| Volunteers from California University of PA
Train To Be ‘Disaster-Ready’
Southpointe Center Director signs partnership with American Red Cross, offers staff and students as volunteers
Washington, PA – In a move to help neighborhoods respond better to emergencies - such as single- house fires or community-wide flooding or explosions – officials at California University’s Southpointe Center will create disaster training opportunities for its students and personnel.
The Washington-based university will sign a partnership agreement Tuesday, July 20, with the Southwestern Pennsylvania chapter of the American Red Cross, which will commit both organizations for up to 12 hours of free disaster training for each volunteer from the university.
“Ready When the Time Comes” is the name of the unique Red Cross program aimed at helping community members get the training they need to be ready to respond to natural or manmade disasters.
“After September 11th, we received close to 800 phone calls in a matter of days from local residents wondering what they could do to help,” said Tim Tassone, Chief Executive Officer for the local American Red Cross. “The truth is, unless you’re already trained by the Red Cross and ready to go, the extent of volunteerism at the time of crisis is limited. Now is the time to get trained so that we can call on your knowledge and expertise if - and when - that next emergency happens.”
In March, 2001, California University students experienced widespread flooding when the banks of the Monongahela River flooded. American Red Cross volunteers helped affected students – many who returned to flooded apartments after a weekend away – with services such as shelter, food and clothing.
“You never know when Red Cross disaster training will be needed,” says Tassone, “which is all the more reason to get trained now – but remain hopeful that it will never be needed.”
Cal U’s Executive Director of Southpointe and Workforce Development Stephanie Urchick agrees that trained volunteers will strengthen responses to both natural and manmade disasters in the region, but she is also committed to another noble cause – helping her adult, non-traditional students build a sense of community.
“I don’t want our Southpointe students to be PCP – going from the parking lot, to the classroom, and back to the parking lot,” Urchick says. “Working with the Red Cross helps volunteers to become better citizens, humanitarians and philanthropists. If we train to be ‘ready when the time comes,’ we will grow together in a new way, beyond academics, creating a stronger sense of community and a supportive environment for success.”
The official signing of “Ready When the Time Comes” between the two organizations will take place in Room 102 of California University of Pennsylvania’s Southpointe Center, Tuesday, July 20, at 1:30 p.m.
After the official signing, 13 students and staff will begin their comprehensive training by taking a two-hour Introduction to Disaster course at Southpointe Center. In the next few months, Red Cross will offer another 10 hours of disaster courses, such as: Mass Care (how to distribute and feed masses), Shelter Operations (how to create, manage and run a shelter), and Disaster Assessment (how to assess the magnitude of damage from a disaster, such as a storm, flooding or fire).
Volunteers who complete the required Red Cross training will be armed with the knowledge and skills to help respond when the Red Cross calls on them.
The American Red Cross, Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter, serves over 1.6 million people in Allegheny, Washington, Greene and Fayette counties. Locally, the Red Cross provides relief to the victims of more than 300 disasters each year, assists more than 1,000 military families by facilitating emergency messages between our deployed men and women in uniform and their loved ones here at home, as well as trains more than 45,000 individuals in vital lifesaving skills. The American Red Cross, Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter, is honored to support two senior volunteer programs, The Foster Grandparent Program and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, as well as the Homeless Prevention Services of Washington County. The American Red Cross is not a government agency, nor does it receive funding from its national headquarters except during times of large-scale disasters. It is only through the generosity of the people of southwestern Pennsylvania that the local Red Cross is able fulfill its mission to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters and other lifesaving emergencies. To donate or volunteer, call the American Red Cross, Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter, at 1-888-217-9599 or visit online at swpa.redcross.org.
California University of Pennsylvania’s Southpointe Center is dedicated to non-traditional students, making an effort to encourage and enrich Southwestern Pennsylvania’s work force through higher education. The Southpointe course schedule provides the opportunity for non-traditional students to continue working while taking classes in the evenings and on weekends. Its traditional student population is also on the rise, creating a unique and diverse atmosphere. California University of Pennsylvania – consisting of a main campus in California, Pa., Southpointe Center, in Canonsburg, and Regional Enterprise Towers, in Pittsburgh – has a population of approximately 5,800 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students. Cal U is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Visit the Cal U website at www.cup.edu.
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