American Red Cross trailer arrives in Douglas County

As the Disaster Action Team Leader for Douglas County, I was on hand for the arrival of the American Red Cross shelter trailer on Jan. 29.

Also taking part were Tom Stames, administrator and chairman of the Disaster Services Activities Committee; Anne Harris, Disaster Action Team member whose primary focus is animal disaster rescue; and Sgt. Tom Mezzetta of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

This shelter trailer is equipped with the materials needed to set up a shelter in the event of a disaster. There are three of these in place in the area - Incline Village, Carson City, and now Douglas County.

The trailer contains cots, blankets, coolers, coffee pot, paper goods, office supplies, personal hygiene items, as well as coffee, tea, and condiments.

The idea is that we can take the trailer to the shelter site and be open within minutes for those affected by a disaster whereas before we needed to wait for supplies to be brought down from Reno while the shelter was being opened.

This will be immensely helpful in providing comfort to those affected.

It will also mean that we can focus immediately on the clients' needs, and the support systems we have with other businesses and agencies can be accessed quicker.

This translates into better and more efficient services to those affected.

If you have never been in a shelter situation, it can be quite overwhelming and exhilarating at the same time.

People have just left their homes - maybe they have lost everything; maybe they are in shock; perhaps they don't know where their pets or family members are; they may need medical attention; at the very least, they need comfort and a friendly face - someone to listen and help them through this traumatic event.

The Red Cross helps with the basic needs-food, clothing, shelter-and acts as liaison between other agencies in partner services.

There are referral forms to identify the clients to other agencies that can provide the services or products that the individuals may need.

Each disaster yields different challenges and provides a wealth of information on how to do it better. We have learned from Hurricane Katrina, floods and earthquakes, the Mizpah fire, and the Waterfall fire in Carson City.

It is through the generosity of the community and the donations received during and after the Waterfall fire that provided the funds to purchase and stock these trailers.

The donations received locally are kept in the area. If you are interested in donating, you can contact the office in Reno at (775) 856-1000 or go to their Web site www.nevada.redcross.org.

If you are interested in volunteering with the Red Cross, please contact either the Reno office or myself directly.

We are currently planning and scheduling training classes for new volunteers that will be held here in Douglas County to make it easier than having to make the drive to Reno for training. There is no cost to volunteer-just a willingness to help your neighbor.

Our chairman of the board for the Northern Nevada Chapter, Gayl Thomas, sums it up best when she explains that the reason she continues to be active in the Red Cross today is because of an experience she had years ago. She was working in a shelter when an elderly lady came up to her with tears in her eyes and said, "What would we do without the Red Cross."

Have a ramblin' good week!

-- To reach Gail Davis, e-mail RuhenstrothRamblings@yahoo.com or call 265-1947.