TROY – Officials from the public and private sectors gathered in Troy this week for the state’s first Critical Infrastructure Protection Conference to discuss how to best protect vital community assets from damage that could debilitate or seriously weaken the state’s security, economic stability and public safety.

The event, which was held March 30 and 31, and was hosted by the Michigan Critical Infrastructure Protection Committee, brought together owners, operators and public sector agencies responsible for the security of the state’s critical infrastructure, which includes bridges, water supplies, energy, cyber and telecommunications systems equipment, agricultural and food processing facilities, transportation operations and banking and finance centers, etc.

“Collaboration with the private sector companies that own and operate much of the state’s critical infrastructure is an important component of Michigan’s Statewide Homeland Security Strategy,” said Col. Tadarial J. Sturdivant, director of the Michigan Department of State Police and the state’s Homeland Security Director. “We must continue to work together to reduce risk and build resiliency into these vital systems to protect against disruption by either a natural disaster, such as the hurricanes that struck the Gulf Coast, or a deliberate terrorist attack.”

Topics discussed during the conference included: the National Infrastructure Protection Plan; Building Critical Infrastructure Resiliency; Threats from Domestic Terrorism and Ongoing Cyber Security Attacks; Future Initiatives and Known and Emergent Risk and Threats; and Law Enforcement Response to Special Events.