There are many disasters that can occur unexpectedly in North Carolina ranging from major storms, landslides, wildfires, and infectious disease outbreaks to cyber security threats, infrastructure failure and mass casualty events. Fortunately, North Carolina is rich in emergency preparedness programs, and committed to identifying and implementing best-practices as we respond to and learn from actual disaster incidents, planning activities, as well as training and exercises. Through cooperative planning efforts, local emergency preparedness programs have advanced the preparedness and response capabilities of North Carolina’s ability to respond to disasters.

We aim to provide an opportunity for attendees to reflect on the many lessons learned from ongoing and previous disaster responses, while highlighting new tools and resources that can be used in future response efforts. During the symposium, we will hear from the nation’s foremost leaders in disaster preparedness and response. Most of the information that you will receive will only scratch the surface of the knowledge required to be “operational” in the respective subject matters. A range of topics will be presented with a focus on the health and medical response to various man-made and natural disasters.

So let us welcome you to the North Carolina Disaster Symposium. Our goal is to provide a forum to help promote healthcare emergency preparedness planning and to provide valuable networking opportunities. Take time to introduce yourself to everyone, and remember…

“Relationships are best built through training and exercising prior to an incident, rather than on-scene”