March 7, 2012; Fairfax County, Virginia
Contact: Washington Foreign Press Center Media Relations Officer Andrea Corey
Telephone: 202-504-6354; email: coreyad2@state.gov
In recognition of the one year anniversary of Japan’s triple disaster the Washington Foreign Press Center organized a reporting tour to the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue Team (USRT) to speak with first responders who deployed to assist with emergency response efforts in Japan on March 7th 2012. The nine FPC credentialed correspondents who participated in the tour represented print media from Japan, China, Colombia, Korea, Spain and Taiwan.
Journalists toured the team’s training facility, participated in a live fire simulation exercise, building collapse simulation and learned how the team trains and prepares its unit to assist with international disaster relief efforts. Journalists also met with reps from USAID to learn how the agency works with the Fairfax County USRT and other agencies in coordinating and deploying U.S. government resources to assist with international disaster response.
