For Release: September 26, 2007
Contact: J. Tucker Martin or David Clementson
Email: tucker.martin@oag.state.va.us or dclementson@oag.state.va.us
Phone: 804-786-2071
Attorney General Hosts Second Legal
Emergency Preparedness Drill
RICHMOND – Along with the Office of Commonwealth Preparedness and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, today the Attorney General hosted the second-annual legal emergency preparedness drill for Virginia agencies and their counsel from the Attorney General’s Office.
Last year the Attorney General successfully championed reforms in Virginia homeland security laws to require testing of plans and emergency drills.
Today’s exercise focused on defining and tackling legal issues that Virginia agencies may face during an emergency, with a scenario involving a pandemic and a simultaneous threat of terrorism and a hurricane.
“We want to make sure Virginia’s agencies have all the legal resources they need to prepare for and respond to an emergency,” Attorney General McDonnell said. “We want the public to know that we’re constantly testing and improving Virginia’s preparation for, and response to, disasters including hurricanes, terrorist attacks, or pandemic diseases.”
Held this afternoon at the Attorney General’s Office, today’s drill followed the Governor’s cabinet exercise on Sept. 4, 2007.
Today’s participants included the Governor’s Office, Virginia Department of Health, Chief Medical Examiner, Virginia State Police, Capitol Police, Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Military Affairs, Department of Social Services, Department of Transportation, Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Human Resource Management, Department of Education, among other state agencies, as well as some local officials and affected private stakeholders such as business, medical and public safety organizations.
The next exercise is slated for 2008, as this office works to provide the best legal advice to state agencies facing all manner of emergencies.
Today’s drill was facilitated by the Va. Department of Emergency Management and CRA, Inc., an Alexandria-based homeland security consulting firm.
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