Chamber to Host QuakeSmart Seminar, presented by FEMA and SafeAmerica on Thursday, October 23

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will partner in the development of a new initiative that will include Evansville, Indiana. The site selection was made with the cooperation of The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana.  The initiative is called QuakeSmart, and it is designed to encourage business leaders and owners in areas of the U. S. that are at risk from earthquakes to take actions that will mitigate damage to their businesses, provide greater safety for customers and employees, and speed recovery in the event of an earthquake.

“A community cannot fully recover from a damaging earthquake until its businesses have recovered,” said David Maurstad, Assistant Administrator of the Mitigation Directorate at FEMA. “And it is the small and emerging businesses that are the least prepared to endure an earthquake or rebound from one.”

FEMA is partnering with the Safe America Foundation, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that focuses on safety and disaster preparedness, to lead the QuakeSmart effort.  The goal of QuakeSmart is to build awareness within the business community of the risk and to educate businesses, particularly small and emerging businesses, on the relatively simple things they can do to reduce or mitigate the impact of earthquakes, and support community preparedness.

The effort will begin with a series of QuakeSmart Community Forums in several cities in the Midwest and on the West Coast.  In addition to Evansville, Forums will be held in Reno, Nev.; Monterey, Calif.; and Cape Girardeau, Mo.

The forums, conducted during a free luncheon on Thursday, October 23 at The Centre, will feature leading national experts who will address topics such as Earthquake Vulnerability-Protecting Your Investment, What a Small Business Can Do NOW, Mitigation Resources for Business, Business Interruption Planning, and more.

The benefits to businesses that participate in the program and actively work to mitigate are substantial.   Not only can business owners protect their and others’ investments and recover more quickly from a disaster, they could also save on insurance premiums, substantially reduce the risk of injury or death for themselves, their employees and customers, and help create a more resilient community in which future investment is more attractive.

What:  QuakeSmart Seminar

When:  Thursday, October 23, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Where:  The Centre, 715 Locust Street, Downtown Evansville

Cost:  Free of Charge to Chamber Members

Please click here to register or contact Andrea Deig-Sandefur for more information at 812.425.8147 or via e-mail at asandefur@ccswin.com. 

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