Hurricane and Earthquake Planning Expo for business owners on August 24

The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce aims to help business owners in the region prepare for disaster planning by educating and providing resources through the Hurricane and Earthquake Planning Expo, on Wednesday, August 24th from 7:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the SCRA MUSC Innovation Center

The Charleston metro area is the only major metropolitan area in the U.S. at high risk from both hurricanes and earthquakes. In today's dollars, the 7.3 magnitude 1886 earthquake here in Charleston caused at least $200 billion in total economic losses from damage to buildings, interruption of businesses, and damage to transportation and utility systems.

Not all disasters come from nature - 1 in 4 businesses will experience some type of crisis each year and 43% of these businesses will never recover while only 29 percent will still be in operation two years later. A business continuity plan minimizes the risk and ensures a better chance of survival in the wake of a natural or man-made disaster for your business.

 Highlights of this Year's Expo:

  • Google – How they Prepared for the Worst.  Sara Sutherland, Environmental Health and Safety and Robert O’Steen, Facilities Manager
  • Katrina - Surviving the Unimaginable - a firsthand report by Jason Prechter whose family lost everything but re-built their lives in Charleston
  • What Can Happen in Charleston? Discussions on the preparedness of local hospitals and health care providers - are we ready for the 'big one' by Lancer A. Scott, M.D., Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine, MUSC and Project Director of CHPTER (Center for Health Professional Training and Emergency Response. Also, a discussion on how will the region be affected by the worst mother nature can send us by Steven C. Jaume, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Geology, College of Charleston
  • Communications - How will we stay in touch? Jack Mitchell, Regional Director External & Public Affairs with AT&T will talk about what telecommunication companies are doing to prepare for catastrophic occurrences
  • How do You Protect Yourself and Your Employees? Panel discussion on what steps a company should take so they can be back in business quickly and insure their employees are safe and provided for.   Jim Gray, Jim Gray Consulting and Scott Cave, KFR Services
  • Emergency Preparedness Panel:  County, State and Federal agencies will share what is being done to insure we’re ready for any emergency and what planning is required.  Get all of your questions answered by these experts: Ashley P. Moore, Senior Policy Advisor, FEMA, Jon Boettcher, Chief of Plans, South Carolina Emergency Management Division and Shawn Jones, Sr. Project Officer, Charleston County Emergency Preparedness Division
  • Business Continuity and the Multi-National Firm: Gal Nir, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Scopus Security Solutions

The cost to attend is $55 Chamber members, $95 Non-Members. To register visit http://www.charlestonchamber.net/orgcalendar.



Filed in