Emergency Management Advisory Council meeting to receive briefing and tour U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Explosives Detection Mitigation and Response Center at URI
PROVIDENCE— Lt. Gov. Elizabeth H. Roberts will convene a meeting of the Emergency Management Advisory Council (EMAC), Tuesday. February 9th at 10:00 a.m. at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.
Roberts will bring together EMAC members for a briefing from renowned terrorism and explosives expert, Jimmie Oxley, Ph.D., who heads the Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Excellence in Explosives Mitigation, Response and Characterization at URI. Professor Oxley will brief the Emergency Management Council on the Center’s latest research on developing technologies to avoid, abate and deal with terrorism involving explosives. Meeting attendees will also tour the facilities of the Center for Excellence, where cutting edge research is taking place on topics including the detection of explosives in human hair, pipe bombs and liquid explosives.
“We have access right here in Rhode Island to a leading international expert on the detection and effective response to a terrorist threat employing explosives,” said Lt. Gov. Roberts. “Professor Oxley’s expertise has been tapped by governments and law enforcement agencies here at home as well as by government agencies in Great Britain and Israel. I look forward to her bringing that expertise to the members of the Emergency Management Advisory Council in order for us to be better prepared to handle potential terrorist threats in Rhode Island.”