FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Memphis, TN —Next week, the Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC) and our
Member and Associate States, along with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal
Emergency Management Agency, US Geological Survey, other Federal agencies, volunteer organizations,
and the private sector will begin a week-long disaster response and recovery exercise known as
CAPSTONE-14.
Under the direction of the CUSEC Board of Directors, CAPSTONE-14 is based upon the occurrence of a
damaging earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) and is the culmination of three years of
multi-state planning and preparedness lead-up activities. The exercise will be conducted from Monday,
June 16 to Friday, June 20, 2014 in the States of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky,
Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.
According to CUSEC Executive Director Jim Wilkinson, “CAPSTONE-14 demonstrates the dedication
of our States to address the shared earthquake risk faced in the central U.S. It’s not just a west coast
hazard as many might believe—damaging earthquakes have and will occur again in the central U.S. and
we need to be ready.”
Not only does CAPSTONE-14 assess response and recovery capabilities both nationally and regionally, it
builds off of lessons learned during the New Madrid Seismic Zone Catastrophic Planning Project and
National Level Exercise 2011 (NLE11) and completes the full planning, training, and exercise cycle,
while serving as a regional and national model to the emergency management community. The primary
focus areas of CAPSTONE-14 include:
• Regional Communications
• Regional Situational Awareness
• Regional Transportation
• Private Sector Integration
• Regional Resource Management
• Regional Defense Support of Civil Authorities
CAPSTONE also supports Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD8), and includes mitigation, preparedness,
recovery and response planning activities that directly support the National Earthquake Hazards
Reduction Program (NEHRP). The effort has also improved post-disaster building inspection capabilities
and the adoption of seismic building codes, which enhance community resilience.
For more information about CAPTONE-14, visit www.cusec.org/capstone or call (901) 544-3570.
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