Woodbury Emergency Management Director wants a summitt of states

Woodbury County’s director of emergency services would like to plan a conference of the Homeland Security leaders in three states. Gary Brown says Sioux City’s close to South Dakota and Nebraska and it makes sense to coordinate their plans. He says they try to look at what events could happen, what resources each has, and how they could respond. Brown says it’s what homeland security is all about. He says the three states are covered by parts of two different Federal Emergency Management Agency regions, and many emergency-management leaders are part-time and have other responsibilities. Brown says working together will help them cover all the bases because their responsibility is so broad.He says the creators of the Homeland Security concept threw out a wide net that covers public safety, information and technology, weapons of mass destruction, health, animal health and disease. Brown says the response was immediate and positive when he contacted Iowa Homeland Security director Ellen Gordon as she said to find a date to meet. Brown says the next step is to find a date, preferably in late September or early October, when they can all meet.