By: Chris Campbell

As Published in the Sunday Journal

Sunday, June 1, 2008

 

Officials with the St. Louis Chapter of the American Red Cross are beaming with pride after earning an unprecedented distinction last week.

 

The Chapter, which operates one of its four local service centers in Jefferson County, has earned the highest level of disaster readiness possible, High Level Three.

 

The achievement is the first of its kind nationwide, according to Joe White, Chapter CEO.

 

"No chapter has done this," White said. "We started a five-year plan four years ago and reached it early."

 

Disasters are rated by the Red Cross on a scale of one through five.

 

A Level Five disaster would be similar to Hurricane Katrina. Level Four disasters include five-alarm fires, and Level Three disasters are on the scale of the massive storms two years ago that knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of area residents.

 

A High Level Three rating means the local Red Cross has demonstrated a capacity to take care of at least 600 families in the wake of a disaster.

 

This is accomplished through agreements with local shelters, signing up plenty of volunteers and training those volunteers in the right skills.

 

White credited the support of local corporate sponsors, the United Way and the Red Cross board of directors for "leadership and support."