On June 20, 2015, IIGR’s Leo Bosner spoke at CERTCON 2015, an annual conference sponsored by the Montgomery County (Maryland) Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program.
Leo spoke on the subject of citizen rescue and recovery efforts in the context of Japanese emergency management following the catastrophic earthquake/tsunami of March 11, 2011, and current efforts to establish CERT in Japan. Leo’s presentation also addressed such issues as Japan’s approach to emergency management; disaster resilience in Japan; Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) in Japan; the role of the Japan Self Defense Force (JSDF) in disaster relief; strengths and shortcomings of the March 11 disaster response; and other related issues. The presentation was well-received by an audience of about 35-40 participants, and was followed by lively questions and discussion.