A homeland security conference will be held on March 28 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the University of Tennessee Visitor Center on Neyland Drive.

The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the College of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Nursing and the UT Agricultural Extension are sponsoring the conference.

Patricia Meinhardt from Arnot Health's Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine in New York will be giving a presentation called "Responding to Water Contamination Events: Readiness, Recognition, Response."

Meinhardt has worked with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, American College of Preventive Medicine and the Environmental Protection Agency. She has been a part of many committees addressing water safety and security, as well as disaster response strategies.

"The conference is open to all interested and targets health professionals, local, country and state public health and water utility personnel, hospital and medical facility administrators, veterinary health care providers, agricultural extension state specialists and agents, natural resources professionals and water quality specialists," said Laura Webster of the College of Nursing.

The program will include topics such as key disaster response strategies, water terrorism disease recognition, medical and public health preparedness for water contamination disasters and disaster scenario exercises.

To register or get more information, call (865) 974-0591 or e-mail lwebster@utk.edu.