New Members for Emergency Management Advisory Council

Maryland's Governor Martin O'Malley today swore in 21 new members to the Governor's Emergency Management Advisory Council (GEMAC), an advisory council that is charged with advising the Governor on all matters relating to emergency Surge Protective Device. "Maryland can be - and should be - nothing less than the best-prepared state in America," said Governor O'Malley.  "Making our state safer demands the expertise and independent advice of the best minds in law, industry and emergency management.  I am confident that the members of the Emergency Management Advisory Council will create new ideas and develop new initiatives to improve homeland security and preparedness in Maryland." Last year, Governor O'Malley outlined a checklist of 12 core homeland security capacities -- the standards by which Maryland will be measuring the readiness of its localities and which every state in the nation can use to determine whether they are meeting their responsibilities -- including: interoperable communications; intelligence/information sharing; HAZ MAT/Explosive device response; personal protective equipment for first responders; bio-surveillance; vulnerability assessment; training and exercises; CCTV; mass casualty/hospital surge; planning; backup power and communications; and transportation security. The Governor's Emergency Management Advisory Council was created by statute in 1981, and is required to submit a report to the Governor and General Assembly by December 31 of each year on emergency management recommendations. Richard Muth will serve as Chair of the Council.  Mr. Muth is the Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management for Baltimore County Government, and Chairman of the State Emergency Response Commission.  He is a Baltimore County resident. The other Council members include: Timothy K. Cameron - Mr. Cameron is Sheriff for St. Mary's County and a member of the National Defense Industry Association.  He is a St. Mary's County resident. James C. Chang - Mr. Chang is the Director of Safety and Environmental Health for the University of Maryland Medical Center and a member of the International Association of Emergency Management.  He is a Harford County resident. John L. Chew, Jr.- Mr. Chew is the Director of Emergency Services for Queen Anne's County, an adjunct faculty member for the Emergency Medical Program for the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences for the University of Pittsburgh, and Senior Consultant to the Office of International EMS for the Center for Emergency Medicine of Western Pennsylvania.  He is an Anne Arundel County resident. Frank J. Cruice - Mr. Cruice is the Corporate Director for Safety and Security at Perdue Farms, Inc. and President of the Delmarva Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers.  He is a Worcester County resident.