Building the philosophy of preparedness in the Smyrna business community

Stable businesses are vital to the health in a community. Yet, most American businesses find themselves lacking in preparedness and resilience.

According to:

Health.gov:

Only 45% of employees in a business setting are CPR certified.

Securityintelligence.com:

Only half of American businesses are prepared for a cyberattack.

FEMA:

Only 10% of businesses will survive if they don't open within five days following a disaster.

To ensure our Smyrna businesses are ready when emergencies happen, the Smyrna fire department is proud to partner with the Smyrna Business Association, the Cobb chamber, and UGA's Carl Vinson institute to offer the Smyrna Safe Business Initiative.

The program is anticipated to start in May 2023 and will be delivered to leaders from 12 to 15 local small businesses.

The program will include five sessions where subject matter experts will give presentations on topics related to business resilience, including:

• hazard identification
• contingency planning
• cyber security
• workplace security
• First Aid/CPR/AED
• Training and Exercises

The final session will involve a discussion-based exercise where participating businesses can use the insights gained from the program to put their businesses through a simulated emergency.

Graduating businesses will be recognized by mayor and council as a Smyrna Safe Business.