A message from the Chair of SADIA International Lieutenant-General Lloyd C. Campbell Canadian Air Force (Retired)

As Chair of SADIA Security Solutions International, I’m pleased to welcome you to this website, intended to provide information of interest to committed and prospective conference attendees, presenters and sponsors. We sincerely welcome any feed-back or recommendations for changes you may have.

The idea of holding a conference to address the subject of “Coordinating Emergency Response with Foreign Communities” was first discussed between SADIA and the Georgia Office of Homeland Security (GOHS) in November 2006. The subsequent decision by Governor Purdue and GOHS to proceed with this event, in our view, reflects Georgia’s commitment to making the State a safer place to live and work for both its citizens and visitors. It also demonstrates the government’s forward-thinking approach to security since, to the best of my knowledge, this conference will be the first of its type to be held anywhere in the world.

The fifty-seven consulates and trade offices located in the Atlanta area represent important business interests of their respective nations as well as large numbers of citizens who find themselves in the Southeastern US on business, pursuing academic programs or on holiday. These entities and people bring the world to Georgia’s doorstep and offer considerable opportunity for Georgians to profit, personally as well as financially. Through initiatives such as this conference, Georgia is taking proactive measures to ensure that, in the event of a natural disaster or other calamity, these important members of the community will be well informed and well protected – and, therefore, not likely to pose an extraordinary burden on critical State and Federal resources. In short, everyone stands to gain from the program.

The benefits to participants in the conference are clear. For those who are foreigners living in Georgia – particularly Consular authorities – it offers an opportunity to be briefed on Georgia emergency plans and procedures, to share specific concerns regarding safety and security and to obtain the knowledge required to improve internal planning to ensure the safety and security of themselves and their co-citizens. For State and Federal officials and first-responders, it will offer the chance to improve communications and cooperation with the diplomatic community and to identify and eliminate gaps that could cause problems in the event of a disaster.

Onceagain, on behalf of SADIA International, welcome to the website. We encourage you to peruse all of the information here and , should you have further questions or require clarification, to contact us