All Hazards Forum to Bring Together Key Homeland Security and Emergency Management Practitioners and Planners.

BETHESDA, Md. -- The All Hazards Forum (AHF), a conference and exhibit, to be held December 1 and 2 at the Baltimore Convention Center, is a first of its kind event organized for Mid-Atlantic leaders focused on homeland security and emergency management to meet and exchange ideas and information. The Mid-Atlantic region has emerged as the epicenter of the homeland security industry after the tragic events of 9/11. E[acute accent]The AHF, named so because of its focus on both natural and terrorist disaster management, will bring together public safety professionals from Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, DC. E[acute accent]Over 400 participants are expected to take part in this event, which will discuss issues such as interoperability, natural disaster recovery, and case studies/best practices/lessons learned from the region, including Pennsylvania's Region 13 -- a leader in implementing a regional approach to terrorism preparedness. Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. (Md.) and Governor Ruth Ann Miller (invited) (Del.) will present an overview of state-level homeland security perspectives to conference attendees. E[acute accent]"Verizon is proud to help sponsor this first-ever Mid-Atlantic All Hazards Forum," said J. Michael Hickey, Verizon's vice president of federal government relations. "As the region's leading telecommunications provider, Verizon is well-positioned to support local, county and state first-responders in pursuit of their mission. We seek to leverage our technical know-how as well as our strategic planning and emergency response experience to address the complex challenges facing those on the front lines. Our participation in the Mid-Atlantic All Hazards Forum and the extensive program it offers underscores Verizon's commitment to helping its customers more proactively detect and prevent threats to the citizenry of our region."

E[acute accent]Sessions of note include:

E[acute accent]--Hurricane Ivan: The Event and Aftermath (West Virginia case study)

E[acute accent]--Geospatial Information Services (GIS) for Emergency Management

E[acute accent]--Response to Terrorist Attack on the Pentagon - Interoperability at its Best

E[acute accent]--Joint Interoperability - "Lessons Learned from Silicon Valley"

E[acute accent]--Operational Command at the US Capitol Complex

E[acute accent]--North Carolina's Response to Natural Disasters

E[acute accent]Coverage: Media interested in attending should contact Diana Edelman at 301-493-5500, ext. 3387, or [e-mail] to pre-register. Press credentials can be picked up between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., December 1-2 at the Press Room, located at the Mezzanine level of the Pratt Street entrance to the Baltimore Convention Center. To schedule one-on-one interviews or live feeds from the event, please contact Diana Edelman.

E[acute accent]About E.J. Krause & Associates, Inc.: Founded in 1984, E.J. Krause (EJK) is one of the largest privately held exhibition management companies in the world. With 16 offices on four continents, EJK produces over 80 events in 16 different industries. EJK's reputation is based on its resolute commitment to excellence in service to its clients.