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Red Cross tells Columbia County residents: Assemble kits, make plans, know your shelter options
Summary
At a Columbia County committee meeting, an American Red Cross disaster manager urged residents to prepare household and go kits, make evacuation plans, and use New York Alert and local shelter lists in emergencies, and described how the Red Cross coordinates shelter openings with county emergency management.
Erica Vaux Flores, the American Red Cross community disaster program manager for Columbia, Dutchess and Putnam counties, briefed a Columbia County committee on basic household preparedness and shelter coordination, and urged residents to ‘‘get a kit, make a plan, and be informed.’’
Flores said disasters ‘‘happen with little to no notice, and they can only happen anywhere,’’ and outlined the Red Cross three-step guidance: a household kit for sheltering in place, a portable ‘‘go bag’’ for evacuation, and staying informed through official alerting systems. She told the committee the household kit should contain at least three days of supplies and that ‘‘up to two weeks is better,’’ and recommended checking kits at least every six months.
The presentation also addressed hazardous-materials incidents and local sheltering logistics. Flores said the Red Cross works with local partners, including the Columbia-Greene Community College and the county emergency management team, to identify shelter sites and open shelters when requested by incident command. She said, ‘‘All pets are accepted at our shelters,’’ and described coordination with local humane organizations to support animals. The Red Cross maintains a stocked trailer for overnight sheltering and a larger warehouse in Albany for additional supplies.
Flores described how authorities decide whether to shelter in place or evacuate and advised residents on steps for both: indoors, close doors and windows and turn off HVAC/vents when asked to shelter in place; if evacuating, follow directions from incident command and move to an identified shelter. On chemical exposures she emphasized that people can be exposed without seeing or smelling anything and advised avoiding mixing chemicals (for example, bleach and ammonia), following product instructions, and contacting local waste facilities for proper disposal.
Committee members and Red Cross volunteers discussed local notification methods. Flores said the Red Cross expects official notifications to use New York Alert and other emergency-alert tools, which can target by ZIP code and geo-fencing. She said the Red Cross updates its shelter list with input from county emergency management and will open shelters ‘‘if they need us to open a shelter,’’ after confirming which specific site is safe.
The committee noted items to follow up before its next meeting in August, including confirming contact lists for shelter sites and inviting emergency communications staff to brief the group on 9-1-1 operations and alerting mechanics. No formal motions or votes were recorded during the session; the exchange was a staff presentation and discussion.
The presentation included practical recommendations for households (food, water, first-aid supplies, copies of important records, and comfort items for children), special planning for people with access and functional needs, and placing secondary kits at work and in vehicles. Flores said many local shelters are school sites and that the Red Cross will supply food and basic needs when a shelter opens.
Committee members thanked the Red Cross presenters and agreed to continue coordinating shelter lists and contacts with county emergency management ahead of the next scheduled meeting.
