Individuals in the Fairmont, Clarksburg and Morgantown areas have a unique opportunity to learn from industry leaders about the importance of preparing a business for emergencies in a free luncheon titled “Preparing for Disaster: Is Your Business Ready?”
Businesses, organizations and individuals are invited to attend the free “lunch and learn” sponsored by FirstEnergy and the West Virginia Business Volunteer Council on Tuesday, May 1 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The lunch will be held at the offices of Mon Power Headquarters at 5001 NASA Blvd. in Fairmont. Seating is limited. Guests may register by contacting Cherie Cole at (304) 534-7422 or ccole@firstenergycorp.com by Tuesday, April 24.
Attendees can expect to learn about preparing a business for an emergency and the importance of business continuity planning by hearing from industry professionals on how they prepare their businesses for emergencies. Attendees will also learn about resources available through Volunteer West Virginia programs. The lunch session is ideal for industry leaders, business representatives, school emergency planners, higher education personnel, and health care facility operators.
According to national research, 15 to 40 percent of businesses fail following a natural or man-made disaster. These disasters could include floods, earthquakes or even terrorist attacks. Some businesses stand to lose thousands of dollars per day while shut down and it often costs less than $500 for a small business to properly prepare for an emergency.
“Unfortunately, many natural and man-made disasters destroy businesses on a level that makes it difficult to easily get back up and running,” said Mary Williams, chair of the West Virginia Business Volunteer Council. “We are so happy to partner with FirstEnergy to bring this important preparedness information to the community.”
For more information on the West Virginia Business Volunteer Council, contact Kellie Aikman at (304) 558-0111 or kellie.l.aikman@wv.gov. Visit www.volunteerwv.org for more information about Volunteer West Virginia.
The West Virginia Business Volunteer Council (BVC) is a statewide initiative open to all private sector businesses, labor organizations, nonprofit organizations, and business and professional associations. The BVC is the way for the private sector to join government and non-profits in building a better West Virginia through volunteer service. The BVC is a primary resource for encouraging, educating, and connecting businesses that support employee volunteer programs as a business strategy. The BVC is a program of Volunteer West Virginia, the state’s Commission for National and Community Service, which provides critical administrative resources, guidance, and support, in addition to access to hundreds of non-profit agencies in the Mountain State through www.volunteerwv.org. To learn more about the West Virginia Business Volunteer Council, visit www.volunteerwv.org.
FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies comprise one of the nation’s largest investor-owned electric systems. Its diverse generating fleet features non-emitting nuclear, scrubbed coal, natural gas, and pumped-storage hydro and other renewables, and has a total generating capacity of nearly 23,000 megawatts. More information can be found at www.firstenergycorp.com.
