The following statements are from local leaders who have worked with Red Cross in varying capacities, and understand the importance of emergency preparedness.

“Emergency preparedness needs to be a cooperative effort between citizens, businesses, and the government. You never know when an emergency may strike, or in what form it will come. Katrina was a huge lesson for everyone; it showed the chaos that can result when we aren’t prepared. Our training program with the Red Cross helped us think through the details that are important during a time of emergency.”

“Our company has been working with the Red Cross since we developed our crisis evacuation team in 2002, and I can’t say enough about the assistance they’ve provided. Like it was for so many, 9/11 was a big wakeup call. Since then, our emergency program has evolved for the better, and we try to continue improving it every year. The Red Cross has been a big help with that. We work with them annually to maintain our CPR, AED, and first aid certifications.”

 

“It’s vital that all businesses have contingency plans in place for all situations so they can react quickly and get back to serving people as soon as possible. The Red Cross helps make that happen.”

 

“Emergency preparedness is important to us because we care about employees, their safety, and want them to feel comfortable knowing we’ve got plans in place in the event of an emergency. We share our written emergency plan with our staff, and everyone participates in the practice drills. I think it’s provided real peace of mind.”

“In our every day life, we often don’t stop to think about potential emergencies. Preparedness usually comes to the forefront when there’s severe weather, or after a disaster, but it’s really something that needs to be thought through when things are running smoothly. It seems simple, but awareness and education are important factors to readiness. Just knowing who to call, where to go, or what supplies are necessary can make huge differences.”

 

“A highlight of the Red Cross training was the way that it incorporated information on personal emergency preparation. Here in our school, we are constantly re-evaluating and assessing our school emergency plan. The Red Cross helped to translate preparedness into the homes of our staff and students' families.

 

“Kids handle emergencies very well if they know what to do ahead of time. We had an unexpected evacuation last winter, and the children handled it very well, very matter-of-factly. It’s amazing — I’ve even seen children tell their parents exactly what they need to do in case of emergency!” 

 

“After working with the Red Cross, we now have a heightened awareness of the importance of both school and family emergency preparedness plans. All members of a community need to work together to develop a plan that everyone is comfortable with. It’s important to think things through and plan — not just react to emergencies.”

“By the time a student in our school reaches 8^th grade, they’ve received both disaster and first aid training from the Red Cross. Having students with these skills makes me feel more comfortable as a school nurse — these trainings are a great complement to the emergency procedures we already have in place. It’s an education for our staff too. Many find themselves saying “I didn’t know that!”