Participants at the spring drill in Elk on the Mendocino coast.

Mendocino County 

Welcome to American Red Cross, Sonoma & Mendocino Counties, our expanded Chapter.

In 2005, the national Red Cross asked the Sonoma County Chapter to oversee disaster response in Mendocino County, and to add other activities in the county over time. In 2006-07, the Chapter focused on building disaster and safety preparedness, as well as response to emergencies.

We are already working closely with Red Cross volunteers and partner agencies in both counties to make our residents safer and more prepared, as you will see below.

These sections of our web site are especially for those who are interested in Red Cross activities that take place in Mendocino County. We welcome you here, and throughout the web site, as we develop programs and services that make a difference to all of our neighbors in this diverse and beautiful section of Northern California that we call home.

Disaster Services  

Red Cross disaster volunteers have been active in Mendocino County for many years. Throughout 2007, the newly formulated two-county American Red Cross, Sonoma & Mendocino Counties, has been doing volunteer training and recruitment in the central and coastal areas. For example, this spring we held a disaster drill that gave volunteers a practice run at opening a shelter, helping clients, and closing the shelter following a large earthquake. The well-attended drill took place on the north coast in Elk and inland in Ukiah.

 Participants in Ukiah relax at the end of the drill.

Disaster Action Teams in Mendocino County  

Kristy Monti is our overall Mendocino County Disaster Services Coordinator, and Mary Kay Desautels of Caspar is our Disaster Action Team (DAT) captain covering the coastal area. We are currently building a committee of volunteers and looking for a DAT captain in Ukiah and the central area.

We currently have a core of DAT members in the coast and central regions. We supplement that group with volunteers from Sonoma County.

On the coast, we are working closely with volunteers from Red Cross, as well as Community Emergency Response Training (CERT), the Mendocino County Office of Emergency Services, fire and police departments, and other residents involved with disaster preparedness.

We are always looking for additional Disaster Action Team volunteers in Mendocino County. If you're interested, please contact:
Maggie O'Brien, Director of Volunteer & Nursing Programs, (707) 463-0112, mobrien[at]arcsm.org or
Joyce Adams, Disaster Services Administrative Assistant, (707) 463-0112, dsaa[at]arcsm.org.

Disaster Services classes: click here to view complete course schedule, January-June 2009 (online registration is not currently available for Disaster Services classes. Call Joyce at the number above to register for classes. 

Health & Safety  

Get trained and keep your family and community safe:
The Red Cross currently offers monthly first aid and CPR classes in Ukiah and bimonthly classes in Fort Bragg. We also offer workplace training and invite all interested employers to contact us for information about this convenient and cost-effective service. Recent clients include Mendocino County Office of Education and Rural Community Child Care.

We currently offer community classes in Ukiah and Fort Bragg. Please click "Take a Class" to see the Health and Safety course schedule. To see just a list of Mendocino County classes, click Janurary-June2010 or July-December 2010.

To schedule health and safety training for your business or group, contact Devin Rowley, 707-577-7616

Instructors Needed - Paid Positions!  

We're looking for four to five Mendocino County instructors in CPR and first aid, both on the coast and inland. These are part-time, flexible, as-needed positions that pay $12 an hour.

Take Instructor Training free if you volunteer to teach five classes. And then you can teach as a paid or volunteer instructor.

For more information about becoming an instructor, click here .

Volunteering  

Photo: Kathleen Dolan
Marty Bakker driving our Emergency Response Vehicle.

If you live in Mendocino County, we invite you to join us as a volunteer. We need people who would like to:

- Volunteer on local and national disaster calls
- Educate the community on preparedness
- Work from home on various projects.

- Training is free and the sense of satisfaction is terrific!

- If you're interested in volunteering, please start by taking our free online introductory course .
 

Then, to find out more about available opportunities in Mendocino County, contact:
Maggie O'Brien, Director of Volunteer & Nursing Programs, (707) 463-0112 or mobrien[at]arcsm.org.

Youth Program  

Many of our classes are appropriate for young people. Children as young as seven years old have successfully passed CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and First Aid, and could save a life with their new skills. Teens can become disaster volunteers, although they must be 18 to be members of a Disaster Action Team or to volunteer for a national assignment. Young people of practically any age can take all the disaster classes that we offer, such as client casework, damage assessment, and mass care (for feeding groups of people in disasters). Disaster services classes are always free. There is a fee for all Health and Safety classes, such as CPR and first aid.

For more information on Health & Safety class schedules, click "Take a Class" (button on left).  If you have questions about age requirements, call us at 463-0112 or e-mail amalone[at]arcsm.org (for health and safety classes) or dsaa[at]arcsm.org (for disaster services classes). Disaster Services classes are not currently available online. Click here to see a complete course schedule.

Our Red Cross Needs Your Financial Support  

Like all Red Cross chapters, American Red Cross, Sonoma & Mendocino Counties receives no government funds. We are funded by donations from the residents and organizations of our two counties.

We welcome your support of our lifesaving activities including local disaster relief effort. You can donate in several ways:

- Online (click " Donate Now ")
- By phone: 707-463-0112
- By U.S. mail to American Red Cross, Sonoma & Mendocino Counties, 5297 Aero Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95403.

Our largest annual fundraiser is the Real Heroes Breakfast, held each spring. Since 2007, Mendocino residents have been included as nominees and winners of Real Heroes awards. Please join us at this moving event, or nominate your hero. Click here for information.

Note: we use [at] to avoid being picked up by spammers. You should use the @ symbol as with all e-mail addresses.