos of the event.