Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine, Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, Maryland Governor Martin J. O'Malley, Acting Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Paul A. Schneider and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator R. David Paulison joined in an hour-long teleconference on Friday designed to respond to a simulated disaster in the Washington area. The goal of the exercise was to provide the opportunity to examine issues of crises communication, information sharing and decision making across the National Capital Region. The National Capital Region, created and defined by Congress, includes the District of Columbia, Prince George's and Montgomery Counties in Maryland, and Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, and Alexandria in Virginia.
Friday's meeting was the eighth involving the executive leadership of the three jurisdictions since April 2003. The regional meetings have allowed the executives and their staff members to form strong cooperative relationships in areas of mutual interest and cooperation, including homeland security, air quality, transportation, the Chesapeake Bay, and tourism.
"We all learned a great deal about how our government agencies must continue to work together to assure the safety of our citizens," Governor Kaine said. "Virginia, Maryland and the District, along with the Department of Homeland Security, have invested deeply in the region's security preparedness and we are committed to keeping our citizens safe in an emergency."
