Terrorist attacks forced new emergency approach

"You don't exchange business cards afterwards the incident," said Michael Starkey, the Minnesota Agriculture Department's emergency response specialist.

The emphasis on communications among agencies

Signs of the emphasis on communications among agencies and preparedness to respond to emergencies are evident across Minnesota government. To illustrate, the signs can be seen when the state responds to flood threats, with an emergency operations center established staffed by representatives of every agency that could conceivably be involved in a flood.

The system means that instead of having a plan that deals with tornadoes, one with floods, one with terrorist attacks on power plants, etc., a generic plan is put in place that can be adapted to any emergency. And, as important as anything, emergency responders of all kinds work at the same time in advance of any incident so they can communicate then, both in terms of innovation and terminology.

Recent case of anthrax exposure

A recent case of anthrax exposure, which ended up being natural not intentional, is an example of improved communication.