Are you ready for a disaster?

ANDALUSIA, Ala. (Tuesday, April 7, 2009) – With the recent severe storms and floods that swept through Covington County, the local chapter of the American Red Cross is busily preparing free training courses to help volunteers “Be Red Cross Ready” and able to respond to any disaster. The first class is scheduled for Friday, April 10.

Friday’s class, Client Casework, will provide volunteers with the skills needed to assist residents when disaster strikes, by laying the foundations for emergency assistance, emergency shelter needs, and more.

“This is not a shelter operations class,” says Jeffery Biggs, executive director of the Covington County Chapter. “This is a class that involves talking with disaster victims and assisting them in getting the help they need when disaster strikes. It’s one of the most important parts of emergency assistance – it’s one of the first steps in helping a disaster victim start their life over.”

In addition to the Client Casework class, the chapter has scheduled classes for Service to the Armed Forces, Shelter Operations, and Mass Care in the coming weeks and months. More information will be made available closer to time for those classes.

The class, which will be taught at the Red Cross office in Andalusia, begins at 9 a.m. Pre-registration is needed in order to prepare class materials. Registration for this free class can be made by calling the Red Cross office at 428-2680, or by stopping by the office at 234 Hillcrest Drive in Andalusia (inside the Covington County Administration Building).

For additional information, call 334-428-2680.