Back St. Louis, Thursday, June 8, 2006 – The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter conducted a two-day emergency drill on June 7 and 8 in St. Louis City and St. Charles County. The exercise is part of an ongoing effort to enhance Red Cross readiness and supports the organization’s mission to help the community prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies. “The Red Cross is here to help as many people, as quickly as possible,” said Mary Anderson, Manager of Disaster Readiness and Response for the St. Louis Area Chapter. “This experience was a valuable training tool for our staff and volunteers and helps the Red Cross remain ready to serve this community in a time of need.” About the Emergency Drill: The scenario-based exercise centered on a mock tornado impacting families from two separate neighborhoods in the metropolitan area, followed by an unrelated mock multi-unit fire. Red Cross volunteers from Chapter headquarters in Creve Coeur, MO, as well as teams from service centers in St. Peters, MO, Arnold, MO and Fairview Heights, IL were involved in the training. The multiple-event disaster scenario provided a unique opportunity to implement skills in all areas of Red Cross preparedness and response, including logistics management. Following initial “tornado warnings” in the early afternoon on Wednesday, the St. Louis Area Chapter placed teams of volunteers specializing in disaster response and shelter management on standby. Shortly thereafter, mock reports indicated that a tornado had touched down in St. Louis City and St. Charles County. By late-afternoon on Wednesday, an emergency shelter was established at St. James the Greater in the 1300-block of Tamm Avenue in St. Louis City. Cots and supplies were set-up as volunteers registered more than 60 disaster victims. Mental health workers and nurses were available, as was a team of caseworkers to evaluate the needs of each disaster victim. By early-evening, meals were served to those seeking shelter. In St. Charles County, a team of volunteers was dispatched to a second impacted neighborhood to conduct damage assessment and determine the scope of need in that area. In support of this effort, a second shelter team from Jefferson County was placed on standby to open another shelter as required. An Emergency Response Vehicle drove through the impacted neighborhood near the Red Cross shelter in St. Louis City throughout the evening on Wednesday. In an actual emergency, this vehicle is equipped to serve up to 600 meals at a time in the neighborhoods most directly impacted by a disaster. For the emergency drill, Red Cross volunteers distributed educational materials to more than 120 local residents, encouraging each individual to make emergency preparedness a personal priority. Later Wednesday night, a Disaster Action Team from Fairview Heights, IL was dispatched to a mock multi-unit apartment fire to provide assistance to victims and emergency personnel on the scene. The shelter at St. James the Greater remained open through Thursday morning, closing shortly after breakfast was served. In addition to the more than 60 volunteers who stayed in the shelter as victims of disaster, more than 50 additional Red Cross volunteers and staff participated in the drill. Each individual embraced the opportunity to focus on their specific role in providing Red Cross emergency services in a time of need. About Red Cross Emergency Services: The American Red Cross provides immediate assistance with food, clothing, shelter, mental health counseling and other needs in the wake of disasters and emergencies. The Red Cross is able to respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provide a vast array of programs and services throughout the region due to the dedication of thousands of volunteers that give freely of their time. For More Information: All Red Cross disaster relief assistance is free of charge, thanks to generous public support. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, Red Cross emergency services or a variety of other programs and services provided to the community, please call 314.516.2800 or log on to the St. Louis Area Chapter’s website at www.redcrossstl.org.  About the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter: Founded in 1917, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter provides emergency and preparedness assistance more than 407,000 times each year. The Red Cross depends on the efforts of thousands of volunteers and 100 staff to provide a wide range of community support services, including disaster relief, first aid and CPR training, water safety, services to military personnel and support for blood services. The Chapter is a United Way agency and provides programs and services to St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County in Missouri, as well as Monroe, St. Clair (including Scott Air Force Base) and part of Madison County in Illinois. # # #

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