Red Cross and Mormons partner to provide neighborhood emergency evacuation centers
The American Red Cross of Northern Nevada and volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will practice activating neighborhood emergency evacuation centers at LDS church buildings on Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Carson City LDS Stake Center, 411 N Saliman Rd.
The volunteers will open a mock shelter following a 90-minute training course in shelter fundamentals. The hands-on, skills-based training prepares LDS church members to help open Red Cross shelters in two area neighborhoods. Members of the Carson City Board of Commissioners and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) are interested in this drill and have been invited to attend.
“We are pleased to be able to make these buildings available to our neighbors as places of respite and refuge in times of distress,” said President David W. Haws of the Carson City Nevada Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “and are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Red Cross in this venture. We are committed to serving our community and to offering our resources to provide this essential service.”
This training is the final step in a six-month effort to have two of the church buildings in the LDS Carson City Nevada Stake added to the list of available short-term shelters used by Reno's EOC. Karenne Smith, Red Cross volunteer and Mass Care lead, spearheaded the effort to expand available shelters located in neighborhoods close to those who might need them.
Haws approved LDS church participation in this effort, as did the bishops of the five LDS congregations located within Carson City. The Carson City Nevada Stake covers a geographical area including Dayton, Carson City, South Lake Tahoe, CA, Carson Valley, and further south to Walker, CA, with a total of 13 LDS congregations. Additional LDS buildings in other areas will be considered for addition to the list of those available in an emergency.
The November 12th training will prepare Church members to help open Red Cross Emergency Evacuation Centers at LDS buildings located south of Carson High School at 411 N Saliman Rd., Carson City, and at the top of Mc Kay Dr. and East 5th Street at the foot of C-Hill. It is anticipated that the emergency evacuation centers might be used most often in the case of fires at large apartment complexes.
Organizers expect 50-75 LDS church members at the training from 9:00 am – 10:30 am on November 12. At 10:30 am, neighbors, interested individuals and media are invited to participate in the drill to setup an emergency shelter. The drill will provide photo opportunities and time for media interviews with Red Cross volunteers and leaders; city elected officials and emergency personnel have been encouraged to attend.
At the close of the day’s activities between 11:45 - 12:15 PM, city, church and Red Cross spokespersons will take the opportunity to thank the volunteers who are making this venture possible and to speak to the importance of this exemplary community partnership and emergency preparedness.
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