Disaster Education Day at UNT Sept. 13

Rick Lohr, who directed the successful rescue of nine coal miners in Pennsylvania in July as director of the Somerset County, Pa., Department of Emergency Services, will be among the featured speakers during Disaster Education Day at UNT Sept. 13.

The event is sponsored by the emergency administration and planning program, the Center for Public Management and the UNT chapter of the International Emergency Management Student Association. Speakers and discussions will center on the theme "The Future of Emergency Management."

Rich Weber, professional development coordinator for the emergency administration and planning program, says emergency management in the United States has shifted back to its original intent — civil defense — since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

"The field had shifted toward natural disasters, like hurricanes and tornadoes, over the past decade or so," he says.

All events for Disaster Education Day will be held in Room 43 of UNT's Gateway Center and are free and open to the public.

Disaster Education Day schedule:

9 a.m. — Coffee and juice served

9:45 a.m. — Billy Zwerschke, past president for the International Association of Emergency Managers, will discuss how the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks changed emergency management in the public sector.

10:45 a.m. — Ben Taylor, president of Disaster Recovery Institute International in Falls Church, Va., will speak about how the events of Sept. 11 affected the private sector of emergency management.

Noon — Sack lunch, for $5, provided by UNT's chapter of the International Emergency Management Student Association.

1:30 p.m. — Lohr will speak about overseeing the rescue of nine trapped coal miners and the office's response to the crash of United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania, one of the four airplanes hijacked by terrorists last Sept. 11.

2:30 p.m. — A panel discussion will focus on "The Importance of Regional Coordination of Emergency Management." Panelists include Gregg Dawson, former emergency management coordinator for Fort Worth, who is developing an emergency response system for the North Central Texas Council of Governments; Patrick McMacken, emergency management coordinator for Irving and president of the Emergency Management Association of Texas; J.J. Jones, an emergency management officer for Fort Worth; Darryl Toups, emergency management coordinator for Garland; and Bill Gross, emergency management coordinator for Dallas.

BY NANCY KOLSTI nkolsti@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• UNT, Denton remember Sept. 11
• UNT study: Private businesses played vital role in WTC disaster response
• Regents rename Administration Building for Hurleys; approve emeritus appointments
• UNT regents approve fee increases, plans to build new residence hall
• UNT scientist: Spraying, prevention are key to killing West Nile virus-infected mosquitoes
• UNT creates electronic conferencing laboratory
• Food, services conveniently located in UNT's University Union
• Chinese cuisine served in Campus Chat Food Court

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