“Businesses and Disaster Preparedness” will be the theme from noon-1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 10, when Montgomery County’s COVID-19 Economic Revitalization and Recovery program continues its series of virtual town hall meetings to keep businesses informed on strategies for doing business as the health crisis continues.
County Executive Marc Elrich initiated the series of town halls held every other Friday to share timely updates on COVID-19 topics of interest to the business community. The town halls give businesses an opportunity to hear directly from County leaders. Judy Stephenson, the County’s small business navigator, will host the session. She also will provide updates on grant programs available to County businesses and offer ideas that can help economic recovery.
During the Sept. 10 town hall, Ms. Stephenson will welcome Marianne Souders, acting director of the County’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS). Ms. Stephenson and Ms. Souders will discuss how the OEMHS can work with businesses on disaster planning.
“September is National Preparedness Month, and it serves as a reminder for both businesses and organizations to update or develop a Business Continuity Plan (BCP)” said Ms. Souders. “A BCP will help prepare your business to maintain essential functions and systems after a disaster or disruption. Having a plan could significantly minimize a disaster’s impacts and help businesses and organizations return to normal operations as quickly as possible.”
Ms. Stephenson also will address updates on the County COVID-19 vaccination efforts and economic recovery from the health crisis with County Health Officer Travis Gayles and Acting Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Earl Stoddard.
If business owners, employees or residents have questions they would like to see addressed at the Sept. 10 town hall, they can be submitted by Wednesday, Sept. 8, to BizPortal@MontgomeryCountyMD.gov.
“It is clear that disasters happen and, when they do, business operations are disrupted,” said Ms. Stephenson. “Taking the time to prepare for unexpected emergencies can help ensure that your business survives. Our next town hall will point you to planning tools and best practices so that the next emergency is not a disaster for your business.”
To join the broadcast, go to https://zoom.us/j/98584224354?pwd=ekdBd05kT08zRmxCekQzajkwdW9LZz09.
The webinar ID is 985 8422 4354. The passcode is 057204. Spanish interpretation is available.
The town hall will be broadcast on County Cable Montgomery (cable station CCM), which is available on Comcast and RCN (channels 6 and HD996) and Verizon (channel 30). The town hall can be viewed live via County social media at https://www.facebook.com/montgomerycountyinfo.
Town halls are recorded and available through the Montgomery County Business Portal at https://montgomerycountymd.gov/Biz-Resources/covid19/4BizNews.html
