The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1945-07-21

the Key West Chapter, American
Red Cross Disaster Preparedness
Committee is now able to cope
] with the situation, even to the
proportions of a major catastro-
phe such as an island-wide hurri-
cane.
A meeting of all members of the
committee was held at chapter
/, headquarters on Tuesday to re-
,, view all points of the written
outline which the group has spent
the past two months in prepar-
ing.
Major Robert F. Spottswood
Chairman, and Fred j. Miller
vice-chairman presided and dis
cussed every point of the out
/ line with members of all subcom-
mitteeS.
Complete coordination of the
Navy Disaster Committee with
that of the local chapter was ex-
planned by Mrs. Madeleine l.
Browne, executive secretary oi
the chapter, who has attended
the Navy Yard meetings. (
The Navy Yard, Mrs. Browne
said, will assume complete re-
sponsibility for all residents, both
military and civilian of the Mac
Arthur Homes, beginning at luth
Street, West Poinciana and Poin-
ciana. Transportation has been
made available and pickup sta
tions will be made public in the
near future.
The Red Cross Disaster Com
mittee will evacuate all remain
ing residents of the island from
10th Street, west of the Mac Ar
thur Homes. Local business firms
have donated the use of trucks
and drivers for this purpose. The
Florida Motor Lines has promised
cooperation in evacuating resi-
dents of the Keys who seek re-
fuge in Key West shelters, it was
stated. Stuart Walker is COM
mittee chairman in charge of
evacuating the Keys.
Frederick F. Van Der Linden,
Red Cross field director, stationed
at MOB. is the liaison between
the Military and local chapter
disaster committees and will AS
sist in accomplishing complete ce-
ordination between tAsstwo ~eoFss'
mittees to the end that maximum
protection will be afforded to all
inhabitants IT," .'''.
: In explaining the responsibility
of the American Red Cross, Mr..
Spottswood said: >
The Red Cross responsibility
to relieve human suffering caused
by natural> disaster rests upon
every chapter and upon the nat
ional organization. Neither has
the right to surrcnded the duties
which the government has laid
upon the Red Cross and which
the American people expect the
Red Cross to perform.
Chartered by Act of Congress
of the United States in 1905 as
the Nations official Disaster Re
lief Organization, the Red Cross
has both an official and moral
mandate to relieve human suffer
ing when disaster strikes.
when five or more families
are affected by disaster and aid
or service is given, the situation
is recorded us Il disaster in which
the Red Gross has given aid.
Representative business men as
well as city and county officials
comprise an active disaster com
mittec in the Key West Chapter
which embraces the Red Cross
activities of the smaller communi-
tics spread over the Keys through
out Monroe County.
From the first alert, warning
Key Westcrs of an impending dis
astcr, the Red Cross begins to
function Immediately. opening
shelters, installing committee
members at their various posts
of duty, and notifying residents
through all available means of
communication.
In case of d hurricane advance
warnings are generally given as
much as "a hours in advance, thus
preparing the area in its path.
Newspaper stories and radio re-
ports will keep the people of
Monroe County we'll informed as
to the scope of the disaster and
the Red Cross preparations for
taking the best possible precau-
tons to avert physical suffering
arranged and prestocked shelf
The maximum amount of food