ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, August 4, 1994                   TAG: 9408180083
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: S-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

NEW FACES AT SAFETY COUNCIL

If you haven't been to the Safety Council of Southwest Virginia since May, expect some new faces around the office the next time you do visit. In fact, expect not to see a familiar face at all.

Since June, when Helen Hood retired, the council's offices have been filled with three new faces, all of whom arrived about the same time.

Hood was the last to retire this spring - following the retirements of Roy Ramsuer and executive director Martha Edwards. In their places are Tim Fitzgerald, the new director; Wyatt Pate, who is in charge of programs; and Helen Mock, in charge of administration.

Lest you think of them as the new kids on the block - ``We're veterans,'' Pate laughs. ``We've been here pretty near a month.''

These veterans have settled in nicely, too, bringing with them computers, additional phone lines and fax machines. ``Our objective is to meet the needs of the business and community of the 21st century,'' says Fitzgerald. ``We want to be the progressive leaders of safety in the 21st century.''

The United Way agency maintains a video library and offers safety programs such as defensive driving, boating safety, first aid and CPR, as well as programs tailored to a business's needs. ``We are a resource for safety,'' Fitzgerald adds, pointing to several thick notebooks filled with government safety regulations. ``We're just a resource of information ... and a training facility.''

New to the council this summer are the training programs geared to businesses. These can be adapted to any business's needs, and cover such topics as confined space regulations, hazardous communications standards and employees' right to know.

This ``new and improved'' agency, Fitzgerald says, also needs volunteers to do everything from leading programs to folding the council newsletters. ``We really want the support of the community,'' he says. ``If someone would like to volunteer, we would welcome them.''

Call 344-4676 to offer a helping hand. 


 by CNB