Following Hurricane Matthew, thousands of Red Cross volunteers are in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia to assist with the aftermath of the hurricane. The American Red Cross Central and Southern Illinois Region will be holding a “HotShot” training for volunteers on Friday, November 4th in Effingham. “HotShot” training is a one-day event that provides new volunteers the information necessary to assist in Hurricane Matthew response.
In the training, volunteers will complete two online courses. The first online course will demonstrate how disaster services can help in the planning, response, and recovery of disaster situations. The second online course educates volunteers on the many services available to individuals that were affected by disaster. Volunteers will also learn the guidelines and procedures for setting up, running, and closing a shelter. “Psychological First Aid” will also be covered in the meeting. “Psychological First Aid” helps volunteers understand how stress affects those impacted by disasters and the volunteers helping those individuals. After completing the training, volunteers will be ready to help with the efforts to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew.
Registration is required for the “HotShot” training. To register for the “HotShot” training, call Pam Tish at 217-428-7758 ext. 7478 or email Pam.Tish@redcross.org.