Q. What has the Los Angeles Chapter’s response been to Hurricane Ike?

A. We currently have 40 volunteers and staff members helping in the Gulf Coast. Our people are working with thousands of Red Cross disaster relief workers from around the country who are helping shelter and feed many thousands of displaced people from the affected region.

Q. Have the Los Angeles relief workers returned from Hurricane Gustav?

A. For the most part, the emergency response teams sent to help with Gustav are still in Louisiana and are now waiting for Hurricane Ike to hit land. And unfortunately, there appear to be more storms following Ike. Since most national disaster assignments are three weeks in length, this allows for valuable team continuity and for relief workers to be sent to more than one disaster in the same vicinity.

We heartily thank our Red Cross disaster response volunteers for making the commitment to help those people in the Gulf Coast who are suffering through severe circumstances.

Q. Can you describe the “Fast-Track” disaster training classes you are holding this week?

A. Many people generously ask to volunteer for the Red Cross during times of disasters. However, we cannot simply send people out to disaster sites. The Red Cross is responsible for handling specific tasks during disasters, and all Red Cross volunteers must be properly trained and Red Cross-certified to be disaster responders.

Fortunately, we are holding two Fast-Track disaster courses this week allowing volunteers to be completely trained and ready to be deployed quickly to the Gulf Coast or to a disaster in our area. One course trains volunteers on how to support mass care and sheltering operations. The second offers casework training so the volunteer is prepared to provide Red Cross services to disaster victims in times of great need. We will have 25 new volunteers ready to deploy tomorrow, if the need arises.

Q. What has the response been in the Gulf Coast?

A. For Gustav, the response from local government, FEMA, the Red Cross, and our partners was strong and effective. It ran so smoothly that public attention has already moved to other topics….even as a bigger storm is expected to hit later in the week. What most people don’t realize is that many people affected by Hurricanes Gustav and Hannah still cannot get back to their homes.  The Red Cross continues to shelter thousands of displaced Americans and deliver hundreds of thousands of meals, all free of charge.

Q. Talk to us about the severe need to replenish the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund?

A. The Red Cross uses the relief fund to pay for extraordinary operations like Hurricanes Gustav, Hannah, and Ike. Because of the high number of disasters over the past 12 months — from wildfires, tornados, floods and now more hurricanes — the disaster relief fund is depleted. We will need to raise an additional $100 million to pay for hurricane response operations this season.

Q. How does this fund help people in Los Angeles?

A. The Disaster Relief Fund will pay for Red Cross relief operations during any catastrophic event here in Los Angeles. When a disaster strikes Los Angeles that is beyond the scope of our human and financial resources, the national Disaster Relief Fund covers the cost of the relief efforts.

Q. What preparations are you making for a major disaster in Los Angeles?

A. We have launched an Emergency Shelter Container program, whereby we are placing 20-foot storage containers filled with disaster supplies at locations around the Southland. These containers will be placed at schools, community centers, businesses, places of worship and other sites that will act as emergency shelters during a disaster. These containers are an integral part of our catastrophic plan to help prepare Los Angeles for a major event like an earthquake. By pre-positioning supplies, we will be in much better shape in the case of a sudden unforeseen quake. We are planning to place 80 Emergency Shelter Containers within Los Angeles this year alone, and we need to place another 80 as soon as possible.

Q. How can someone help the Chapter? 

A. This is a great time to support the organization. We encourage everyone to volunteer their time, donate blood and make a financial contribution to help support those in need. You can also prepare for a disaster by taking Red Cross CPR and first aid courses. And don’t forget to stock up on emergency supplies for your home, car and workplace. It’s time to Get Prepared L.A.!

Nancy Carillo, a member of the Los Angeles chapter’s Emergency Response department on her second deployment as a disaster worker, sent back images from a shelter where she was providing assistance in the Public Affairs role.

“FEMA in collaboration with the American Red Cross, opened a shelter at Hirsch Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana specifically for people with critical transportation needs who also owned pets. Most of the evacuees were from New Orleans and thus, Katrina survivors. At the highest point there were a bit under 1,200 evacuees. In addition, the pet shelter established next door became a temporary home to almost 1,000 pets. This assignment was a tremendous challenge but very rewarding. The lessons I learned will remain with me always”

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Sept. 2, 2008 — Although what was once Hurricane Gustav has weakened to a tropical depression, the American Red Cross urges all evacuees to stay away from affected areas until authorities deem it safe to return.

The Red Cross currently has 343 shelters open in 10 states, housing a population of nearly 60,000 people. Its many workers are providing evacuees with food, shelter and emotional support, and are prepared to do so until it is safe for people to go home. Shelters will remain open as long as the need exists.

Gustav Relief Efforts Began Weeks Ahead

The Red Cross has been preparing for Hurricane Gustav for two weeks moving workers, cots, blankets, comfort kits, ready-to-eat meals and more than 200 mobile feeding trucks into the Gulf Coast. After Katrina, the Red Cross made an $80 million investment to pre-position supplies, purchase communication equipment and train disaster workers nationwide. Today, that investment is paying off.

This Red Cross relief effort is the largest since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the Red Cross has enough supplies for 500,000 shelter residents for a six-day period.

And there are more storms heading toward the United States. The Red Cross is now readying itself as a busy Atlantic Ocean brings tropical storms Hanna, Ike and Josephine.

Relief Efforts Cost $20 Million

To date, Hurricane Gustav relief efforts have cost the Red Cross $20 million. You can help people affected by thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the Hurricanes of 2008, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to the American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles, 11355 Ohio Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90025 or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

• We use this fund to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disasters who need our help.
• Donors can donate online at www.redcross.org or call 1-800-REDCROSS.
• You can also use your cell phone to donate $5 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund by text messaging the keyword “GIVE” to “2HELP” (24357). Donations will appear on monthly bills or be debited from a prepaid account balance. All applicable text rates apply. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster, you should call 1-800-REDCROSS.

Safe and Well
The Safe and Well Web site allows those directly affected by a disaster to let their loved ones know of their well-being.

• For those without internet access, call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) to register yourself and your family. Follow the prompts for disaster information.
• Concerned family members who know the person’s phone number (home, cell or work) or a complete home address can search for the messages posted by those who self-register.