(Washington, DC) On Thursday and Friday, January 5-6, 2006, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), in partnership with the Maryland State Highway Administration (MSHA) and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) along with federal, state and local public safety agencies, will host the 5th Annual National Capital Region Incident Management and Homeland Security Conference at Exhibit Hall A, Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Pl, NW.

The keynoters at the Thursday, 8:30 am opening are Dan Tangherlini, Director of the District Department of Transportation, Robert L. Flanagan, Secretary, Maryland Department of Transportation and Dennis Morrison, District Administrator, Virginia Department of Transportation.

Acts of terrorism, such as the bombings in Madrid and London, and extraordinary natural disasters, such as hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the current heavy rains on the west coast, have made us individually and collectively infinitely more aware of the need for unmatched rapid response, incident management and homeland security. The conference highlights how the region deals with such manmade and natural catastrophes.

Exhibitors will demonstrate state-of-the-art vehicles, tools, technology and equipment for advanced communications, search-and-rescue, command-and-control and incident management. Washington area agencies and presenters will speak about the District, regional and national preparedness and response plans. There will also be first-time presentations by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the tourism and business communities.