The importance of protecting the citizens of the Commonwealth from the threat of Terrorist Activity has been a long-standing objective of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. Since 1995, MEMA has conducted multiple anti-terrorism programs, training thousands of local, state and federal public safety officials, hospital emergency room and EMA personnel with classes in Anti-Terrorism, Incident Command and Hazmat Awareness, including Chemical-Biological Threats. To ensure their preparedness, MEMA has conducted hundreds of exercises in conjunction with local communities and other state and federal agencies. Our Planning Department has worked closely with all 351 cities and towns to make certain that their local all hazards Comprehensive Emergency Management (CEM) Plans are up to date. These local plans include a Terrorism Annex, which helps local officials focus on specific potential Terrorist Threats to their particular community. Additionally, MEMA is expediting a State Strategic Plan to address issues raised in the on-going Department of Justice assessment of local vulnerabilities. Once completed, the Department of Justice will evaluate local and state needs and make additional equipment, planning and training available through MEMA. We continue to work closely with all federal, state and local authorities to plan and prepare for any and all types of Terrorist Incident and to ensure the safety of all of the citizens of Massachusetts.

· Where to find more information:

Center for Disease Control & Prevention - www.cdc.gov

Federal Government - www.firstgov.gov

Federal Emergency Management Agency Website - www.fema.gov.

Federal Bureau of Investigation - www.fbi.gov

Massachusetts State Government - www.state.ma.us

Massachusetts Department of Public Health Website - www.state.ma.us/dph

U.S. Postal Service - www.usps.gov