Red Cross begins expansion campaign
By Michelle Knight knight@theacorn.com

Donning hard hats and swinging sledgehammers, county officials knocked holes in the symbolic Wall of Disaster at the new headquarters of the American Red Cross of Ventura County last week to begin the agency's 2008 expansion campaign.

The Red Cross' $2million Disaster Action Team initiative will create a centralized training and communications center in Camarillo and expand the number of volunteer response teams, known as Disaster Action Teams, throughout the county.

Ventura County is among the state's most disaster-prone counties, experts say. Chris Johnson, CEO of the American Red Cross of Ventura County, said that the county faces threats from wildfires, earthquakes, floods and landslides in addition to high surf, train derailments and hazardous materials spills, adding up to an average of 70 disasters a year.

"The rash of recent wildfires and community safety concerns have made area residents aware that we should step up our level of local preparedness," Johnson said.

As part of the campaign, the agency will try to have at least 8 percent of the county's population prepared for emergencies and have a Disaster Action Team in every community. Johnson said he wants the teams' community presence to be as ubiquitous as fire stations.

Disaster Action Teams are made up of volunteers trained by the Red Cross in CPR, first aid and some or all of the agency's 24 disaster response services. Each two-person team can be called out to an emergency at any hour of the day to help victims with their immediate and long-term needs.

Ventura County Fire Chief Bob Roper said his agency knows the value of Red Cross volunteers. While firefighters have the job of putting out fires, Disaster Action Teams attend to the physical and emotional needs of victims.

"We begin to rebuild people's lives that night on the curb in front of (the) house," he said.

With the recent donation of the agency's headquarters, a $1.2million building that will be the training and communications hub, the local Red Cross chapter is well past the halfway mark of reaching its goal of $2 million.

To raise the remaining $800,000 to renovate and furnish the center and expand the volunteer network, the agency plans to seek corporate donations and community fundraising challenges. Johnson said he plans to meet with community service groups and clubs and officials from all 10 Ventura County cities to gain their support.

The American Red Cross of Ventura County is not a government agency but relies solely on donations. The agency has an annual budget of about $1.8 million, employs nearly 20 staff members and is dependent on more than 1,200 volunteers. The Red Cross spends 86 cents from every dollar on programs and services.