The first National Hazardous Materials Fusion Center Symposium was conducted by the Hazardous Materials Fusion Center on July 28, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with approximately 140 participants from across the hazardous materials community. Attendees rotated through four sessions including a demonstration of the Hazmat Fusion Center Web portal, local hazmat issues and concerns, hazmat hot topics and a Federal panel. Attendees had several positive comments after the event and reported that the Symposium gave them an opportunity to get definitive answers about the Hazmat Fusion Center and its many components. Participants also shared that the event was successful in dispelling some of the most prevalent misconceptions about the Hazmart Fusion Center and its mission. Others commented that attending the symposium was a worthwhile commitment of time and supplied a variety of new information and great networking opportunities. A post-symposium survey is being conducted to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the Philadelphia program in order to build even more productive symposia in the future.
 
Even as the first symposium is being reviewed, the groundwork is being laid for the second National Hazmat Fusion Center Symposium which is scheduled for early November 2009 in Denver, Colorado. Changes are being made to the format that will allow for the presententation of current hazmat challenges, solutions, and networking opportunities for attendees. A complete report about the first two symposia will be available after the conclusion of the Denver symposium. Also available on the Web site is the Focus Group Report. This report is a direct refelction of the feedback offered by hundreds of participants during the development of the Hazmat Fusion Center. Keep checking the Hazmat Fusion Center Web site for www.hazmatfc.com for updates!