Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1920-04-08

at the various Division Headquarters
have been expanding and perfecting
the plans for nation wide disaster re-
lief preparedness, arranging to make
each Of the 1924 Red Cross CHAPTERS
an integral part Of the disaster relief
organization.
-" " Nation wide Preparedness
= The Mobile Disaster Unit of the
New England Division is part Of the
nationwide preparedness Of the
American Red Cross to render dis
aster relief. This unit will operate
primarily in the New England states
OF Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Massachusetts and Rhode Island. but
It may be sent into other States II tho
extent OF the disaster makes its serv-
ices essential
- Disasters OF unusual proportions,
affecting several hundreds Of people,
such rs the Chelsea and Salem fires.
are fortunately rare in New England
But when they do come, they come
suddenly, without warning. The vic
tins arc IN need OF immediate aid.
There Is no time then to prepare re-
lief measures with care. Everything
must b done hurriedly and without
forethought. To meet disaster stu
atioos efficiently. preparations must
- made In advance. And 1t is such
preparations that the New ENGLAND
Division has COMPLETED tn is Mobile
Dtsaster Unit
Everything possible has beau 6one
10 insure the greatest possihie speed
IN setting The Unit to the scene a .
6sanster afIaf It's services have been
ea1Asd Tor. 4 hist Of tho nameA a.
dE~asos aAA telephone numbers Of the
ps4AcIpd Dtviaton ome@s has Aeon
pAoed VITA cvogy ons Of tho la Rad
Cro0 CAaptsrs In the Nov England
nvasiou Territory. with the wAstern
uatoa aaA Fustai Telegraph Com
pa1tes. and tAes New England rsle-
Jhone 4 Telegraph Company in Boz
ton and With the editors Of The Boston
newspapers. Through one or moro Of
these sources report Of a disaster viii
quickly reach some ono OF tho oGSesrs
listAd-
Ready T. Act Dry or Night
The moment notification Of a disas-
ter comes to q Division officer, day Or
night the machinery for putting tho
Disaster Unit into the field will be
started.
Arthur @. Rotch. Acting Division
Manager. will call tho Chapter nearest
the disaster on the telephone to learn
fts extent and transportation condi-
tons in the vicinity. With the infor
nation thus secured, he will decide
whether the services of the Unit are
needed. II they are, he will mobilize
the Division forces necessary to got
the Unit out.
II the call comes In the day time,
all the officers connected with the
Unit will be at Division Headquarters
II the summons is at night, they will
be called by telephone to HeadQuar-
ters.
Arrangements have been made with
F. H. Swift & Comany, big trucking
concern In Boston, to transport the
equipment OF the Unit over the road
to the disaster, II it is within 300 miles
Of Boston and the roads are passable,
or otherwise to load it onto freight
cars. This company will rush its big
gest motor trucks to the Army Base
for the equipment. Army personnel
on duty at the Base and Red Cross
workers can get the entire equipment
out Of storage and loaded inside an
hour
The Personnel of the Unit
Meantime the personnel Of the Unit
will be gathering for their trip to the
scene Of disaster by motor cars or by
train. The personnel consists Of two
surgeons and two assistant surgeons,
two physicians (medicaD, two spec
ialists, one X-ray technician, 80 Red
Cross nurses (women) and six male
nurses, one dietitian, one pharmacist,
two medical social service workers, a
cook and two assistant cooks, Is male
helpers and three stenographeFA BE-
sides business manager and two
assistants This personnel wiz be '"'
creased II necessary.
DR.. William 4. Laid OF Boston,
enrolled the medical personnel o.
Unit, and will be in comman'