U.S. leaders from all levels of government are responding to the apparent case of domestic terrorism in New Orleans, La. For the County Executives of America, preparing for high-profile gatherings is a frequent topic of conversation.

Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said the threat abroad and at home is ever-evolving, so it’s imperative groups like these are on the same page, working in unison with law enforcement agencies as domestic terrorism becomes more common.

“I’m no longer afraid of a foreign country coming in and invading us on our land,” said McCoy, who leads the County Executives of America.

Instead, McCoy considers the radicalization of Americans and illegal immigration the greatest threats to public safety.

“What they’re doing in this country is alarming,” he said. “We need to get to the root of what’s causing this.”

In the meantime, he said partnerships with law enforcement across the board are paramount, everyone from local police departments to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“We don’t like failure,” McCoy said. “But the only way is you sometimes assess the situation, and you go, 'how would I infiltrate that? How would I attack that?' And there is always something you don’t think about.”

In his role, McCoy advocates for strengthening relationships across the country. He says the County Executives of America will meet next month at the University of Maryland, where the incident and public safety will be discussed at length.

“It’s also important that New Yorkers be vigilant as well,” the state’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Executive Deputy Commissioner Terrance O’Leary said.

Emergency preparedness experts say some of the most useful information comes from members of the public who if they see something, say something.

“We want everyone to go out, we want everyone to have family and friends, but we want them to be safe and part of that is being aware of your surroundings,” said O’Leary.