General Answers:

What is the role of the Red Cross in times of conflict?

• As the United States prepares for possible war with Iraq, the American Red Cross plays a number of roles, beginning with helping local residents become better prepared to deal with unforeseen emergencies.
  

• Another major role of the Red Cross during military activity is providing an emergency communication link for members of the military and their families. The primary mission of the Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Service (AFES) is to relay emergency messages between service members and their families in times of family crisis, such as a death or serious illness at home.
  

• As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the American Red Cross supports the provision of humanitarian relief to war victims during an armed conflict.
  

• This support includes offering assistance to civilians affected by the conflict, trying to reunite families that have been separated, and sending Red Cross messages on behalf of prisoners of war and displaced civilians. Assistance is provided in accordance with the International Red Cross fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality and neutrality.
  

• Read more about the Red Cross role.

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What should I do to prepare my family/school/business for a disaster?

• The American Red Cross has developed a set of guidelines for individuals, families, neighborhoods, schools and businesses. Read more.

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Where can I buy a disaster preparedness kit?

• Your local American Red Cross chapter has disaster preparedness kits available for purchase. View our on-line products catalog.

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What do I need to include in my disaster preparedness kit?

• You should keep enough supplies in your home to meet your needs for at least three days. Build a Disaster Supplies Kit to take with you in an evacuation.
  

• The basics you should stock in your portable kit include: water, food, first aid supplies, a change of clothing and blanket or sleeping bag, emergency tools (like flashlights, radio, batteries), and special items for infants, elderly or disabled. Keep these items in an easy-to carry container-such as a covered trash container, a large backpack, or a duffle bag.
  

• Read more about what to include in your Disaster Supplies Kit.

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How do I handle the fears and concerns of my children/students?

• The American Red Cross has resources available that can help children deal with terrorism and tragic events. See the lessons and activities titled Facing Fear: Helping Children Deal With Terrorism and Tragic Events. Read more.

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How can I send cards, letters, or toiletries to U.S. troops?

• Please contact your American Red Cross Mount Rainier Chapter 
  Serving Pierce, Thurston, Mason, and Lewis Counties

•  

  Tacoma - Pierce County Office 1235 South Tacoma Way Tacoma, WA 98409-8048 Map / Driving Directions (253) 474-0400 TEL (253) 473-4843 FAX	Olympia - Thurston County Office 2618 Twelfth Ct SW Olympia, WA 98502-5715 Map / Driving Directions (360) 352-8575 TEL (360) 352-0861 FAX
  Shelton - Mason County Office 105 W Railroad Avenue Shelton, WA 98584-3538 Map / Driving Directions (360) 426-3400 TEL (360) 426-3462 FAX	Chehalis - Lewis County Office 734 S Market Blvd Chehalis, WA 98532-3420 Map / Driving Directions (360) 748-4607 TEL (360) 748-3391 FAX

• Contact your local American Red Cross chapter for more information. 

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How do I become a Red Cross volunteer?

• Please contact your American Red Cross Mount Rainier Chapter 
  Serving Pierce, Thurston, Mason, and Lewis Counties

•  

  Tacoma - Pierce County Office 1235 South Tacoma Way Tacoma, WA 98409-8048 Map / Driving Directions (253) 474-0400 TEL (253) 473-4843 FAX	Olympia - Thurston County Office 2618 Twelfth Ct SW Olympia, WA 98502-5715 Map / Driving Directions (360) 352-8575 TEL (360) 352-0861 FAX
  Shelton - Mason County Office 105 W Railroad Avenue Shelton, WA 98584-3538 Map / Driving Directions (360) 426-3400 TEL (360) 426-3462 FAX	Chehalis - Lewis County Office 734 S Market Blvd Chehalis, WA 98532-3420 Map / Driving Directions (360) 748-4607 TEL (360) 748-3391 FAX

• Contact your local American Red Cross chapter to sign up for a volunteer orientation.
  

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Shelter-in-place Answers:

Will anyone tell me to stay in my home or leave the area?

