WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Peter G. LaPorte, former Director of Emergency Management for the District of Columbia, has joined Community Research Associates (CRA) as Of Counsel, the firm announced today. CRA is an anti-terrorism and homeland security consulting company with offices in Alexandria, VA, Nashville, TN and Champaign, IL.
LaPorte is a nationally known authority on emergency response planning and management, and has had an exceptional career in law enforcement. In his new position, he will focus on providing homeland security and emergency management services to CRA's city and state government clients and the private sector.
"We're very pleased to have someone with Peter's outstanding credentials join our team," said Kyle Olson, Vice President at CRA. "Peter is the consummate emergency manager. His extensive experience will be a great asset to our clients across the nation."
CRA is a leading provider of homeland security and emergency planning, training, and exercises, with more than twenty years experience working with thousands of cities, counties, State agencies, and Federal clients. Mr. LaPorte joins a professional team that has trained more than 80,000 first responders and Federal law enforcement agents over the past five years. CRA's exercise division was heavily involved in the recent TOPOFF 2 terrorism exercise and is working with Federal, State and local agencies in more than twenty states, including the planners for the 2004 Republican and Democratic National Conventions in New York City and Boston.
Prior to joining CRA, LaPorte served for four years as the District government's top emergency management official. In this position, he oversaw and administered emergency response planning for the Nation's Capital, which included coordinating multiple public safety agencies and training thousands of emergency personnel. During his tenure there, the District's Emergency Management Agency was fully accredited by the National Emergency Management Association, the first major American city to be so honored. Mr. LaPorte managed the District's preparations and response to a number of major events, including a Presidential Inauguration, meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, the NBA All Star Game, NFL Kick-Off Week, Hurricane Isabelle, and the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon.
LaPorte was appointed Director of Emergency Management in August 1999 by DC Mayor Anthony Williams, after serving as chief of staff for the DC Metropolitan Police Department.
From 1996 to 1999, LaPorte was Executive Director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. There he managed Massachusetts' response to several presidential-declared disasters.
As Deputy Police Commissioner for New York City from 1994 to 1996, LaPorte helped develop and implement initiatives that resulted in the greatest decline in crime of any city in the nation.
He also served as Chief of Staff to the Boston police commissioner from 1992 to 1994 and was recognized for developing Boston's first Neighborhood Policing Plan. It is still in effect today.
LaPorte earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University and holds a Juris Doctor from the New England School of Law. He also completed a Senior Government Executive Program at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
LaPorte's professional affiliations include the National Emergency Management Association, where he served as chairman of the Committee on Terrorism, the Northeast States Emergency Consortium, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Police Executive Research Forum. He has also served as guest lecturer at several major colleges and universities.