Re: NBC - Feeling Helpless and finding ways to help

The letter below is from an EMT friend of mine...she send it out as a
group mailing. It is pretty much directed at folks in NJ and I clipped
some stuff about volunteer training as it is quite local.....

>Over the last few days my email has been flooded with updates from
various sources on the level of local response.Since I saw so little
posted on here about it I thought I'd add a bit u all probably dont
know.

Following a formal EMAC request, NJ is assembling a medical response
team of state employed physicians, nurses respiratory therapists,
and crisis counselors from the Departments of Health and Senior
Services, Corrections,and Human Services as well as from Rutgers and
UMDNJ to be deployed to regular and field hospitals in the Baton
Rouge, LA area. All jurisdictions anticpate that eventually MRCs and
CERTs may be called up to respond.

Possibly one of our biggest problems is self deployment.
The State OEM has asked us again that NO ONE SELF DEPLOY. Our
emergency services have been training for these disasters for many
years and in a situaition as emotional as this one, various
residents have gone down themselves to help, this only adds to the
chaos. Volunteers are encouraged to call local Red Cross chapters
and recieve training first. Also conditions there are not only hard
for the survivors. Please note that the following hardship
conditions apply on this response: you will be staying in a shelter;
there may be limited water and electricity; you will be working in
extreme heat and humidity; working conditions can include lifting
heavy items, walking long distances on uneven or slippery terrain,
and other conditions that require endurance and stamina; poor air
quality; limited health care access; and extreme emotional stress.

Everynight on the news we see thousands of survivors with stories of
terror. Lets also think not only of those strong survivors who are
battling to find food and fresh water to survive through the next
few days, but also the hundreds of volunteers which are risking so
much to suffer right along with them in order only to help as many
as they can. Volunteers travel there to sleep on cots and battle
against the same hardships, just so that they can bring residents
more supplies and a safe place to rest. Lets not forget our rescue
workers down there.


In response, the American Red Cross is launching the largest
mobilization of resources for a single natural disaster involving
thousands of trained disaster relief workers, tons of supplies-and
shoulders on which to lean.The American Red Cross is looking to send
1900 volunteers as soon as possible to the hurricane stricken areas,
and it is expected that several thousand volunteers will be deployed
over the course of the next month.

We anticipate a sustained disaster relief effort, unlike any other
in our history, lasting many months. Already, the Red Cross has
provided a safe haven for nearly 70,000 evacuees in more than 230
Red Cross shelters - from the panhandle of Florida, across Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia,and Texas.Early estimates indicate
that this response could cost as much or more than the sum of the
four combined hurricanes during last year's hurricane, which cost
approximately $130 million. The peak of the Atlantic hurricane
season is still to come While the Red Cross had approximately $20
million in the Disaster Relief Fund on July 31, these funds are
currently being used for our immediate response, and will quickly be
depleted. Initial generous support has come in the form of two $1
million pledges from Office Depot and the Pew Charitable Trust -
both of whom are challenging their peers to match or beat their
contributions. Other partners are helping us extend our reach to
their customers - partners like Lowe's with a nationwide Customer
Donation Program (CDP) including a $1 for $1 match up to $1 million.
Food Lion is also holding a CDP. The American public is also
answering our call with early gifts to 1-800-HELP NOW and
Redcross.org totaling approximately $1,087,000.<
--



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