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Show BED GKSS CilAPTSlS STROjSTiiEfj mm F0.1 DISASTER BELIEF Launch National Campaign to Perfect Preparedness Plans - in Every Community. A nation wide campaign to strengthen strength-en plans for preparedness against disaster dis-aster and tor emergency relief has been launched by the American Red Cross through Its Chautora. The program pro-gram Is intended to perfect disaster preparedness committees lu tho ten thousand communities reached by Rod Cross Chaptors and tholr branches. When curried out, through committees commit-tees of men and women In the communities. com-munities. It will Insure that should a disaster come, an organization for emorgency relief, Including every modern mothod science has perfected Buch as the radio, the airplane, the motor car and watercraft can be mobilized 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 strengthened plans for disaster relief are Bet forth in - the revised Red Cross manual, "When Disaster Strikes," which has bc-i placed In the hands of every Red Cross chairman throughout the nation. The plan to encourage adoption of these added disaster preparedness methods was begun at this lime because be-cause Red Cross records covering 48 years of disaster relief show that the period of the greatest number of disasters, large and small, ranges from the early Spring through the early Fall. The Record of 48 Yeari A historical summary of Red Cross disaster relief since 1SS2, shows that the society was active In giving relief re-lief In 93S domestic disasters and its expenditures In those relief operations were 149,594,000. The three groups of calamities appearing most frequently frequent-ly were: cyclones, tornadoes, hurricanes hurri-canes and other storms, 231; fires, 131; floods, 126. During this period, the Red Cross also has given assistance to distressed peoples of other countries In 153 disasters. dis-asters. Total expenditures for relief at home and throughout the world, in 43 years, amount to 577,354,000. In the tour most recent major disasters, dis-asters, among the greatest which hare ever vlsltei the American continent. con-tinent. Red Cross expenditures for relief re-lief totalled 29, 183,908. Only In the event of large disasters such as the Florida hurricane of 1926, the Mississippi Mis-sissippi Valley flood of 1927, the New England flood of the same Fall, and the West Indies hurricane of 1928, does the Red Cross seek contributions from the general public for relief work; and frequently these are not ample, as In the tour disasters listed, the Red Cross donated $1,338,201 from Its own treasury to aid In the work. In the event of smaller disasters, disas-ters, the cost of 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 a survey sur-vey of the surrounding country, with the assistance of engineers and other experts to determine the type of disaster dis-aster to which the section is subject. Hazards resulting from the presence of rivers aijd lakes, subject to overflow, over-flow, of mines, munition factories, and other industries wherein dangers from explosion and fires may exist, are singled out for consideration. Extension of existing disaster organizations or-ganizations In communities, and organization or-ganization of men and women, trained In public health and community service, ser-vice, will result In the saving of lives and the prevention of extensive suffering, suffer-ing, through privation, epidemic and othe'r misfortune, should emergency arise through disaster. These organization organ-ization plans, outlined in the manual, are similar to those now existing in most Red Cross Chapters, only strengthened In some particulars. They contemplate disaster preparedness 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. Co-ordination of all of the societies, organized groups and institutions In the locality Is urged, so that all effort for emergency relief will be directed without conflict. Trained In advance, these committees can swing Into action, ac-tion, and provide an orderly and systematic sys-tematic relief organization. |
