Several Red Cross volunteers from our area are helping victims of devastating floods and tornadoes in 13 states. They provide shelter, food, health and mental health services, and distributing supplies such as brooms, buckets, gloves, shovels, rakes and tarps.
Jennifer Schaefer of Pittsford is one of nine local volunteers. She left for Alabama Saturday, to work in Disaster Health Services.
This weekend, the local Red Cross practiced its disaster response, using the scenario of a tornado hitting the town of Savona in Steuben County.
About 50 volunteers gathered in Rochester to discuss how they'd handle the property destruction, road closings and fatalities that might be involved.
Jay Bonafede, Chief Communication Officer for the Red Cross of western New York says it's important for the volunteers to practice. "Building relationships is a huge part. And getting people together...getting all those different groups together. People from different geographic areas and there's always something that changes. Every time that there is a disaster, it's different."
Bonafede says some Red Cross volunteers have been deployed several times, but many can use the drill. "We have 8 volunteers right now, from our 17-county region that are either in Florida, or Arkansas or Mississippi helping in those responses.”
According to Bonafede, drills can help the Red Cross find and fill in any gaps in its emergency response. “Each time you do something like that it's different. You work with different people; maybe have a little bit of a different experience. So, any time you can get together and practice it becomes a learning experience."
Face time is also an important part of drills like these. "Having names to faces with some of the other volunteers and other staff members,” said Bonafede. “It'll just make for a more comfortable, smoother response when and if we ever have to do that here locally."
The Red Cross welcomes new volunteers.