Outgoing SEMA Chief Says Agency’s Mission Has Changed

The outgoing Director of the State Emergency Management Agency says the role of SEMA has changed to reflect more than just the threat of tornadoes, floods, and ice storms. It now considers terrorists. Jerry Uhlmann is retiring at the end of next month. He says an attack on the other side of the country just more than three years ago affected how the state woud look at emergency management. Uhlmann says now the Agency has more of a tandem mission of preparing for natural disasters, as well as preparing a response should an unthinkable terrorist strike come to this state.