Disaster Services
Each year, the American Red Cross responds immediately to more than 67,000 disasters, including house or apartment fires (the majority of disaster responses), hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hazardous materials spills, transportation accidents, explosions and other natural and man-made disasters.
The Good News Is: We Can Help
Although the American Red Cross is not a government agency, its authority to provide disaster relief was formalized when, in 1905, the Red Cross was chartered by Congress to "carry on a system of national and international relief in time of peace and apply the same in mitigating the sufferings caused by pestilence, famine, fire, floods, and other great national calamities, and to devise and carry on measures for preventing the same." The Charter is not only a grant of power, but also an imposition of duties and obligations to the nation, to disaster victims and to the people who generously support its work with their donations.
The American Red Cross defines disasters in the following way:
“A disaster is an impending or occurring event of such destructive magnitude and force as to dislocate people, separate family members, damage or destroy homes and injure or kill people. A disaster produces a range and level of immediate suffering and basic human needs that cannot be promptly or adequately addressed by the affected people and that prevents them from initiating and proceeding with recovery efforts. The Red Cross and other emergency agencies categorize disasters by their causative agents, broadly separated into natural and human-caused disasters. Natural disasters include floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoons, winter storms, tsunamis, hailstorms, wildfires, windstorms, epidemics and earthquakes. Human-caused disasters — whether intentional or unintentional — include residential fires, building collapses, transportation accidents, hazardous materials releases, nuclear accidents, explosions and acts of terrorism. The Red Cross further characterizes each disaster by its scope and the response required.”
What the Red Cross may be able to provide* to families affected by single or multi-family fires,
- Shelter (either motel/hotel or mass sheltering)
- Food (either via a debit card or mass feeding)
- Clothing (via debit card)
- Prescription replacement (emergency supply)
- Comfort Kits (adult and child)
- Smoke Soap
- Plush toy for young people
- Compassionate care and a listening ear
* Note – All provisions are handed out based on need, and client need is assessed on a case-by-case level. Clients are always encouraged to utilize their personal and family resources, including insurance, prior to utilizing Red Cross services. One equation that we sometimes use is: Client Needs – Client Resources = Red Cross.
How the Red Cross provides these services:
All Red Cross disaster assistance is free. The American Red Cross - Kosciusko County Chapter does its own fundraising through the United Way of Kosciusko County, grant writing, private donations and fundraising events. It also uses revenue from Community CPR and First Aid classes to assist with Chapter expenses. The American Red Cross - Kosciusko County Chapter does not receive funds from the National organization unless a disaster exceeds the capacity of the Chapter (generally considered to be a disaster which exceeds $10,000 or more).
How to reach the American Red Cross:
A Red Cross team leader is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. He/she deploys D.A.T. (Disaster Action Teams) as requested.
Disaster Action Teams are entirely volunteer-comprised teams who respond to single-family and multi-family fires.
American Red Cross services can be activated by:
- Public Sources (i.e. fire/police dispatch, etc.)
- Clients (requires verification from public source and visual inspection)
- Others (also requires verification from public source and visual inspection)
Other Ways We Help:
- Provide community disaster education classes
- Recruit and traininglunteers for local and national disaster assignment(s)
- Develop and test annual disaster plan
- Meeting the emergency needs of local disaster victims with vouchers for free food, clothing, temporary shelter and medications.
- The Red Cross also feeds emergency workers; handles inquiries from concerned family members outside the disaster area; provides blood and blood products to disaster victims; and helps those affected by disaster to access other available resources.