FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:Brie Turek (407) 246-3106
Laura Bornfreund (407) 246-3423

CITY OF ORLANDO EMERGENCY MANAGER SHARES
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INSIGHT

Manuel Soto Participates in International Association of
Emergency Managers Conference in Miami, Florida

ORLANDO, FL (December 15, 2005) As a member of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), Manuel Soto, City of Orlando Emergency Manager, attended the organization’s 29th Miami Conference earlier this month to share his experiences leading the City of Orlando through three major hurricanes in 2004.

“I am confident in the City’s Office of Emergency Management and the leadership of Emergency Manager, Manuel Soto,” said Mayor Buddy Dyer. “Manny consistently ensures the City of Orlando is well prepared for the hurricane season, implementing innovative techniques and preparedness training for employee volunteers. This year, the City of Orlando was one of the first municipalities across the state to be designated as StormReady by the National Weather Service.”

Soto participated on a panel discussion with other disaster preparedness leaders from the United States and around the world including Tim Callaghan, U.S Agency for Int’l Development and Jeremy Collymore, Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency. The discussion focused on the economic impact of natural disasters, strategies to mitigate the effects of disasters, the importance of private - public partnership when dealing with disasters, and response and coordination efforts.

“I have found that building public, private, nonprofit and faith-based partnerships prior to disasters is a critical component of preparedness. Community organizations provide the much needed items for residents in need during disasters and it is important for the City of Orlando to assist in the coordination and communication of these efforts,” stated Manuel Soto.

IAEM is a nonprofit organization representing 3,000+ emergency management and homeland security professionals for local communities, state and federal disaster officials, private sector, nongovernmental organizations and others involved in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from all types of disasters.

For more information on the City of Orlando Office of Emergency Management, please visit: http://cityoforlando.net//emergency/.
 

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