Show ea L CROSS GROSS CHAPTERS strengthen FORCES FOR DISASTER RELIEF launch national campaign to perfect preparedness plans in every community A nation wide campaign to strength en plans for or preparedness against dis aster and for or emergency relle relief has been launched by the Arge american rican red lied cross through its chapters the program Is intended to perfect disaster preparedness committees in the ten thousand communities reached by red cross Gh chapters apters and their branches when carried out through commit tees of 0 men and women in the corn it will insure that should a disaster come an organization for or emergency relle relief including every modern method science has perfected such tuch as the radio the airplane the motor car and watercraft water cratt craft can be in mobilized 0 to bring assistance with the promptitude applied by the red cross in recent major disasters such as the west indies hurricane and the mississippi valley flood these enlarged and atren strengthened plans for or disaster relief are set st forth in the revised red cross manual when disaster strikes which has been placed in the hands of every red cross chairman throughout the nation the plan to enco encourage grage adoption of these added disaster preparedness methods was begun at this time because red cross records covering 48 years of disaster relief show that the period of the greatest number of disA disasters stera large and small ranges from the early spring through the early fall the record of 43 yean A historical summary of red cross disaster relief since 1882 ahr 8 that the society was active in giving re lief in domestic disasters and its expenditures in those relief operations were 49 the three groups of calamities appearing most frequent ly were cyclones tornadoes hurri canes and other storms fires tires floods during this period the red cross also has given assistance to distressed i peoples of other countries in dis asters total expenditures tor for relief at home and throughout the world in 48 years amount to in the tour four most recent major dis asters among the greatest which hare have ever visited the american co con u red cross expenditures tor for r relief e to 29 ISS only in the event of lare large disasters such as the florida hurricane of 1926 the mis sis sippi valley flood of 1927 the new england flood of the same pall fall and the west indies hurricane of 1928 does the red cross seek contribution from the general public for relief work and frequently these are not ample as in the four tour disasters dl basters listed the red cross donated from its own treasury to aid in the work in the event of smaller dibas the cost of 0 the relief Is met largely from red cross resources no community immune no community Is immune to great disasters of one type or another the manual shows one preparedness measure that can be adopted Is ft A sur our vey of he fhe surrounding country with the assistance of engineers and other experts to determine the type of ot dis aster to which the section Is subject hazards resulting from the presence of rivers and lakes subject to over flow of mines factories and other industries wherein dangers from explosion and fires may exist are singled out for consideration extension of existing disaster or in communities and or of men and women trained in public health and community eer ser rice vice will result in the saving of lives and the prevention of extensive suffer ing through privation epidemic and other misfortune should emergency arise through disaster these organ leation plans outlined in the manual are similar to those now existing in most red cross chapters only strengthened in some particulars they contemplate disaster prepared ness and relief committees under which function sub committees on food clothing shelter medical aid registration of disaster sufferers and information service transportation and communication and finance ordination coordination co of all of the societies organized groups and institutions in tha the locality Is urged so that all effort tor for emergency relief will be directed without conflict trained in advance these committees can swing into ac tion and provide an orderly and relief organization the following are expenditures made by be american national fled red cross for relief in the four most recent major disasters F florida I 1 0 r I 1 d a hurricane 1926 t 07 mississippi V valley a I 1 10 y flood 1927 is 16 new england flood 1927 west indies hurri cane 1928 47 60 |