Southern California Wildfires Bring out Massive Movement of Red Cross Resources

Everyone Should Follow the “Lucky 13”

Contact: Ken Salvatore (908) 725-2217

(Somerville, NJ), Wednesday, October 24, 2007 — With the wildfires still escalating, Red Cross supplies and volunteers are en route to Southern California by the thousands. More than 500 American Red Cross workers have been hard at work since Sunday morning, and the Red Cross is expanding its services rapidly as the needs change and escalate. Here's what the Red Cross has on the way:

• 25,000 cots
  
  
• 50,000 blankets
  
  
• 50,000 pre-packaged meals
  
  
• 25,000 comfort kits filled with toiletry items
  
  
• 75 mobile feeding trucks and 2 Southern Baptist Kitchens
  
  
• 1,000 shelter workers
  
  
• 1,000 workers to help with feeding, distribution of supplies, mental health and first aid support
  
  

More than 3,000 people from Southern California spent last night at 14 Red Cross shelters in safe areas outside of their threatened neighborhoods. There, they found Red Cross workers providing a safe place to sleep, a hot meal and access to information. Red Cross mental health counselors are also on site to help clients manage the stress and fear that accompanies all disasters. The Red Cross continues to distribute water and food to firefighters and emergency workers in the affected areas as they work to battle the blazes and safeguard residents.
In April when the Greater Somerset County Chapter responded to the nor’easter affecting our community, we benefited from having Red Cross volunteers from across nation assisting our own local community volunteers during the disaster relief operation. Some of the hundreds of volunteers had come from California. Our local chapter has begun the deployment of our volunteers to the disaster relief operations in California. Bruce Kosensky, a chapter Disaster Volunteer from Manville has left to join the massive relief operation. Bruce joined the chapter as a volunteer in 2005 during Katrina, which was his first deployment. As the Director of Public Works for Branchburg, Bruce has to work when disaster strikes locally, so he volunteers to serve on national level disaster operations. In addition, Michael Telesco from Somerville will be leaving in the morning. The chapter has seven other volunteers signed up for deployment and waiting for approval by National Red Cross. We are grateful that our community members can reciprocate and help residents in California who are now in need of assistance. The following is a list of our community members who have volunteered for deployment with the Red Cross:

Bernardsville-        Janet George Murnick
Hillsborough-         Charles Way
                                Joan Klimpl
                                Dave Eardley
Iselin-                      Helen Trippe
Piscataway-           Sherrill Cabell
Manville-                 Bruce Kosensky
Raritan-                   Ken Heaphy
Somerville-             Michael Telesco

The Red Cross is encouraging evacuees to register on the Red Cross Safe and Well website. Here people can leave a status message for loved ones, letting them know their general location and well being. If you are trying to locate loved ones in the affected area, visit the chapter’s website at http://greatersomerset.redcross.org for access to the Safe and Well site.

Disasters like we are seeing in California remind us all of the value of being prepared for the unexpected. The Red Cross asks everyone to Be Red Cross Ready 1) Get or resupply your Disaster Preparedness Kit; 2) Make an Information Plan with your family and friends; 3) Stay informed by listening to local authorities and contacting your local Red Cross Chapter during a disaster event.

The Greater Somerset County Chapter of the American Red Cross has been supporting Somerset County for 90 years. Volunteers from the community represent 98% of our staffing, ensuring that our community can access 24/7 Emergency Services including Armed Forces Emergency Services, Preparedness Education, Health and Safety Training, a Blood Donation Program, and Medical Transportation for seniors, the disabled and low income individuals. Our disaster volunteers train and prepare year round to support the emergency and disaster relief needs of our community and communities nation-wide. If you would like to learn how to become a disaster volunteer and make a difference in the lives of others in need, please contact the chapter at 908-725-2217 or visit our website at http://greatersomerset.redcross.org.

All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help victims of national level disasters like the one in California by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disaster. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster, please do so at the time of your donation. Call 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.