American Red Cross offers disaster response training

Monroe — Are you ready and able to help family, friends, co-workers and neighbors during an emergency? A free disaster training class offered by the Orange-Sullivan and Rockland-Putnam area offices of the American Red Cross in Greater New York (ARC/GNY) will help residents prepare to respond effectively during a local emergency. The free five and one-half-hour training session, conducted by highly experienced instructors from ARC/GNY and hosted by Rep. Sue Kelly, will be held from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30, at the Orange-Ulster BOCES Learning Center, 163 Harriman Heights Road. “All of us can play an important role in helping our communities during an emergency,” Kelly said in the press release announcing the program. “The American Red Cross provides remarkable services and assistance to millions of people during all types of disasters nationwide. The free training that the Red Cross is providing in our area this month is an ideal way for us to learn from the experts about how we can properly prepare and respond to an emergency.” September is National Preparedness Month and ARC/GNY is committed to expanding its programs and community outreach to help residents and businesses better understand the importance of emergency preparedness. The Red Cross responds to more than 3,000 local emergencies each year and helps nine million people in New York City and Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Sullivan counties prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. “This free training is designed to prepare county residents to serve as Red Cross disaster response volunteers,” said Elizabeth Popovich, director for ARC/GNY in Orange and Sullivan counties. “Once certified, our volunteers will be able to support their community during a local emergency and support large-scale relief efforts elsewhere in the country.” To register online, visit www.nyredcross.org/fasttrack. For more information, contact ARC/GNY at 845-294-9785.