RED CROSS TO OFFER TRAINING FOR DISASTERS

The American Red Cross is looking for caring people and organizations willing to give of their time to serve others when a disaster strikes.

The local Red Cross chapter office at 2610 Gerhardt is conducting a series of community-level disaster-training programs during the coming year.

"We need to increase our list of trained, disaster assessment and relief volunteers up to what would be needed to handle a countywide emergency," said Shawn Swift, local Red Cross disaster services chairman. "We're looking for people who care about the welfare of others when a disaster occurs."

Swift said all of the programs are free. "Your only commitment is, when tragedy strikes, we can call on you and other volunteers to use your time, skills and talents to help those affected get back on their feet," he said.

Swift said the series includes an introduction to disaster services that provides volunteers with basic information about Red Cross disaster services and the role of other agencies in relief operations. The course will be presented May 2 from noon to 4 p.m.; June 1 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Aug. 1 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Sept. 14 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

On March 14, there will be a daylong training program on "How To Conduct a Disaster Damage Assessment." It will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Swift explained the course is designed to train volunteer Red Cross workers to conduct a damage assessment of a community or area affected by a disaster.

"This information is vital to the Red Cross and to state and federal agencies that will be involved in disaster relief operations," he said. "It is very important this information be obtained as soon as possible after the incident has occurred. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) wants us to have our assessments completed within 72 hours of the incident."

Swift said FEMA and the Missouri Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) use Red Cross damage assessments in applications for disaster declarations by the state and federal governments.

Swift said some recent disasters in which Red Cross damage assessment volunteers were called in include the Vanduser tornado of May 1986, flash flooding along Cape LaCroix and Walker creeks in Cape Girardeau, and flooding on the Mississippi River.

Because of its proximity to the New Madrid seismic fault, Swift said it is also important to have trained disaster services and relief volunteers ready for any eventuality.

Even if a disaster does not affect the immediate Cape Girardeau area, Swift said locally-trained volunteers would be needed to go into areas where there are no trained personnel.

Swift said the disaster damage assessment training program will be offered again on June 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and on Oct. 19-20, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day.

Swift said other disaster services training programs that are scheduled this year include "Mass Care 1" and "Emergency Assistance to Families, Modules 1 and 2."

"The goal of Mass Care 1 training is to train our volunteer staff to provide immediate mass-care service on a local chapter-administered relief operation and to initiate those services on larger relief operations," Swift said. The objectives of the course include a small, mass-feeding operation, administration of a disaster shelter and an understanding of mass-care services.

Swift said the mass care training program will be offered March 2-4, May 18-20, July 20-22, and Oct. 5-7. All programs will be held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Swift said the emergency assistance to families training enables the Red Cross volunteers to work with the professional Red Cross staff and representatives of other community agencies, to meet the emergency needs of victims following a disaster on the local chapter level.

"The course is designed to help our volunteers develop interviewing skills, knowledge, attitudes, and relationships necessary to meet the disaster-caused needs of individuals and families," Swift said.

The daylong Module 1 training program will be held on April 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Aug. 10 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.; and Aug. 12, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Swift said Module 2 training in emergency assistance to families will enable the Red Cross volunteers to participate in a large-scale, major disaster-relief operation. That course will be presented on Sept. 1-2 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Swift said if necessary, the Red Cross can conduct any of these training programs in-house or at the chapter office, if requested by an organization.

"All of the training is nationally recognized, so, if a Red Cross-trained person goes anywhere else in the nation, he or she can continue to use those disaster services skills," Swift said. "We would also like to ask those who have moved into the Cape Girardeau area, and have received prior Red Cross disaster services training to contact our chapter office if they would like to serve again as a volunteer worker."

Swift said there must be a minimum of six students in a class or it will be canceled or postponed. Enrollment in all of the programs must be no later than one week before the starting date, he said.

For more information or to enroll in any of the courses, call the Red Cross chapter office in Cape Girardeau at 335-9471.