A grand opening celebration took place recently at the new headquarters for the Ventura County chapter of the American Red Cross, the Betty R. Plotkin Center, 836 Calle Plano, Camarillo.

The new 11,000-square-foot building was donated by Peter Plotkin in honor of his late wife, who was a Red Cross nurse and volunteer.

Several dignitaries were in attendance and gave presentations, including Ventura County Supervisor Kathy Long, Camarillo Mayor Don Waunch, Ventura County Fire Chief Bob Roper, Capt. Brad Connors, and Chris Johnson, CEO of the American Red Cross of Ventura County.

Attendees were able to tour the new facility and see the many features such as the energysaving motion-sensor lighting and the recycled materials used throughout the building. Guests also toured training areas and the mobile kitchen, used to prepare meals in times of disaster.

The building, the first "green" Red Cross facility in the United States, is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified with a silver certification and is the first Red Cross chapter in the country to have this designation.

The headquarters serves as a Red Cross hub and allows the local chapter to better serve the community during times of crisis.

The new facility also allows the chapter to expand the training in lifesaving skills and better train volunteers, serves as a centralized location to store disaster relief equipment, food and supplies for the 10 cities within the county.

With an ability to consolidate its services, the Red Cross also is developing a more comprehensive Emergency Operation Center, from which disaster responses are coordinated with nonprofit partners and governmental emergency response agencies.

Serving all residents of Ventura County, the American Red Cross provides relief to victims of disaster and helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

The Disaster Response Team provides food, clothing and shelter in emergency situations from a single house fire to larger catastrophes.

Ongoing preparedness classes, including health and safety training, CPR, first aid and youth service programs, are all conducted at the headquarters.