Red Cross to hold disaster training in Henderson


The Central North Carolina chapter of the American Red Cross is training volunteers to respond to disasters with free seminars throughout its region, which includes Vance County.

Three training sessions are set for this spring in Henderson:

* “Disaster Assessment I” on Thursday, April 28. “Learn how to determine the size and scope of a disaster and the level of damage sustained by residential dwellings.”

* “Disaster Action Team Workshop” on Tuesday, May 24. This program “trains volunteers to respond to the scene and assist victims of local home fires and other disasters with emergency needs such as overnight lodging, food and clothing.” Those volunteers become part of a team and are on call every four to six weeks.

* “Family Services: Providing Emergency Assistance” on Saturday, June 4. This program “develops the interviewing skills, knowledge, attitudes and relationships needed to meet individual disaster-caused needs on relief operations.”

Each session will run from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Henry A. Dennis Building, 300 S. Garnett St.

Upcoming Red Cross sessions in Granville County include “Weapons of Mass Destruction/Terrorism” next Tuesday and “Disaster Mental Health: An Overview” on Thursday, June 16, in Oxford and “Shelter Operations” and “Shelter Simulation” on June 21 and 23 in Creedmoor.

For more information or to register for the free training, call 919-489-6541, ext. 341 or 336, or e-mail emergservdurham@usa.redcross.org or shrewsburyc@usa.redcross.org (Christopher Shrewsbury, the associate director of emergency services for the Central North Carolina chapter).

The Vance County coordinator for the Red Cross is Rick Norwood, who’s available at 438-4813 or vancearc@vance.net.