County seeks Red Cross volunteers from fire auxiliaries and updates shelter inventory for WebEOC transfer

Columbia County emergency staff told the LEPC they are working with the Department of Social Services and the county fire coordinator to recruit Red Cross volunteers from fire company auxiliaries to assist with sheltering and post‑fire financial assistance. The county said auxiliaries would be trained and called when needed to provide in‑person support and help operate shelters.

Why it matters: staff said Columbia County has fewer volunteers available for in‑person disaster responses and that increasing auxiliary volunteer capacity will reduce reliance on virtual support and electronic transfers when households suffer major damage from fire.

Supporting details and shelter planning: emergency management staff are updating shelter surveys and must upload site information to the WebEOC system by year end. The county will consult LEPC members to designate which locations will serve as primary, secondary or removed shelter sites; Red Cross will continue to oversee shelter inspections and agreements. Staff said they will share the updated shelter list once finalized and requested LEPC feedback on primary/secondary status.

Next steps: recruit and train auxiliary volunteers for Red Cross sheltering, finalize shelter site designations and complete WebEOC upload before the end of the year.