Disaster Services
Click here to see a list of
Disaster Services Courses offered
Each year, the
American Red Cross responds immediately to more than 67,000
disasters, including house or apartment fires (the majority of
disaster responses), hurricanes, floods, earthquakes,
tornadoes, hazardous materials spills, transportation
accidents, explosions, and other natural and man-made
disasters.
The Good News Is That We Can Help
Although the American Red Cross is not a government agency,
its authority to provide disaster relief was formalized when,
in 1905, the Red Cross was chartered by Congress to "carry on
a system of national and international relief in time of peace
and apply the same in mitigating the sufferings caused by
pestilence, famine, fire, floods, and other great national
calamities, and to devise and carry on measures for preventing
the same." The Charter is not only a grant of power, but also
an imposition of duties and obligations to the nation, to
disaster victims, and to the people who generously support its
work with their donations.
Red Cross disaster relief focuses on meeting people's
immediate emergency disaster-caused needs. When a disaster
threatens or strikes, the Red Cross provides shelter, food,
and health and mental health services to address basic human
needs. In addition to these services, the core of Red Cross
disaster relief is the assistance given to individuals and
families affected by disaster to enable them to resume their
normal daily activities independently. To prepare for a
disaster click here.
The Red Cross also feeds emergency workers, handles inquiries
from concerned family members outside the disaster area,
provides blood and blood products to disaster victims, and helps
those affected by disaster to access other available resources.
Disaster
Preparedness
(click below to find out more information)
-Your Family Disaster Supplies Kit
-Food & Water in an Emergency
-Your Family Disaster Plan
-What to do During a Blackout
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