The American Red Cross needs your help! The Red Cross is looking for new disaster volunteers in Fairfield County to join their Disaster Action Team (DAT.)
The Red Cross will host a one-day disaster volunteer training event on Saturday, October 26 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Bridgeport Emergency Operations Center, 581 North Washington Avenue, Bridgeport. The training day is open to new, potential volunteers from Fairfield County. Registration is required, to sign up, visit: https://rdcrss.org/2oy6n3X.
“Volunteers who respond to disasters are needed every day across our region,” said Neil Brockway, Regional Disaster Officer, American Red Cross Connecticut & Rhode Island. “This is a great opportunity for someone interested in joining our disaster team, as a volunteer, to be trained in a one-day session. After the training, these volunteers will be ready to provide comfort, care and hope to their neighbors in Fairfield County.”
Most of the 62,000 emergencies that the Red Cross responds to each year are local, personal disasters like home fires. You may not hear about them, but at the Red Cross we know they are just as devastating as large-scale disasters to the families affected. Trained and available, Disaster Action Team volunteers are ready to respond to these emergencies, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. From offering a shoulder to cry on, to meeting any immediate needs for shelter or supplies, to connecting people with long term recovery services, our volunteers ensure families don’t have to face tough times alone.
Volunteers who attend the one-day training will leave prepared to serve the needs of their community. During the session, new volunteers will go through DAT training, meet members of the team and learn what it is like to be a disaster responder. After the training session, the volunteers will be ready to go out on their first disaster call with a team of seasoned disaster volunteers.
Nationally, the Red Cross responds to a disaster every eight minutes. Last year, the Red Cross in Connecticut responded to 700 local disasters the majority of which were home fires. Volunteers are needed each and every day to respond to these incidents.
Advanced registration for the one-day orientation session is required. All volunteers interested in signing up to become Disaster Action Team volunteers must be available for four shifts per month, have reliable personal transportation and a personal cell phone. For more information and to register, visit: https://rdcrss.org/2oy6n3X.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/ct or visit us on Twitter at @CTRedCross.
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