Red Cross Trains Port Washington Team in Disaster Relief

Members of the Port Washington Crisis Relief team are bolstering their ability to respond to a disaster, thanks to Red Cross training.

Recently accepted into the Red Cross “Ready When the Time Comes” program, the Crisis Relief Team is now receiving free, formal training by the Red Cross. The program will enable the team to assist Port Washington during times of crisis with the support of local emergency services and town and county emergency services.

“The American Red Cross is an important official partner of ours that provides invaluable expertise, training, experience and resources that mutually benefits both organizations should a crisis like Sandy, another fire or any disaster strike Port Washington again,” said Rob Seiden, the Crisis Relief Team’s president.

It was those two incidents – Hurricane Sandy, leaving many on the peninsula without power for up two weeks, and the fire on Main Street, leaving families displaced – from which Port Washington’s Crisis Relief Team emerged. Each time, residents rolled up their sleeves and helped to provide food, shelter, information, and friendship.

Read more about how the Crisis Relief Team got its start.

And while many in the community would agree that these efforts provided a lifeline in a time of need, the team is working now to become even stronger.

“The more prepared and trained we are the more our community will benefit,” Seiden added. “The paradigm we created through this partnership and other partnerships are at the cutting edge of disaster management at the local level whereby community volunteers can assist in sheltering, feeding and aiding their fellow residents.”

On Saturday, Red Cross training took place at the Protection Fire House on S. Washington Street. There, under Red Cross leaders including Assistant Director of Emergency Services Kenneth English, volunteers learned about working as a team in order to meet the needs of people displaced by disaster. The course included strategies for opening a shelter and keeping the people in it safe, fed and informed, along with tips for entertainment, and effectively working with the media in order to maintain privacy for those displaced. Other pointers included working with health services and mental health services.

This was the second training session for the group, with plans for more.

“We want to be able to respond to our town’s needs,” said Elise May, a board member of the Crisis Relief Team.

Dave Franklin, a Port Washington Police commissioner who sits on the Crisis Relief Team’s advisory board, put it this way: “The ultimate goal is to serve the needs of others and have Port residents run a Port shelter."

Learn more about how to get involved with the Port Washington Crisis Relief Team. 

Editor's Note: Adina Genn, the author of this article, is receiving Red Cross Ready When the Time Comes training with the Port Washington Crisis Relief Team, to assist in the event of a disaster. Volunteering plays an important role at Patch, which recently held its Give 5 week, where employees are encouraged to give back to the community.