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Red Cross urges preparedness, offers sheltering and 'sound the alarm' installs
Summary
Red Cross staff told the commission they are shifting to preparedness season: they run sheltering training, can open shelters at county request, and will install free smoke detectors through a 'Sound the Alarm' program while continuing disaster-action team support for families affected by fire.
Janine Hess, the new Community Disaster Program Manager for the Red Cross, told commissioners the Red Cross is shifting toward preparedness now that fire season is ending in the region, and that the organization runs sheltering trainings and community programs for schools and families.
"So when we get a call to open a shelter, that is gonna typically come down from the county," Hess said, explaining that Red Cross opens shelters under county activation and works with local partner facilities when available.
Chris Hitchcock, the Red Cross regional sheltering lead, said the Red Cross provides shelter setup and teardown, and fielded questions about whether Blue Lake has a designated local shelter; she said Fortuna is a primary shelter in the county and some secondary locations are available. Hess described the Red Cross "sound the alarm" smoke-detector program — free installations for qualifying homes — and disaster action teams that provide immediate on-scene assistance to families after fires.
Commissioners asked whether the Red Cross has a primary Blue Lake shelter; staff said the county designates openings and that the Rancheria (Blue Lake Rancheria) and nearby facilities have offered capacity under agreements in the past. Red Cross staff urged residents to sign up for alarm installs and to use the organization's redcross.org site for information.
