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Secretary Chertoff Tours Charlotte Command Center

March 31, 2005

Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff traveled to Charlotte, N.C. to participate in the Homeland Security Advisory Council meeting, and while he was there, he toured the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Command Center to see how Charlotte has used DHS funding for technologies and communications equipment to share information among first responders.

Sandy Smith

Chertoff, who was joined by Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Darrell Stephens and Charlotte Fire Department Chief Luther Fincher, was particularly impressed with the communication, coordination, cooperation and collaboration between the first responders in the city.

The city of Charlotte represents all the threats and vulnerabilities of a major city although it is not a port city. It contains two nuclear power plants with two reactors, each of which has emergency planning zones that impact the city. Charlotte is also the second largest financial center in the country and hosts both NFL and NBA teams, an international airport and NASCAR races with crowds of up to 200,000.

About the Author

Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith is the former content director of EHS Today, and is currently the EHSQ content & community lead at Intelex Technologies Inc. She has written about occupational safety and health and environmental issues since 1990.