WVU Parkersburg seeks participants in community preparedness training.

CONTACT: Michelle Bissell, project coordinator, 304-424-8328.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

Participants are being sought in a project designed to help prepare the community to deal with emergency situations.

West Virginia University at Parkersburg is collaborating with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to offer four one-hour introductory training modules to community residents on emergency preparedness.  The topics include community resilience, business continuity, bio-incident response and cyber-security. 

The free training will be delivered in a web-based, self-paced format. 

Several open house sessions are scheduled for those interested in participating in the training.  The  sessions will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m., May 14, 21 and 28 in the college's Corporate and Community Education computer lab.  Those interested in completing the project at home may do so as well, noted Michelle Bissell, project coordinator.

Additional information about becoming involved in the project is available at www.wvup.edu/safety/schoolhouse.htm or by calling 304-424-8328.

WVU Parkersburg's training project is part of the Community Preparedness Schoolhouse, a component of the Strategic Bio-Defense Emergency Operations and Communications System.  The Parkersburg campus received a $30,000 grant from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to provide the training.  The UPMC-Pennsylvania National Guard Community Preparedness Schoolhouse project is designed to improve the preparedness of communities for natural and man-made disasters through education initiatives. 

WVU Parkersburg is among 10 community colleges providing the initial training on a pilot basis.  Eventually, the project will expand nationwide.

cd05/05/08