Red Cross offers six terrorism courses

The American Red Cross in Greater New York (Red Cross) has announced the availability of a new series of six web-based training courses that will help volunteers better prepare to provide humanitarian services following a disaster created by weapons of mass destruction or other acts of terrorism.
Developed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the courses are available at www.dhs-ngo-pilot.org.
“These online courses allow people to train during a time convenient to them and yet the curriculum ensures that they receive comprehensive instruction that will help them enhance their capacity to respond to their own or their community’s humanitarian needs during an emergency,” said Randy Jones, Red Cross director, training and exercises.
Jones said, “Everyone in Queens, and in our city, needs to be prepared personally for the common emergencies that occur every day, such as fires, flooding and blackouts. The online training takes that personal or household training to the next level, in which trained volunteers will be ready to support their neighborhoods should a larger disaster, such as a terrorist attack, occur.”
“For example, if the gas-like odor that occurred in parts of the city recently became a serious emergency, volunteers trained in humanitarian services would have been ready to open and staff shelters in Queens. They might have to perform other duties such as distribute food and supplies, if people had to evacuate their homes or stay at a shelter for a long time,” Jones said.
The national training program, which will reach tens of thousands of volunteers at community groups, civic associations and religious organizations, will improve the management and planning of a response and recovery from a weapons of mass destruction/terrorist incident.
The courses explain food and supplies distribution, sheltering and the mental health support that will be required by the local population following a disaster. The courses involve participants in scenarios exercises, provide a checklist for each lesson and offer evaluations of the course material. About one hour is required to complete each course.
The Red Cross is a humanitarian partner and a key participant in New York’s plans and programs to help the nine million people in New York City and Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Sullivan counties prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.
In Queens, the Red Cross is located at 138-02 Queens Boulevard in Briarwood. For more information, call 718-558-0053.