They will furnish a canteen for the rescue workers, assess damage to property, and determine the assistance needed for the affected families. Mock drills are played out by volunteers and staff at locations such as recent drills at the Curwensville High School set up by Disaster Chair Sharon Welker and the statewide table top drill with the Department of Emergency Services in March. Mass Care Facility Agreements are signed and shelter information updated regularly at the mass care facilities selected throughout Clearfield County such as schools, churches, granges, fire halls, and civic centers. From the first call of a disaster to the final assistance of any operation, volunteers from all walks of life help. They have either offered in advance, been trained and are in our Disaster Plan or they get drafted by association in a particular disaster operation.
Training is available for every function of disaster operations.
If someone is really interested in becoming involved on a regular basis, training is required to adhere to Red Cross policy and procedures for client confidentiality, consistent service delivery of the American Red Cross, and to become familiar with paperwork in certain functions. Sharon Welker, disaster chair, and her husband, Ron have been volunteering since 1991. Shortly after becoming a board member, Sharon was helping in the midst of the Curwensville fire that destroyed a whole block of businesses and apartments. She helped as the Red Cross supplied a canteen for the firefighters, a mass care feeding site and a service center set up in the nearby church. It was an honor for me to do what I could to assist having been involved such a short time.