This page is no longer being updated and remains online for informational and historical purposes only. The information is accurate as of the last page update.
For questions about page contents, contact the Communications Division.
Local and national emergency management officials will be in attendance May 18, as Lafayette College’s Meyner Center for the Study of State & Local Government holds its fourth annual conference on intergovernmental cooperation.
Beginning at 7:30 a.m., the program entitled, “When the Next Natural Disaster Strikes, Will You Be Ready? The Importance of a Coordinated Response,” will be held in the Kirby Hall of Civil Rights.
Keynote speakers will be Ed Momorella, Emergency Management Administrator, Abington Township; Scott Wells, Federal Coordinating Officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); and Peter Verga, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense, U.S. Department of Defense.
In response to the numerous floods that have affected the Delaware River and Bushkill Creek over the past two years, the goal of the conference is to improve the Lehigh Valley area’s response to an emergency and to explore the possibility of establishing regional emergency services.
The day’s lectures and discussions will focus on making sure Emergency Management Coordinators (EMC), local officials, municipal managers, and emergency personnel have the appropriate level of training and equipment; have knowledge of the available equipment and personnel in adjacent municipalities, and are aware of the contents of emergency operating plans and whether these plans are current or can be effectively implemented.
National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) training will also be provided. In order to continue to be eligible for federal emergency grants, all municipal officials and emergency management personnel are required to have NIMS training by Sept. 30.
To attend the conference, contact Diane Elliott, director for public service of the Meyner Center, at (610) 330-5856.
Conference Schedule
Momorella has worked in federal law enforcement for 32 years, 16 of which as District Inspector General for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Before joining Abington Township, he served as Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator for Upper Moreland Township for 20 years, and was responsible for developing the township’s first emergency management plan. Momorella has worked on numerous major incidents including a plane crash, tornado, flash floods, winter storms, major fuel spills, and several presidential declared disasters.
Wells was appointed by President Clinton to serve as his representative at federally declared disasters in 1999. Wells has coordinated approximately 30 major disasters and emergencies throughout the United States including Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Columbia Shuttle Recovery Operation, and Tropical Storm Allison in Texas.
Verga is the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense concerning the overall supervision of the homeland defense activities of the Department of Defense. He previously served as the Special Assistant for Homeland Security, Director of the Department of Defense Homeland Security Task Force, and Deputy Director of the Office of Emergency Operations of the White House Military Office. He has been responsible for the development and implementation of classified, sensitive emergency plans and programs in direct support of the President.
As part of the Meyner Center’s commitment to community public service, this is the fourth year a conference on intergovernmental cooperation has been held.