The 2019 National Homeland Security Conference is being held at the Phoenix Convention Center this year, bringing 1400 Homeland Security and Emergency Management professionals from around the country to swap ideas and train.
"We really are working to be the best prepared for all of our citizens in this great nation," Jonathan Schultz, Board President for the National Homeland Security Association said.
The professionals are coming together to train for anything and everything.
"We want to stay proactive, we don't want to be reactive," Capt. Rob McDade with Phoenix Fire Department said.
Topics they'll cover include terrorism, wildfires, even active shooter situations. Any homeland security or emergency threat is what they'll be swapping ideas on over the next few days.
"The public is going to benefit from this because you're going to have your police and fire agencies that are going to be so much better prepared and ready to respond to really anything you could think of," McDade said.
Lisa Jones, Director of Phoenix's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management believes the biggest threat is what she calls the lone wolf, people who wake up one day and take action on their own.
"We can't follow them along we don't have any intelligence, so to speak, on them so we're responding quite honestly in those instances because we haven't been able to anticipate them at all," Jones said.
The threats are always changing though. Jones said the newest is cybersecurity.
"The fact of the matter is cyber affects everything," Jones said. "Really the biggest thing we're working on now is to say, 'What is our cyber response? What is the fallout likely to be?' And then, 'How will we manage it?'"
Part of the conference includes public safety exercises and demonstrations, which will close 3rd St. in downtown Phoenix Wednesday morning from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Restrictions will also be in place Washington and Jefferson Streets during that time.