Health and Safety/Aquatics Schedule of Classes
Disaster Services
Disaster Services
The Amercian Red Cross through its network of chapters,
service delivery units and national headquarter operations provides
disaster relief services to people affected by disasters 24 hours a day,
365 days of the year. Through an extensive network of well trained volunteers
at all levels of the organization and generous donations from people
across the country, the American Red Cross is able to provide for
the basic needs of distaster victims. American Red Cross disaster relief
services are free, an outright gift of the American people.
Each year, the American Red Cross responds to more than 76,000 disasters, including house or apartment fires (the majority of disaster responses), hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hazardous material spills, transportation accidents, explosions, and other natural and man-made disasters. In FY 2000 the Red Cross responded to more than 67,460 disasters. In that year, over 326,234 people were sheltered and more than 127,835 individuals and families received financial assistance from the Red Cross.
Everyday, American Red Cross chapters work with their community partners to help the public anticipate, survive, prevent and recover from disasters. Thus, the Red Cross provides practical and helpful awareness and educational information that shows the public how to save lives, reduce injuries and protect their homes against disaster.
Red Cross disaster relief focuses on meeting people's immediate emergency disaster caused needs. When a disaster threatens or strikes, the Red Cross provides shelter, food, health and mental health services to address basic human needs. In addition to these services, the core of Red Cross disaster relief is the assistance given to individuals and families affected by disaster to enable them to resume their normal daily activites independently. If needed, the Red Cross provides the means to pay for needed items including groceries, new clothing, temporary housing, emergency home repairs, transportation, essential household items, medicines, and occupational tools. The Red Cross also helps those needing long-term recovery assistance when all other resources including insurance benefits, community and personal resources and government assistance are not available or are inadequate. All assistance is based on verified disaster-caused needs.
The Red Cross also feeds disaster victims and emergency workers, handles injuries 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.
American Red Cross Chapters continually work to be prepared to respond when a disaster threatens or strikes. When a disaster is so large that it exceeds the affected chapter's capacity to respond, all of the resources of the organization, including those of the affected and supporting units within the affected state(s) and of national headquarters, combine to ensure that needed disaster services are provided to meet the needs of the people affected.
The American Red Cross relies on the generous contributions of people's time, skills and money to provide disaster relief. Call the Kosciusko County American Red Cross at 574-267-5244 to become a trained Red Cross disaster volunteer.
American Red Cross Disaster Services Are FREE.