The Chautauqua County Chapter of the American Red Cross has shifted its deployment focus to Orlando, Fla., to prepare for Hurricane Ike.

Phil Baker of Jamestown and Mike Rodgers of Bemus Point will proceed to Orlando for assignments in shelter operations and mass care.

Executive Director Vince Horrigan explained, "Hurricane Ike is of great concern. Already a category 3 hurricane, we are told to expect strengthening over the next several days with a possible strike along the Florida coastline early next week."

"This is proving to be an intense hurricane disaster season as we are sheltering and caring for flood victims in the Louisiana area to the tune of $40 to $70 million, while simultaneously deploying volunteers and preparing shelters for another major hurricane in the Florida area."

In addition, chapters along the Carolina coast are ready to respond to Tropical Storm Hanna which is expected to move rapidly up the East Coast while dumping heavy amounts of rainfall.

Before sending volunteers to Hurricane Ike, volunteers had been sent out to aid with Hurricane Gustav.

There were a total of nine Chautauqua County residents deployed as part of a Red Cross disaster team helping more than 45,000 disaster clients and evacuees for Hurricane Gustav. The local volunteers - Donna Meder of Stockton; Brenda Wilson, Brad Nunn and Bruce Swanson of Bemus Point; Fran Heath of South Dayton; Cindy McNallie of Jamestown; Angie Bolender of Mayville; Lynn Ryan of Fredonia; and Robert Gee of Dunkirk - are focusing on mass care for Gulf Coast residents, making sure they have shelter, proper food and emotional support.

"Of course, this is a major event," Horrigan said. "We're under way and now, working as people begin to move back into the area, the Red Cross remains with them with cleanup kits. Then we'll transition to client case work for financial assistance. And, we'll be continuing to support the people as they go back into the affected areas."

LESSONS LEARNED FROM KATRINA

The early, orderly evacuation of the Gulf Coast region is one of the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina, Horrigan said, as is the coordination among agencies that has allowed all the agencies to better help the region's residents. For example, the focus by Red Cross volunteers on mass care frees other agencies up to handle other tasks. Horrigan said there has been better partnership between the local governments, Federal Emergency Management Agency, state government and the Red Cross.

"It's been carefully worked so that everyone has their particular role to play," Horrigan said. "The other thing that's happened is the citizens in the New Orleans area and in the Gulf Coast are responding wonderfully to the direction of the local government officials. They heeded the evacuation order early enough so they could do an orderly evacuation and sheltering. Primarily, the lessons learned of the local volunteers is that they're playing specific roles. First things first, that's one of the important lessons."

LOCAL COMMITMENT

The lessons local volunteers have learned don't just benefit people thousands of miles away. Learning how to respond to a disaster scene is taught responding to house fires or other disasters throughout Chautauqua County. Disaster volunteers also spend their free time in classes and training so they are properly equipped to handle tough situations.

"They stay current on Red Cross policies and procedures," Horrigan said. "For many times, they're out responding in the middle of the night to house fires. That's what we need them to do so they're prepared and ready when a major event happens, such as a Gustav, they're ready to go. They're fully trained and ready. It's not a matter of something big happening and deciding to go then. They're been there, helping locally as well as nationally."

The volunteers who are now in the Gulf Coast are not only helping others hurt by a natural disaster, they missed the traditional Labor Day festivities with their families or seeing children and grandchildren go off to school this week.

"It's a tremendous commitment, not only with them, but their families who are willing, over the Labor Day weekend and school starting, to let the disaster volunteers leave," Horrigan said. "In some cases, their work is willing, too. Some are retired, but they go to help those people."

Horrigan reminds the community that the American Red Cross "Safe and Well" Web site is located at www.redcross.org and is used for registration and locating Red Cross shelter evacuees. For further information on the Chapter's services and programs, call 366-4433 in Dunkirk or 664-5115 in Jamestown. The Chautauqua County Chapter of the American Red Cross urges you to make a financial donation to the American Red Cross National Disaster Relief Fund to help victims of this hurricane as well as thousands of other disasters which occur across the United States.