GovSec, U.S. Law and Ready! to Prepare Responders for Terror Situations

April 12, 2007
Homeland security event in May will focus on broad spectrum of threats to national security

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – April 12, 2007 – GovSec, U.S. Law and Ready! Conference and Exposition, America's Premier Homeland Security Event, today announced sessions to support and reinforce law enforcement efforts against all types of terror – from school shootings to terrorist attacks. "Law enforcement doesn't have the luxury of complacency – at any given moment our communities can come under attack," said John Thompson, deputy director of the National Sheriffs' Association. "The U.S. Law program this year exemplifies the best our nation has to offer – those who have faced some of our darkest events and thrived to protect our citizens. We are very proud to sponsor the training track."

"We've been very fortunate to gather such great minds in law enforcement to address all the types of terror that now face our country," said Kristina Tanasichuk, director of government and industry relations for National Trade Productions, producers of the GovSec, U.S. Law and Ready! event, taking place May 9-10th at the Washington Convention Center. "We've flown in international experts on Al Qaeda like Dr. Rohan Gunaratna from Singapore and Dr. John Horgan from St. Andrews University in Scotland to give participants a fresh and insightful view of our enemies and how to counteract them. We are also thrilled to have Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Colonel Jeffrey Miller and Park County, Colorado Sheriff Fred Wegener discussing how school shootings in their communities were both a shock and a tragedy for their citizens. Unfortunately, we are living in a time where our law enforcement officers must be able to face anything – and we are planning our U.S. Law program to prepare our nation's law enforcement officers to do just that."

The conference will address the latest law enforcement training with the theme of responding to, and preventing, school shootings; interoperability and communications; homeland security and counterterrorism; physical security and resources. Keynotes include former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and former Governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Ridge and the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, Frances Fragos Townsend.

Additionally, this year's event is honored to host a "Roundtable Luncheon" as part of their Executive Leadership training with Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman, U.S. Army (Ret.) – author, soldier and internationally recognized expert on the roots of violence and violent crime. Lt. Col. Grossman will also sign copies of his best-sellers, On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society and Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill, Wednesday, May 10th at the International Spy Museum bookstore pavilion on the show floor from 3:00-4:00 p.m.

Law enforcement conference and workshops sessions include:

- "The Bullet Proof Mind: Mitigating the Psychological Impacts of Violence By and Against Children" with Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman
- "Case Study – The Beslan School Massacre" (back by popular demand)
- "Thwarting a Terrorist Attack on Our Schools: Fusion Centers in Action"
- "Interoperability and Wireless Solutions for School Safety"
- "Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Response for Law Enforcement" a train the trainer course
- "Response to Suicide Bombers and Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs)" sponsored by the National Bomb Squad Commanders Advisory Board
- "Harbor Incident Response" by the Tri-State Maritime Safety Association
- "Recognizing Threat Through Interoperability of Police and Dispatch Incident Systems"
- "Programs for Free Equipment, Training and Education" (two part session)
- "Grant Writing: What You Need to Know to Get Federal Grant Money" (two part session)

A sampling of the experts confirmed for the event includes:

- Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman, U.S. Army (Ret.), Director, Killology Research Group
- John Giduck, President, Archangel Group and author, "Terror at Beslan"
- Colonel Jeffrey Miller, Commissioner, Pennsylvania State Police
- Major Tyrone R. Morrow, Director, Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy, Fairfax County Police Department
- Major Wayne Payne, Chief of Operations, Harrison County Sheriff's Department
- Lieutenant Joe Pevey, Senior Administrative Officer, Harrison County Sheriff's Department
- Sheriff Fred Wegener, Park County, Colorado
- John Thompson, Deputy Executive Director, National Sheriffs' Association
- Lt. Jeff Fuller, South Carolina's State Law Enforcement Division's (SLED) Bomb Squad, Chair, National Bomb Squad Commanders Advisory Board
- Martin Hutchings, Bomb Squad Commander (Ret.), Sacramento Sheriff's Department

A full list of faculty is on the GovSec website.

GovSec, U.S. Law and Ready! is also pleased to announce this year's U.S. Law Town Square, where law enforcement departments from around the country will gather to discuss methods for employee recruiting, training and retaining, as well as some of the most progressive, aggressive tools available to help protect the public and fight terrorism. From interoperability projects to the latest leadership programs, the Town Square is a peer-to-peer networking opportunity aiming to better arm our nation's law enforcement personnel.

The 6th annual GovSec, U.S. Law and Ready! Conference and Exposition will attract more than 7,000 government security, law enforcement and emergency response professionals across all disciplines and jurisdictions. The show floor will feature more than 500 companies showcasing the latest technologies and cutting-edge solutions to arm security professionals with the tools necessary to safeguard our nation.

Registration for GovSec, U.S. Law and Ready! 2007 is now open. For more information, to view a complete "Schedule at a Glance," or to register, please visit www.govsecinfo.com/attendee-registration-4.html.

About GovSec U.S. Law and Ready!

GovSec, The Government Security Expo and Conference, features an exposition with a full spectrum of physical, IT and cyber security solutions, alongside wireless and mobility communications equipment for federal, state and local governments. GovSec is co-located with U.S. Law, the U.S. Law Enforcement Conference and Exposition for federal, state and local law enforcement and Ready!, The Emergency Preparedness and Response Conference and Exposition, for state and local emergency first responders and homeland response officials. Together, GovSec, U.S. Law and Ready! is a one-of-a-kind event that unites all facets of the homeland security community – from the decision-makers at the federal level to the first responders, our firefighters and police officers responding to catastrophic events in their hometown, and every homeland security professional in between. Northrop Grumman is the Title Sponsor of the 2007 GovSec, U.S. Law and Ready!, America's Homeland Security Event.

For more information on attending or exhibiting in GovSec, U.S. Law and Ready! 2007, call 800-687-7469 or visit www.govsecinfo.com.