Evacuation Kits

During a major unexpected emergency, there's nothing like having pillows, cots and personal hygiene products for comfort. The American Red Cross is providing evacuation kits for evacuation teams in several communities with these necessities, thanks to an $80,000 grant from U.S. Steel. The company had given a grant before and is back to give a second installment. Each kit will contain a trailer of these items to provide for up to 100 people. Regional Red Cross Emergency Services Director Michael Adametz says these teams are great for the community, and they become vital in times of disaster. He says in 2004, when Hurricane Ivan affected many local communities, the American Red Cross had gotten about 40 requests for shelter and assistance in one evening. "We did not have the capacity to handle anything that grand of a disaster," he says. Now that this program is established, dealing with any kind of emergency event is much easier to handle.

Red Cross Worker Shares Tales from Thailand

It's been nearly three years since a devastating tsunami struck the southeast Asian country of Thailand, but recovery is still ongoing--at least according to American Red Cross Senior Field Representative for the Tsunami Recovery Program David Strobel. The tsunami, which has an estimated death toll exceeding 230,000 has left some communities still without basic amenities. David Strobel says the recovery effort is well underway, but that there are still improvements to be made. Some current programs in Thailand include a Water, Sanitation, and Health Promotion Project, Community-Based Health Project, and a Disaster Preparedness Project.

Strobel also saw action in response to the May Cyclone Nargis disaster in Myanmar/Burma whose devastation has left an estimated 140,000 dead. He helped organization deployment of disaster response volunteers amidst Myanmar moratorium on visas. The Pittsburgh native will spend some time in the city over the course of August and then return to Thailand where he spends 11 months out of the year.