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Community Preparedness through Regional Collaboration.
The United States Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) has identified a number of national priorities to
strengthen the preparedness of the United States to prevent and respond
to threatened or actual domestic terrorist attacks, major disasters, and
other emergencies, including expanded regional collaboration. Major events have a regional impact;
therefore the benefit of regionalism will be most evident at the community level,
when a community, as a whole, can prepare for and provide an integrated
response to an incident.
The State of Michigan has been divided into seven
Homeland Security Regions. The West Michigan Shoreline Regional
Development Commission is the designated fiduciary and is
responsible for management and administration of the Region 6 Homeland
Security Program. The Region 6
Homeland Security Governing Board consists of voting representation from
the thirteen West-Central counties of Clare, Ionia, Isabella,
Kent, Lake, Mason,
Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo,
Oceana, Osceola, and Ottawa. It also consists of voting representation
from the City of Ionia (small city) and the
City of Grand Rapids
(large city) as well as Public Health and Bio-Terrorism. Non-voting representation includes
membership from Metropolitan Medical Response System, Citizen Corps, the State of Michigan, and the West Michigan
Shoreline Regional Development Commission.
The Region 6 Board works to achieve
the following goals through its seven committees with funds from the
Department of Homeland Security through the State Homeland Security Program
and the Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program.
Overarching Goals
·
Maximize
effectiveness and achieve collaboration in
planning, training, equipment purchase, and exercises.
·
Effectively
manage and administer State and Federal
funds, guidelines, and resources.
·
Promote
communications and information sharing in the Region.
·
Achieve
collaboration in professional and volunteer
response and recovery.
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