Red Cross Volunteer System Meets The Call

Another huge killer tornado in Missouri leaves at least 116 dead.

The American Red Cross, as a first responder agency, has been able to pull even more volunteers in to help despite the current need in Alabama and beyond from the twisters last month.

"Fortunately the American Red Cross has a significant infrastructure of volunteers, in particular, and staff who over see those  volunteers throughout the country."

Red Cross CEO in Cheyenne, David Block, says during large disasters, or in this case, multiple large disasters, when regional volunteers may not be enough, they use a national data base called the Disaster Human Resources System or DSHR.

" So when a larger event occurs there are folks already identified within that system with certain skills. Then a call is put out and then each chapter, such as the American Red Cross of Wyoming, is then responsible for identifying people that are part of the DSHR system that might have an interest in being deployed."

He says the great thing is that most are volunteers,  keeping  costs down significantly.

He says financial contributions have been very generous.

"In our country there is just an incredible level of generosity on the part of citizens to donate their time, leave their jobs, be willing to deploy to other states. Its really quite a display of generosity of spirit."

Click here for more information on the Disaster Human Resources System http://www.redcrossoflc.org/DSHR.htm

Click here if you'd like to sign up  http://claremont.redcross.org/DSHRApplicationPkg.pdf