Celebrating the arrival of the American Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle are, from left to right: Thomas Glavin, Olympus General Counsel; Jane George, PPL; Julian Sauvagnargues, President, Olympus of the Americas; Krista Ortwein, Olympus Senior Manager, Community Affairs; and Tracie Witter, PPL.
Thanks to the generosity of Olympus of the Americas and PPL Foundation, a new Next Generation Emergency Response Vehicle has arrived in Allentown.
Every day, the American Red Cross assists people who face disasters, and it is the emergency response vehicles at the frontline of this critical work. These signature red and white vans deliver food, supplies and hope to disaster survivors across the country. And even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, they continue to help drive the humanitarian mission forward, providing the volunteer workforce with trusted means to easily reach people in need in the wake of emergencies big and small.
“As an electric utility, safety and emergency preparedness are top priorities for PPL and the past year has only served to highlight the vital role of emergency response organizations such as the American Red Cross,” said Lissette Santana, Chief Operating Officer of the PPL Foundation. “The PPL Foundation is proud to support the Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter of the American Red Cross by providing funding for their new emergency response vehicle, which enables the Red Cross to continue the important, life-saving work they are doing to improve life in our community."
Red Cross Disaster Cycle Services utilizes the Emergency Response Vehicles as a means to provide help and hope to those impacted by disaster. These vehicles are pre-positioned around the nation and are capable of rapidly deploying to support a disaster relief operation - either locally or nationally.
The national fleet of Emergency Response Vehicles support feeding, client services, and public engagement. When not in support of national disaster operations, they are also used to support a variety of local operations such as home fires.
“Olympus is a proud supporter of the American Red Cross, and we are very gratified to see that the emergency response vehicles for the American Red Cross Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter have been fully remodeled,” said Tom Glavin, General Counsel for Olympus Corporation of the Americas and a member of the Red Cross Pennsylvania Rivers Board of Directors. “Olympus shares the commitment of the American Red Cross to meeting the medical needs of people within the communities we serve. As a medical technology company, our mission is making people’s lives healthier, safer, and more fulfilling.”
