After-Action: 2019 Preparedness Conference “Rhode to Recovery”

On behalf of the Rhode Island Association of Emergency Managers (RIAEM) and our conference co-hosts, the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI), and the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA), I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Annual Preparedness Conference. A record 350 attendees participated in the 2019 “Rhode to Recovery,” plus a half dozen or so canines.

We want to recognize and thank our Corporate Sponsors for their generous support, without which this event would not be possible: National Grid (Gold Sponsor), Collette Travel (Silver Sponsor), NRCC (Silver Sponsor), New England Highway Technologies (Bronze Sponsor), Verizon Wireless (Bronze Sponsor). Thank you also to the Conference Committee and numerous other individuals who volunteered their time to make the event a success.

Of the conference participants, over 84% rated the event as “Very Good” or “Excellent.” 88% said they would be “Extremely Likely” or “Very Likely” to attend again, and the majority also said they would recommend the conference to a colleague. Comments from attendees included, “Truly a superb event! ” , “This was an exceptional event – great speakers, superb breakout sessions, and a vibrant network of like-minded people. Well done!”, and “Great blend of information/people/vendors….thanks!”

Of course there’s always room for improvement, and some of the suggestions offered by survey respondents included: 1.) Making the sessions more interactive; 2.) Offering workshops/trainings in addition to breakouts; 3.) Adding relevant topics; and 4.) Making keynote and breakout session slides available after the conference.

The theme of the 2019 Preparedness Conference, “Rhode to Recovery” reflected a broad commitment to resilience—the capacity of group or community to quickly recover from and adjust to change following a disaster. Such resilience is best built through collaboration and engagement, and this year’s “PrepCon” unites emergency management professionals, partners, stakeholders, and community members in addressing the challenges of recovering from all-hazards incidents in our communities.

On behalf of the RIAEM Board of Directors, thank you again for joining us at PrepCon 2019 and demonstrating your commitment to emergency management profession. We hope you enjoyed the event.