From Frostbite to Terrorist Attacks, Red Cross Prepared for Olympic Emergencies

American Red Cross
Friday, 1 February 2002

Winter Games To Be Blanketed With Trained Disaster, Safety Responders

As the eyes of the world turn to Salt Lake City, Utah for the 2002 Winter Olympics, there are heightened concerns about safety and security in the wake of the September 11 attacks. As part of the unparalleled security measures in place for the February Games, the American Red Cross has prepared intensely and is playing a major role in making the Olympics safer for hundreds of thousands of spectators and residents in the Salt Lake City area.

For more than a year, the Red Cross has worked alongside government agencies and event officials to help ensure that the community and those attending the Olympics will be safe -- not only from terrorism, but from other disasters and emergencies, according to Dr. John Clizbe, vice president for American Red Cross Disaster Services.

"The American Red Cross is urging people to be prepared for any type of emergency that could happen at the Olympics -- minor or major, from frostbite and altitude sickness to a catastrophic terrorist event," Dr. Clizbe said. "The Red Cross has been preparing for the Olympics for months, and we are blanketing communities with our experts in health and safety and disaster response to provide assistance to spectators no matter what incidents may occur."

The American Red Cross has a 24-year history of preparing Olympic communities to be safe during the Games, along with providing vital health services at first aid stations at official venues and city events. Beginning with the 1978 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, the Red Cross also played large preparedness and safety roles at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles and the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. When a bomb at the Atlanta Games killed one person and injured many others, Red Cross responders were already on-site and responded immediately to the crisis.

A recent Associated Press poll reveals that one-third of Americans feel there will be a terrorist event during the Olympics. Still, officials are saying this will be the safest Olympics to attend, and the work of the American Red Cross is part of what will make it just that. In addition to terrorist incidents like a plane crash or biochemical attack, the Salt Lake City region is also at risk from debilitating winter storms and earthquakes. Whatever the emergency, the Red Cross is ready:

- More than 600 Red Cross volunteers have received over 20,000 hours of emergency response training in preparation for providing first aid at 15 Red Cross first aid stations at venues and events where crowds will gather.

- The Red Cross will equip trained responders at aid stations and members of roving first aid teams with 35 automated external defibrillators (AEDs), so that lifesaving relief is available for victims of cardiac emergencies.

- The Red Cross will be operating 24-hour shelters in the region for victims of disasters, large or small, including victims of residential fires that occur during the Olympics. Because area hotels will be full of Olympic-goers, any fire victim who is displaced from his or her home will have access to lodging in Red Cross shelters.

- Emergency relief supplies have been stockpiled in the event of a large-scale disaster such as a winter storm, earthquake or terrorist event. These supplies include 35 Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs), 13,000 cots, 26,000 blankets and 13,000 comfort kits.

At the Olympics and in communities nationwide, preparedness is the key. "We can't emphasize enough how vital preparedness is in assuring that families know how to react in the event of any type of emergency," Dr. Clizbe said. "The Red Cross wants all Americans to empower themselves by sharing lifesaving preparedness information available at Red Cross chapters around the country or online at www.redcross.org with their loved ones."

The American Red Cross is dedicated to saving lives, easing suffering and restoring hope at home and around the world. Currently operating on a budget of $2.7 billion, the Red Cross annually mobilizes relief to the victims of more than 67,000 disasters nationwide and has been the primary supplier of lifesaving blood and blood products in the United States for more than 50 years. Each year, the Red Cross trains approximately 12 million people in vital lifesaving skills and delivers more than 21 million locally relevant community services. The organization also assists international disaster and conflict victims around the globe, and its emergency communication centers processes approximately 1.2 million calls in support of U.S. military families.

For more information, or to contact American Red Cross, see their website at: www.redcross.org