Hawaii State Civil Defense (HSCD) is advancing preparedness and security for island residents by concentrating on developing strong cross-sector relationships that engage the “whole of community.” In order to achieve this, HSCD organized the Hawaii Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security Workshop 2013 (HEPHSW), October 21-23, at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu. During the first two days, Workshop attendees were welcomed by the Adjutant General Maj Gen Darryll D. M. Wong and Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie.
Themed “Resiliency Through Partnerships,” the Workshop brought together traditional partners in emergency management and, in order to expose them to the emergency preparedness and homeland security communities, invited non-traditional partners to participate as well. The event provided networking opportunities and both formal and informal settings for training and the exchange of information, innovative ideas, and best practices. The Workshop was divided into three tracks to allow participants to drill down in particular topics, including community resiliency, mass care and vulnerable populations, and cyber security for everyone.
Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) co-sponsored the Workshop and provided multiple presentations to support the two-and-a-half day event. Dr. Erin Hughey, Director of Disaster Services, presented on the “Essentials of Community Resiliency” and introduced and led a training session on DisasterAWARE. Also, PDC Disaster Management Specialist and Response Lead Michael Chatman delivered a talk on “Building the Whole of Community,” and Hazard Mitigation Specialist Sharon Mielbrecht presented on the Hawaii Hazards Awareness and Resiliency Program (HHARP), jointly developed by PDC and HSCD. PDC participated in a Senior Executive Seminar focusing on major disaster preparedness and response themes. The seminar was led by Governor Abercrombie, and facilitated by the Mobile Education Team from the Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS).
The event concluded with a special Hawaii Emergency Preparedness Executive Committee (HEPEC) meeting, which focused on resiliency through partnerships and featured presentations by the FBI; PDC; Hawaii Hotel & Visitor Industry Security Association (HHVISA); Hawaii Financial Industry Resilience, Security and Teamwork (HawaiiFIRST); Honolulu Police Department (HPD).
For more information on this event:
• Visit the Workshop’s event site.
• Learn about PDC and HSCD partnering for Hawaii’s statewide hurricane exercise.
• Find out about HHARP, developed by PDC and HSCD.
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