| Parkersburg, WV - The Mid Ohio Valley Citizens Corps will begin hosting a series of forums and training sessions to provide outreach and education on February 19-20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Blennerhassett Hotel.
The training will help ensure that businesses, organizations, and individuals in the region are prepared to respond to an evacuation from the nation's capital region (Washington, D.C. area) in the event of a major terrorist attack or some other type of disaster.
This potential evacuation of between 700,000 and one million people who could potentially travel through West Virginia is what is known by emergency planners as "Mass Migration."
If mass migration were to happen, it will be imperative that employees and volunteers from the businesses and organizations listed below be prepared and able to respond effectively.
Hospitality (Hotels, Motels, Bed & Breakfast), Gasoline and Convenience Stores, Restaurants and Grocery Stores, Retail and Financial Institutions, Faith-Based Groups, Academic Community Volunteer-Relief Organizations, Youth-Initiative Groups, Civic and Community Organizations.
In addition to understanding how to respond to the general public, specific discussions will be held on how to provide services to individuals who may require special attention (people with disabilities, those who are elderly, those traveling with pets or other animals, etc.) and how to use a volunteer network to assist with accomplishing this.
At these working lunches, the presenters will be soliciting your questions so a training DVD can be developed.
The initial forums will be held over a two day period, with representatives from hospitality, gas, convenience, food establishments, and retail and financial institutions targeted for February 19th with the remaining groups being scheduled on February 20th.
Funded by the WV Commission for National & Community Service, this project is a collaboration of the following organizations: Mid Ohio Valley Health Department, the Volunteer Action Center, The Arc of the Mid Ohio Valley, and the Wood-Wirt Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC).
Interested representatives are asked to register by calling Wendy Tuck at 304-424-3457 or emailing wendytuck@juno.com | 
