Waterbury Regional Chamber to Host Emergency Planning Forum for Businesses July 21

WATERBURY, Conn. - July 14, 2015 - PRLog -- The Waterbury Regional Chamber has partnered with the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) to help small businesses recover from economic emergencies. As part of this initiative, the Chamber is inviting local businesses to participate in a Business Community Emergency Planning Forum hosted to be held Tuesday, July 21, 2015 between 7:45 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott at 63 Grand Street in Waterbury. Business input from the forum will be provided to local and state emergency management personnel.

Attorney Donald McPartland, partner with Secor, Cassidy & McPartland, PC, and chair of the Waterbury Regional Chamber’s Public Policy Committee, stated, “We recognize that formally incorporating the needs of the business community into local emergency planning will provide long-term benefits for our region’s economy. Helping ensure this aspect of Greater Waterbury’s ability to withstand and recover from natural disasters and large-scale emergencies is highly relevant to the Chamber’s public policy programming. We’re proud to partner with the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC) on the Community Economic Resilience (CER) initiative.”

CTSBDC studies indicate that while communities throughout Connecticut are properly paying increased attention to preparing for the physical safety of people and property, grassroots efforts to protect post-disaster economic life are not yet as robust in the state. With an estimated 25% of small businesses closed for more than 72 hours by disaster never reopen, economic problems can continue long after physical safety is restored. This initiative is designed to help provide resources needed for improved community economic resilience planning within broader readiness efforts. Improved readiness planning will reduce the losses experienced by small businesses, enable both the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to more efficiently deliver their recovery assistance services, lessen the rate of business “casualties” and accelerate economic recovery.

“In addition to generating input from the business community for local emergency preparedness, we’ve invited representatives from local utilities and insurance carriers to provide information that will be helpful to businesses in the event of an emergency,” said McPartland.

To help Chamber members begin planning their business’ emergency initiatives, the Chamber has also established an Emergency Preparedness page on their website www.waterburychamber.com/emergency-preparedness.html, which contains links to key resources.

Seating is limited for the complimentary July 21^st Forum. To register, visit the Chamber’s website www.waterburychamber.com or call 203-757-0701.

One of the largest chambers in Connecticut, the Waterbury Regional Chamber represents businesses in 14 area towns including Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Cheshire, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Oakville, Oxford, Prospect, Southbury, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott, and Woodbury.