First Triangle Disaster Responder Certificate Awarded

Tracie Brown of the Triangle Red Cross, has created a unique and exciting way to encourage and reward long time disaster volunteers. Through a series of training and response, our chapter is now able to offer a Disaster Response Certification for Disaster Volunteers that recognizes their hard work, hours of training, and dedication to disaster response.

Our first recipient of the certification is John Berry. John is the dedicated leader of our Franklin County efforts, where he has worked tirelessly with our Triangle Staff to assemble and maintain a functioning disaster response team, build relationships with local government partners, and develop agreements with other relief agencies to ensure a more effective disaster response.

It’s fitting that John, a disaster volunteer since 2005, is the first recipient of this new certification program. Congratulations to John, and to Tracie, for creating a vehicle through which we can recognize the volunteers that put their time, sweat and heart into responding to local disasters, one family at a time.

Regional Exercise Helps Red Cross Prepare for Hurricane Season

This weekend the Triangle Region will be conducting an emergency response drill with three chapters in Durham, Raleigh and Fayetteville.

Abby Cameron of the American Red Cross explained the significance of assessment to Red Cross disaster relief: “Damage assessment includes determining where the disaster occurred, where services are needed, and what services are needed. These teams help us determine everything from where to open a shelter to where our mobile feeding operations are needed most.”

The Triangle Region identified and coordinated with several at-risk neighborhoods across the region, where the disaster scenario played out. Volunteer teams of 4 to 5 volunteers canvassed these neighborhoods for pre-placed damage photos, and assessed the ‘damage’ for each home.

The exercise began at 9:00am with a disaster briefing for Red Cross and partner volunteers - Five Civil Air Patrol volunteers were part of the exercise. The teams dispatched to the partnered community after 10:00am, and returned for a debriefing, and a lunch of Jersey Mike's sandwiches just after noon.

Exercises like this one are crucial to the readiness and resilience of our local communities when a disaster strikes. The Red Cross relief operation relies on disaster assessment teams to tell us where, when and how bad a disaster is, so that we can put the necessary services in the right places.