GHENT, W.Va. -- A representative from West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin's office presented Little General president Greg Darby with a certificate of recognition Wednesday for the company's response in the wake of the January 30 Ghent, W.Va., gas station explosion that claimed the lives of four people and injured five others, said The Register-Herald Reporter.
The award, presented by Steve Pilato, regional representative for the governor's office, was intended to honor the convenience store company for the fund it founded, which Darby said has raised [image-nocss] more than $100,000 for relatives of the victims.
In the days and weeks following [the tragedy], Pilato said, I saw what they had done with vendors, and it inspired me to contact the governor's office and request that we honor the Little General stores in honor of the families and their commitment to doing what needed to be done for the future of their stores and safety of their employees.
City National Bank, which accepted donations and conducted raffles to help increase the fund, was also honored, said the report.
Although Little General received the official award, Darby sang the praises of Pilato and Manchin, who both responded almost immediately, pledging whatever help they could provide. Steve stayed very close with us, seeing what he could do to help us and give his support from the governor, Darby said. It's important to know your governor cares.
Darby received the award during Wednesday's safety training class for Little General employees, the report said. The class, which took place at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center, included managers and foodservice managers from each of Little General's 73 locations.
Frank Pack, safety and security coordinator for Little General, said that although employees have always received safety training, Wednesday's class, which focused on responses in instances such as chemical and gasoline spills, as well as robberies, was much more in depth. It's learning how to protect yourself and your customers, Pack said, adding the classes are something the company intends to conduct on a regular basis.
The training was videotaped and Darby said they would distribute DVDs of the class. We want to make sure our employees and our customers are safe at all times at every location, Darby said, according to the newspaper. A lot of things can happen, and we just want to make sure everyone has a better understanding of what to do if something does happen.
Beckley, W.Va.-based Little General Stores Inc. operates 51 stores, 49 in West Virginia and two in Virginia. Gasoline brands include BP, Exxon and Marathon.
Click here for the CSP Daily News report on the explosion.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.