Red Cross, county preparing for pandemic flu outbreak

NEWTON - The Sussex County Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Sussex County Division of Health are joining forces to educate and prepare County residents for what scientists and medical professionals believe is inevitable: an outbreak of pandemic flu in the United States that could kill millions of Americans. A joint workshop on the pandemic flu threat will be presented at the Red Cross Chapter’s third annual Together We Prepare Disaster Training Weekend slated for this coming weekend, July 28-30, 2006, at Sussex County Community College in Newton. The presentation will be open to the general public and will be held free of charge Saturday, July 29, 2006, between 10 - 11 a.m., and again on Sunday, July 30, 2006, between 1 - 2 p.m. Those wishing to attend can pre-register by calling (9730 579-1600, ext. 13. The presentation, and the entire Disaster Training Weekend, have been made possible by a $5,000 grant to the Sussex County Chapter of the American Red Cross by the FirstEnergy Foundation, which is funded solely by FirstEnergy Corp., the parent company of Jersey Central Power & Light, a FirstEnergy electric operating company which serves much of Sussex County. According to Patricia S. Day, Executive Director of the Sussex County Chapter of the American Red Cross, “The goal and purpose of this year’s Disaster Training Weekend is to begin preparing for a possible pandemic flu outbreak in the United States and here in Sussex County. But our immediate objective is to provide our local volunteers with significant amounts of high quality advanced disaster training, and to deliver this training from the best instructors available in the Mid-Atlantic Region.” Day noted the Chapter’s Disaster Training Weekend would not be possible were it not for the support of the FirstEnergy Foundation and JCP&L. “We are honored to have received a generous grant from FirstEnergy which enabled the Chapter to create our Third Annual Disaster Training Weekend here in Sussex County,” she said. Day also thanked Clear Channel Radio or media sponsorship of the weekend, and its active on-air promotion of the Disaster Training Weekend through a series of public service announcements. The Sussex County Red Cross Chapter emphasized that Disaster Training Weekend is open to and welcomes new volunteers. “Volunteer orientation and training will continue to be an important part of the Disaster Training Weekend despite the highlighted goal of providing more than the usual amount of advanced and supervisory training options,” said Day. Team (CERT) program, which is administered through the County Office of Emergency Management. Also featured during the Disaster Training Weekend will be the Red Cross Fire Safety Trailer, a simulated house in a 29-ft. trailer which is designed to teach fire safety to young children from pre-K ages up to second or third grade. The fire safety trailer will be an adjunct to a Red Cross “Kids’ Corner” for children to learn and play fun safety games and learn lifesaving information in a fun, hands-on, way. Face painting and “goody bags” will be available. For more information, contact Ron Marin, Public Relations Associate, at the Sussex County Chapter of the American Red Cross, 93 Spring Street, Newton, NJ 07860. Telephone is (973) 579-1600 (ext. 25). E-mail is rmarin@sussexredcross.org.