COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Technology leaders from across the nation will meet in College Station Dec. 8-9 to discuss technical aspects of emergency preparedness. The Department of Homeland Security’s first national technical conference, hosted at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center, will convene technical representatives from all states to look at preparedness needs and to present the best practices, equipment and programs currently available for emergency responders. "Texas A&M Engineering is fortunate to be chosen to host this important national event that will help identify the future technology needs for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security," said Dr. G. Kemble Bennett, vice chancellor and dean of engineering. "It clearly recognizes Texas A&M’s leadership in research and development." One facet of the conference will be to address the evaluation of emergency response equipment relating to the technical needs of emergency responders. Texas A&M Engineering has worked with DHS to develop an evaluation and verification program that will enable first responders to evaluate equipment and systems for their own use. The program, called SAVER, or Systems Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders, is just one of the many ways Texas A&M Engineering is tied to homeland security efforts. The conference, hosted at Texas A&M by the DHS Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness Systems Support Division, will bring together national leaders in anti-terrorism and emergency response technologies and share lessons learned about what works and why.
