Local Red Cross Disaster Volunteers

Gear Up for Hurricane Assignments

Six local American Red Cross disaster volunteers are already packing their bags and making travel arrangements, part of the pre-deployment force in preparation for Hurricane Ernesto’s possible mid-week landfall.  Additional volunteers are on stand-by, according to Dean Sweberg, Iowa Rivers Chapter Emergency Services Director.

When potentially-large disasters such as hurricanes threaten the U.S., the American Red Cross deploys teams of management-level staff and volunteers close to areas likely to be impacted.  After landfall, these teams can be quickly dispatched to the affected areas to get the disaster relief operations started, even as additional manpower is being recruited and deployed.

Those currently assigned to report to Florida include Lois and Frank Vogel, assigned to Feeding; Don Boehler, Technology Supervisor; Bob Inman, Partner Services Administrator; and Lorrie Watson, Disaster Assessment.  Assigned to the Louisiana pre-deployment team is Jean Van Voorhis, Health Services Manager.

As Americans this week look back on the most devastating hurricane in U.S. history, Mary Dooley, Iowa Rivers Chapter Executive Director, notes that “the American Red Cross is stronger and more prepared than ever to provide comfort and care to those who need it.”  This early deployment of disaster relief personnel shows, says Dooley, that “we are moving more quickly than ever to ensure we are where we need to be as early as possible.”

Iowa Rivers Chapter recruited, trained and deployed 63 volunteers last year in response to Hurricane Katrina.  That extraordinary response for a relatively small chapter far from any coast earned the Iowa Rivers Chapter both a national Red Cross grant for training and retaining these new volunteers, and a featured spot in the American Red Cross 125^th Anniversary booklet produced by the national organization.

For more information about becoming a Red Cross disaster volunteer, contact Shirley Davis, Iowa Rivers Chapter Director of Volunteers, at 753-3317 or toll-free outside the Marshalltown calling area at 1-800-792-3808.  Iowa Rivers Chapter serves Jasper, Marshall, Poweshiek, Tama and Hardin counties.