For Immediate Release
Friday, June 20, 2006

MOCK OVERNIGHT SHELTER TO AID IN DISASTER TRAINING

(Opelousas) - As hurricane season continues, volunteers are training for disasters here at home.  This weekend the American Red Cross Acadiana Chapter will facilitate an overnight mock shelter exercise, with the goal of training people to be prepared for disasters.  The hands-on drill will give volunteers a chance to work in the environment of a shelter.  So for, nearly 30 people have signed up for the overnight training. 

The mock shelter training is a partnership effort by St. Landry Parish Government, St. Landry—Evangeline United Way, and the American Red Cross Acadiana Chapter.  The session will be held at Opelousas Developmental Center and begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 23 and will wrap up at Noon on Saturday, June 24.

“This mock drill will provide the newly trained shelter managers insight beforehand as to how a shelter should operate and give them hands on experience to handle whatever situation may arise in the shelter environment.  We want volunteers to have some idea of what they can expect while managing a shelter,” said Lisa Vidrine, Director of St. Landry Parish Homeland Security/Emergency Preparedness.   

Since the beginning of hurricane season, St. Landry Parish Government, St. Landry—Evangeline United Way and the Red Cross have coordinated to offer several training sessions in shelter operations, including a training session held last week at Doctors’ Hospital in Opelousas where over forty people showed up to learn the basics of operating a shelter.  On Monday evening in Ville Platte, another group of forty volunteers attended the Shelter Operations class held at the Ville Platte Civic Center. The sessions are designed to strengthen local disaster response resources and help to better prepare the community in the event of a hurricane.

 “We are proud to be a part of a collaborative effort to find solutions to local problems.  Our area was one of the first to respond to the needs of the evacuees,” said St. Landry – Evangeline United Way Director Cathy Duplechin.  “There will be a few twists to make the mock shelter interesting,” she said.

St. Landry – Evangeline United Way is managing enrollment for the sessions.  To enroll, volunteers must have taken the Shelter Operations course either in Opelousas or Ville Platte.   To register, contact St. Landry – Evangeline United Way at (337) 942-7815.