• Yes, local government officials will provide instructions on the radio and television.
  

• Listen to their advice and follow their instructions.
  

• If local government officials advise evacuating the area, the Red Cross will open shelters in locations that will be safe.
  

• Be careful not to confuse an evacuation shelter with a room in a home or building that is selected to seal up and use to “shelter-in-place.”

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What are the most important points to remember in case we are told to "shelter-in-place"?

• You should be in a place that will afford you protection from a contaminant in the air.
  

• Instructions on how to “shelter-in-place” are provided at http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/shelterinplace.html
  

• Please do not confuse the recommendation to have at least three days’ worth of disaster supplies on hand with the amount of time that you may be asked to shelter-in-place. We always recommend having at least three days’ worth of supplies in case stores are closed and roads are impassible due to a disaster like a flood or winter storm. 

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Does the Red Cross recommend stocking duct tape and plastic sheeting?

• Yes.
  

• These materials have always been recommended to have as part of a Disaster Supplies Kit.
  

• They may be needed if the public is advised by local authorities to “shelter-in-place.”

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I’m confused about this duct tape and plastic sheeting recommendation - am I supposed to seal my whole house and do it now? How much do I need? Is plastic really going to stop a chemical agent? What kind of plastic sheeting should I use?

• The recommendation to shelter-in-place using duct tape and plastic sheeting will be provided by local government officials only when an emergency occurs. The Red Cross recommends that people have these supplies on hand in case they are needed.
  

• You would seal only one room when advised to do so, and do it only when instructed - not in advance.
  

• It is likely that one roll of duct tape will be adequate. Plastic sheeting of durable thickness (thicker than food wrap) is recommended for covering vents and other openings to the outside - not the entire room. It is intended to provide a barrier to air flow.
  

• While we can not guarantee that plastic sheeting over air vents will stop all biological, chemical, or radiological agents, it will add to the barrier of protection for your safety.
  

• For further instructions, see “shelter in place” information at http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/shelterinplace.html.

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Do I need a safe room? What is a safe room?

• A “safe room” as defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is a room, preferably below ground, in which people can take shelter from a tornado.
  

• If such a room is below ground, it may not be the safest choice if told to stay at home and “shelter-in-place” during a weapons of mass destruction event due to the possibility that some contaminants may seep into rooms below ground level.
  

• The Red Cross recommends and endorses having a “safe room” in areas where tornadoes are a threat. (For more information on a “safe room,” see www.fema.gov. ) 
  
  However, do not confuse a “safe room” used for protection from windstorms with a room selected for “shelter-in-place.” They are technically different, although they serve a similar purpose. If a “safe room” for windstorms is above ground level and has no windows, it can also be an ideal location in which to shelter-in-place.

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How much time do I have to get to the room that I have selected in which to shelter-in-place once I hear of an attack?

• The situation will vary, depending on the nature of the event. It is best to take immediate protective action as soon as you think there is a local emergency, or if you hear on the radio or television that you need to shelter-in-place.

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Do I need to put towels under my door? Should they be wet?

• Wet towels under a door are used in cases when you are in a room from which you can not escape and a fire is on the other side. That is not the same thing as what needs to be done when you shelter-in-place. See the instructions on shelter-in-place at http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/shelterinplace.html.

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If I seal off my rooms and vents, how will I breathe? How long should I anticipate being in the room in which I am sheltering-in-place?

• Instructions to shelter-in-place are usually provided for a matter of hours, not weeks. There is little danger that the room in which you are taking shelter will run out of oxygen and you will suffocate. 

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Is the room in which to shelter-in-place a bathroom?

• A bathroom may be a good choice for the room in which to “shelter-in-place” as long as it does not have windows (or few windows) and you can block openings (such as vents) to the outside.

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What about whole house air filtration systems?

• These systems are designed to reduce, but not completely remove, particulate matter in the air inside a home. A house or apartment, itself, is not completely air tight or sealed, even when doors and windows are closed. 

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