Monday, September 15, 2008

The Red Cross has had people positioned in the Gulf Coast since before Gustav made landfall. They are continuing to help with Ike devastation.
Now 30 people from the Virginia Department of Forestry left for Texas this morning to help in any way they can.

They have been preparing for Ike for a week. Now they're ready to go.

"Essentially were sending some of our most experienced personnel in the agency, in terms of incident management response for this assignment," said John Miller, Director of Resource Protection for the Virginia Department of Forestry.

They could help with anything from organizing the chainsaw crews and the road re-builders, to handing out food and water.

Even though Virginia and Texas aren't exactly neighbors: "Each state is able to help the other state during their particular time of need. And that makes us stronger here in Virginia because it gives us experience in dealing with that situation. Two it helps us call those cards on them, if something happens here and we need their help," said Miller.

The local Red Cross has five volunteers in Texas and a total of 20 volunteers throughout Louisiana and Alabama.

"What they will be doing is trying to determine, and do an assessment, of where feeding stations need to be to benefit the most people. We will be mobilizing our emergency vehicles, prepared with food, hot beverages and clean up kits," said Beverly Bean, Director of Public Support for the Red Cross.

With 2,100 volunteers on the ground in Texas, plus several other natural disasters in the last year, Red Cross chapters every where have been kept busy.

"It has just been an unprecedented year as far as disasters are concerned. What you do, you just keep your head down and keep going. The services are going to be provided where they're needed. The Red Cross will be there.

Volunteers from the Virginia Department of Forestry and from the local Red Cross, plan to complete two week shifts in Texas.

If you're interested in donating or volunteering for the Red Cross, they're link is posted below.