By Debbie Gilbert - Gainesville Times

If an influenza pandemic strikes, every segment of the community is going to be affected, including businesses.

But convincing companies that they need to be prepared has been a tough sell.

"So far, we’ve had absolutely no participation from the business community on this," said Cheryl Vandiver, spokeswoman for the Northeast Georgia chapter of the American Red Cross in Gainesville. "A lot of companies just say, ‘It (a pandemic) is never going to happen.’"

Wednesday morning at the Georgia Mountains Center, the Red Cross, Hall County Health Department and Hall County Emergency Management will team up to offer a pandemic preparedness seminar.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has published an article on Firestorm.

"Harry Rhulen of Firestorm Solutions, a safety consulting firm, said planning for emergencies is vital, but there isn't one answer for all situations.

For example, lockdowns make sense if there's an escaped convict outside, but not for a threat inside, Rhulen said."

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