Red Cross Training

Last month, Greg Suddeth, an island resident who works for the Red Cross, organized two vital disaster-preparedness training sessions. These sessions provided local volunteers with the essential skills required to manage community safety and relief efforts during an emergency.

The first training session focused on the logistics of sheltering and feeding a community during a crisis. Greg covered protocols for operations both within formal disaster shelters and out in the broader community. Volunteers learned how to come together to safely inventory, prepare, and serve food under emergency conditions. Beyond food distribution, this session explored the setup of emergency shelters. Participants walked through the protocols required for opening and closing these facilities, ensuring that if the community ever needs to deploy them, they can do so efficiently, securely, and comfortably.

Building on that foundation, the second training session pivoted toward damage control and structural safety. Greg trained the group on how to conduct initial assessments of local buildings and structures immediately following a disaster. A major emphasis was placed on safety, ensuring that volunteers do not put themselves at risk while evaluating property integrity. The core goal of these assessments is to gather precise data and safely relay that information back to the fire department.

This structural data is critical for first responders. It allows the fire department to accurately assess the overall situation across the island, map out the extent of the damage, and make informed determinations about where to deploy their resources and support first. 

By bridging the gap between community volunteers and professional emergency services, Greg’s training sessions were helpful not only to house and feed our residents during a disaster, but also equipped to provide the accurate, safe, and rapid feedback that first responders need to save lives.