By MATT LINDSEY

The effects of hurricanes that have devastated parts of Texas and Florida are being felt locally by the American Red Cross as nearly a dozen North Country residents are assisting with rescue and cleanup efforts.

If a large-scale disaster were to impact St. Lawrence County, the Red Cross says a plan is in place, according to Jane Gendron, executive director for the North Country Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Designated shelters include schools and colleges. “We have agreements with the schools,” she said.

Volunteers visit the shelter sites a couple times each year to make sure they meet the standards for a shelter. The number of bathrooms and capacity of each site are figured in as well as addressing any code issues, Gendron said.

On average there are 130 to 200 volunteers, which covers seven northern counties including St. Lawrence County. Of those, about a dozen volunteers are deployed to assist with cleanup efforts in the south. That leaves volunteers up north slightly strained.

Most volunteers are people with jobs, Gendron said. They choose to take vacations during times of need, or their employers are accommodating to them because they are doing volunteer work.

Finances are not currently an issue at the Red Cross as the public has been donating heavily following recent storms in the southern portion of the United States.

Red Cross donations are up quite a bit because of the recent disasters, she said. The organization runs entirely on public donations.

When a donation is made that the zip code of the person who donated tells Red Cross where the donation came from and the local chapter is credited. “The only issue is text – they cannot trace those dollars,” she said.

Red Cross Response

When disaster strike the Red Cross steps in to help families who have suffered through a fire, flooding or other incident leaving them in need of help,

In the case of a fire, the fire chief leading the investigation will ask the homeowners or victims if they want assistance from the Red Cross.

If they do want assistance, the chief calls 911-dispatch who then reaches out to Red Cross representatives, Gendron said.

Once a volunteer is chosen, which could be from a neighboring county, they travel to the scene of the incident and assess the situation with officials and the victims

In the case of a fire, “they would talk to the chief to see if it is a total loss, or maybe damage is limited to the kitchen area maybe,” she said.

Volunteers then begin accessing the need to provide essential needs.

“We will meet with the family and work with them on food, shelter, baby formula, clothing and replacing medicine – we will help with all of that.”

The victims will receive a pre-loaded credit card to help pay for housing needs and start their lives over. The amount given is dependent on family size, the need and time of year.

During the winter months more money is given to cover winter apparel such as boots and mittens. The money is also used for temporary housing at a local hotel.

Gendron said the Red Cross has agreements with local hotels to provide discounted rates, but ultimately it is up to the victims as to where they wish to stay. Generally the funds cover a few days for housing.

A caseworker will then work with people to replace lost paperwork, prescriptions, and insurance issues. For issues the Red Cross cannot solve themselves, they make referrals to the proper agencies.

“We work with the Salvation Army, community centers, the Department of Social Services and for seniors places like the Office for the Aging and other county agencies,” she said. If unable to figure out where to send someone for an answer, victims are encouraged to dial 211 where they can find out what agency can properly assist them with answers.

Gendron said Red Cross responds to an average of 10 to 30 incidents each year in St. Lawrence County. Most are fires, but incidents involving flooding, wind or winter storms occur too.

Get Prepared Now

“The hurricanes offers us a chance to promote being prepared locally,” Gendron said. “Winter is coming.”
With snow and ice, power outages happen, she said, and being prepared for those situations takes planning. Gendron recommends people keep a supply of water and non-perishable food. The Red Cross website suggests keeping one gallon per person, per day with a three-day supply for evacuation and two week supply for staying at home. A three-day supply of food for evacuation and two week supply for home is also recommended.

Other emergency preparedness kit items should include a flashlight, extra batteries, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio if possible), a first aid kid, a 7-day supply of medical items, a multi-purpose tool, personal hygiene products, cell phone with chargers, copies or personal documents, family and emergency contact info, maps, blankets and cash.

Gendron said one goal of the Red Cross is assist everyone with training and resources to be prepared for an emergency and prevent a house fire.

“We install new smoke alarms and make sure they are properly placed – all at no charge,” she said.