More Montanans Disaster Trained

With public interest piqued by major national disasters like the record-setting hurricane season in Florida, devastating California wildfires and severe early-winter storms, the American Red Cross of Montana trained nearly 700 individuals in disaster response courses in the last half of 2004. “If that pace continues during the next six months, Montana and our nation will be better able to respond to the next disaster, whatever it may be,” says chapter CEO Wil Huett.

 The eight offices of the Red Cross in Montana offer disaster training classes on a regular basis. “Although the classes are free to participants,” says Huett, “there is expense involved. That’s why we’re both proud and grateful to have a partnership with the Qwest Foundation which helps underwrite these training costs this fiscal year.”

 “The training materials are relatively inexpensive,” Huett says, “because they are standardized nationally. You use the same materials and get the same training in Montana as you get in Manhattan or Miami. That’s what allows us to bring people from various parts of the country together at a disaster site and have them immediately work as an effective team. But with the materials and overhead there is a definite cost to training people to respond. Those dollars have to come from donations just as the disaster relief we offer victims does. So a grant like the Qwest partnership is tremendously helpful.”

 A total of 116 disaster classes attracted 673 enrollees and 670 completed at least one course. Trained Red Cross volunteers may respond to local, state or national disasters depending on training and availability. Individuals interested in Red Cross disaster training should contact the nearest office.

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