Swine Flu Webinar Features Former Surgeon General 

SEPT. 20, 2009                                                                                                         FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ROSWELL, Ga. – With information and misinformation swirling concerning the H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic, Firestorm Solutions will conduct a free webinar to help separate fact from fiction.

“Truths & Myths About H1N1: Setting the Record Straight on the Current Pandemic’’ will be held Thursday, Sept. 24 at 2 p.m. EDT and feature the 16^th Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. David Satcher. Registration is free and available at www.predictplanperform.com.

Dr. Satcher, a member of Firestorm’s Expert Council, will address the current status of the pandemic, its impact on the healthcare system and private sector, the importance and safety of potential vaccines and the critical role of communications in battling the outbreak and protecting public health.

“The reality and threat of the H1N1 pandemic represent both a major challenge and a major opportunity,’’ said Dr. Satcher, the director of The Satcher Health Leadership Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. “It is a challenge to our usual comfort and complacency about disease prevention, health promotion and protection. It is an opportunity to get our plans and houses in order to control this outbreak and others like it.”

Hosting the webinar will be Firestorm President/COO James W. Satterfield, who will explain how organizations of all types can mitigate the pandemic’s adverse impact with proper planning. Firestorm is a national leader in business continuity, communicable illness/pandemic planning, vulnerability analysis and crisis management. Its Healthcare Response Team is led by Donald A. Donahue, the Executive Director of the National Security Health Policy Center in Washington, D.C., who has more than 30 years experience as a healthcare administrator in the military, government and private sectors.

Firestorm (www.firestorm.com) employs a unique Predict. Plan. Perform. methodology and provided the on-site crisis management support at Virginia Tech after the tragic shootings in 2007. Its Expert Council includes Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honorè (U.S. Army, ret.) and former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop. Firestorm recently began awarding franchises to better address the distinct local vulnerabilities and preparedness gaps that exist nationwide.

“Unlike most disasters, we have the luxury of being warned in this case. The H1N1 pandemic is here and we know the impacts will worsen over the next several months,’’ Satterfield said. “We have the ability to prepare, but we have to act aggressively and act now.’’

Satterfield can be reached at (800) 321-2219 ext. 211 or jsatterfield@firestorm.com. For more information on franchises, contact Executive Vice President Hutch Hodgson at (770) 643-1114 or hhodgson@firestorm.com. Media inquiries should be directed to Mike Pennetti at mpennetti@firestorm.com or (678) 557-9243.