Red Cross offers training

    BANGOR – The Pine Tree Chapter of the American Red Cross will offer a free disaster preparedness mini-institute Oct. 12-14. The weekend of classes and exercises will be held at Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor. The mini-institute, for people interested in becoming Red Cross disaster volunteers, for public safety employees and other caregivers, provides training in several aspects of disaster preparation and response.    “Your local Red Cross knows that the safety of people and their communities depends on services like these, and on trained volunteers to make sure that basic human needs are met whenever disaster or emergency strikes throughout our state, the country and the world,” said Hillary Roberts, the Pine Tree Chapter’s assistant director of emergency services. “That is why the weekend’s motto is ‘Training. Travel. Experience. Community.’ And that is also why the Chapter, in collaboration with co-sponsors Northern Medical Reserve Corps and Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, is offering this mini-institute.”
    The weekend’s wide variety of courses covers the fundamentals of disaster response for community members. Course completion qualifies participants to serve as Red Cross volunteers responding to local and national disasters. Training subjects include Psychological First Aid, Shelter Operations (including a shelter simulation exercise), Introduction to Incident Command for Health Care and Hospitals, Health Services Response, Disaster Assessment, Emergency Response Vehicles, Foundations of Disaster Mental Health, Client Casework and Emergency Assistance, Logistics, Working with Total Diversity, Restoring Family Links: An Introduction to International Tracing, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Humanity in the Midst of War: An introduction to International Humanitarian Law.
    All disaster preparedness mini-institute trainings are free. All materials, lunch, and snacks are provided at no charge to participants. For information and a course schedule, or to register, contact Hillary Roberts at (207) 941-2903 in Bangor, 762-5671 in Presque Isle, 667-4737 in Ellsworth, or 594-4576 in Rockland, or e-mail robertsh@pinetree.redcross.org.