Red Cross on the scene of Aloha fire, third event of this weekend
 
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February 4, 2006
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Four volunteer responders from the American Red Cross Oregon Trail Chapter responded after Disaster Assistance Team Four was called for, shortly after six p.m., by Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. That team was dispatched to help the family of seven, one of five disasters the team of Oregon Trail Chapter volunteers were called to since sundown yesterday. Once on the scene, veteran Team Four Leader Vivian Hagood coordinated the volunteers as they provided lodging, plus cash assistance for meals, clothing and other replacement items for the family.
Hagood praised the family for the preparation for emergency. "Even the kids, aged one to ten years old, knew exctly what to do; leave immediately and go, together, to a neighbor's home," she noted. The family dog also escaped and is in good health.
Residents in other cases yesterday evening (a tree fall on home near Ranier dislodging four people, a fire in Gresham affecting a family of seven, and calls for assistance in Astoria and Garibaldi) were also helped by Team Four's volunteers as well, some of whom also responded to tonight's blaze.
Although only eighteen Oregonians were displaced by these three disasters, losing a home to fire is just as significant to that family as the destruction of a hurricane or tornado. Red Cross volunteers provide local families with the same care, compassion and services that a family may receive when a larger disaster destroys a community. These smaller, less newsworthy disasters happen, on average, every 32 hours in the seven-county area served by the Oregon Trail Chapter.
Every hour of every day, Red Cross volunteers stand ready to turn out and support individuals and families immediately after disaster strikes. Trained volunteers work with disaster victims at local fires, floods and other incidents, and collect the information needed to provide financial assistance, health services and mental health support. That experience and the training given to volunteers by the Oregon Trail Chapter helps better prepare our community for large disasters that could strike the Pacific Northwest or anywhere in the nation.
Generous Oregonians make it possible to provide all relief aid and services to our clients free of charge. For more information about being a part of the largest humanitarian network in the world, visit www.redcross-pdx.org or call 503-284-1234.
The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization, led by volunteers, that provides relief to victims of disaster and helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Local Red Cross volunteers respond to residential fires and other disasters an average of every 32 hours. All Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from Oregonians. Financial gifts help provide shelter, food, clothing counseling and other immediate assistance to those in need. Call (503) 284-1234 or visit www.redcross-pdx.org |
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