News Release
Red Cross website - local news media
 
Santa Monica Red Cross disaster team standing by for call to Station wildfire
 
Ten American Red Cross of Santa Monica volunteers are standing by for deployment in Red Cross operations for the Station wildfire now burning in the Angeles National Forest above Altadena
 
Among the volunteers are our new AmeriCorps volunteers who are assigned to the Santa Monica Red Cross and are shared with other city services.  AmeriCorps is a US government program, similar to the Peace Corps, that was created under President Clinton whose members provide community services to a number of organizations, nonprofits and governmental service agencies.
 
The Santa Monica Red Cross assigned people just joined us in the last couple of weeks and will be with us through June of next year.
 
Eric Strunz  (Also working with the SM Fire Department/Emergency Services.)
Julie Mayo (Also working with Wise Senior Services.)
John Moesta (Also working with Meals on Wheels and the City of Malibu.)
Angela McAtee  (Assigned to the Santa Monica Chapter and Santa Monicans Active in Disaster SMOAID.)
 
Additional chapter volunteers awaiting assignment and locations:
David Joyner (Plays Hip-Hop-Harry on TLC/Discovery Channel kids show)
Janet Cheng (UCLA Student and last year's AmeriCorps volunteer)
Scott Duffy
Dina Nelson
Bob Noble
Bill Bauer
 
The Santa Monica "team" could go out as a group or as individuals or smaller teams depending on the staffing needs in the field -- and be assigned to different operational areas. Other volunteers  may be added depending on staffing needs.
 
The various Red Cross chapters have a mutual aide agreement on assisting each other when there is a disaster. The lead chapters for the Station fire are Glendale, Los Angeles, San Gabriel Valley (Pasadena) and Antelope Valley chapters. Any of these chapters can call for support from other chapters. The lead chapter for staffing this event is the Greater Los Angeles Chapter who is coordinating the staffing assignments for the various shelters.
 
Shifts for shelter volunteers in the field will run from 7-a.m. to 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. to 7 am.
Headquarters shifts will run from 7 am to 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
 
The fire is not expected to be contained until Tuesday, September 8th.. The Station Fire continues to burn within the Angeles National Forest and near surrounding foothill communities of La Canada-Flintridge, La Crescenta, Acton, Soledad Canyon, Pasadena and Glendale.
 
85,000 acres have been burned (Noon 8-31-09). Steep terrain, decadent old growth brush and hot dry weather are factors that drive fire activity. Firefighters are working to build fireline and protect structures within areas affected by the fire.
 
Evacuation shelters are located at La Canada High School; La Crescenta Valley High School and Golden Valley High School, Marie Kerr Park, Verdugo High School. Animal shelters are located at Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, as well as the following special needs shelter. Pierce College (horses, donkeys and mules ONLY), Lancaster Animal Shelter and Agoura Animal Shelter are both accepting small animals.