Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s Office of Economic Development is sponsoring a six-hour workshop on Aug. 11, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. to assist companies in emergency preparedness and workplace safety. The workshop will be held at the Calhoun Convention Center, 100 Peters Street, Calhoun, Ga.

The morning session, Assessing Your Vulnerability to Terrorism, will cover effective risk management decisions to encourage collaboration and coordination of plans, strategies, protective measures, and response/recovery efforts between government, operators, and owners in the public and private sectors.

This session features James E. Hardy, the Department of Homeland Security’s Protective Security Advisor for the state of Georgia. As the PSA, Mr. Hardy is the department’s liaison to federal, state, and local agencies and the private sector for protection of critical infrastructure.

Mr. Hardy has over 30 years of law enforcement, security, and management experience with the U.S. Air Force, municipal police, and private industry. Mr. Hardy earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama, and completed master’s work in criminal justice at George Washington University, University of Virginia, and University of Alabama/Birmingham.

He is a graduate of U.S. Air Force Squadron Officers School, Air Command and Staff College, and an Outstanding Graduate of Air War College.

The afternoon session, Just Because We’re Broke Doesn't Mean We Can't Work Safely, focuses on sharing effective and simple actions to improve the safety culture of any organization. Even in tough economic times, continuing to make improvements in safety behavior and commitment to compliance can be achieved. As a matter of fact, safety in tough times can be the glue to help keeps an organization's fabric from unraveling.

The topics to be covered include emotional safety in challenging times, knowing the safety needs of the organization, safety basics go a long, long way, striving for excellence, and the safety pledge.

This session features Robert W. Edwards, mechanical engineer, health and safety leader of Roper Corporation, a subsidiary of the General Electric Corporation.

Mr. Edwards is also a Special Government Employee with OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program, an OSHA ten and 30-hour class outreach instructor, and an American Heart Association 1st Aid / CPR instructor. Mr. Hardy was the 2009 Mentor of the Year for Voluntary Protection Program Participants Association. He has experience in emergency response and is leader of the Roper Corp 1st Responder Team.

Mr. Edwards earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Tennessee Technological University.

This training is an opportunity for industries to gain critical information for sustaining an operation in uncertain times on a tight budget. The sessions will be interactive with guides and reference materials as well as real life examples.

The registration fee of $20 covers the buffet lunch and the attendees printed materials. This workshop is an outreach event sponsored by Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s Office of Economic Development to benefit the industries and agencies within our community.

To register, please call 706 295-6957. Registration payments can mailed to Georgia Northwestern Technical College, ATTN: Economic Development, One Maurice Culberson Drive, Rome, Ga. 30161.