Arlington County Manager Barbara Donnellan and County Fire Chief James Schwartz at the COG-BOT-Red Cross briefing.

In light of growing tensions around the world, COG, the Board of Trade, and the American Red Cross hosted an emergency preparedness briefing for area leaders. The briefing covered a variety of topics critical to businesses and governments, including an assessment of threats to the region, continuity of operations (COOP) planning, and personal preparedness.

Several government leaders active at COG participated and spoke at the event, including Fairfax County Fire Chief Richard Bowers, who serves as Chairman of the COG Fire Chiefs Committee, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine, who serves as Chairman of the COG Police Chiefs Committee, Arlington County Manager Barbara Donnellan, who serves as Chair of COG's Chief Administrative Officers Homeland Security Executive Committee, and D.C. Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Paul Quander, who serves as Chairman of the National Capital Region Emergency Preparedness Council at COG.