The 2009 8th Annual Minnesota Symposium on Terrorism and Emergency Preparedness (M-STEP): Living In a World with Terror is hosted by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Hennepin Technical College on November 17 and 18, 2009, in Brooklyn Park, MN.

The conference is open to all individuals interested in making their communities safer, stronger, and better prepared for any type of hazard. The conference brings together high-level government and security experts that share strategies and insights on preparing for the unexpected. Registration is capped at approximately 500 participants to include Federal agency personnel, state and local elected officials, education and school personnel, emergency management professionals, military personnel, law enforcement and fire services, public health and emergency medical services, non-governmental organizations, private business and industry.

This annual conference brings together security professionals, law enforcement officials and government representatives, who plan, manage and/or respond to threats posed by terrorism. The conference will address the latest, most sophisticated terrorist and other unconventional threats.  It is a ‘must’ for everyone concerned with the safety of their most valuable resource—their personnel.”

The conference features over 25 in-depth presentations and 27 topic expert speakers providing the latest updates and best practices on preparedness from across the nation and selected foreign countries. Attendees share best practices on collaborative emergency planning, discussed preparedness outreach and education for targeted populations, learned innovative approaches to preparedness, hear updates on Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/FEMA initiatives, obtained updates on findings from preparedness research, networked with other participants, and much more.

Pandemics, improvised explosive devices, “homegrown” radical terrorists, cyber attacks and identity theft are a few of the topics to be explored.