Somerset Chapter Inducts New Board Members

The American Red Cross of Greater Somerset County held its 92nd Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 25, to induct new board members and recognize community partners. With over 35 people in attendance, the meeting was held at the Chapter House in Somerville and included a barbeque dinner before the introduction of the staff and current board members.
“Volunteers are the heart of the Red Cross,” said Amy Sutton, CEO of the Greater Somerset Chapter. “Having talented leadership volunteers is enabling us to fulfill our mission and expand our reach into the community. Their contribution is priceless.”
New board members inducted at the meeting included: Anthony Franchini, an assistant Vice President at TD Bank; Thor Harris, President of the of the public relations firm Percepture; Kishor Jobanputra, a retired family physician; Indira Kuruganti, an Independent Management Consultant at the New York Times Company; and Anna Maria Marthy, an Economic and Valuation Services Associate at KPMG.
The Red Cross of Greater Somerset also recognized their community partners for their dedication to the organization, including: Ace Copy Systems, Allstate Insurance Company of New Jersey, Catholic Charities, Dolce Hotels & Resorts, Somerset Self Storage, XCentrex Computer Systems, and Peapack-Gladstone Bank.
The Annual Meeting is one of several sessions open to the public held by the Red Cross at the Chapter House in Somerville. “Red Cross Live” is held every four weeks to inform the community about the activities of the Greater Somerset Chapter and how the community can get involved. The next session is being held on Thursday, July 9 from 4:00 – 5:00. To RSVP to “Red Cross Live,” call (908) 725-2217.

Local Red Cross Chapter Teams with CERT to Run Disaster Drill

On Sunday, June 28, the Greater Somerset Chapter of the American Red Cross partnered with the Tri County Chapter to run a disaster drill hosted by the Fanwood Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). The drill was held at Forest Road Park in Fanwood, NJ and simulated an apartment building fire and a Red Cross shelter for residents.

The exercise was designed by the Red Cross and CERT to be a basic training workshop to simulate the roles and functions of CERT and a Red Cross shelter.

Malcolm Plager, Director of Emergency Services for the Somerset Chapter, supported the operation of the drill. “We run disaster drills to test our proficiency in meeting the requirements of residents impacted by a major fire by providing shelter, food, and client support,” he said.

Approximately 35 Red Cross disaster volunteers took part in the drill, performing duties based on their training. Prior to the exercise, The Somerset County Chapter formed teams for sheltering, feeding, logistics, emergency operations center liaison, and individual client services for health and casework. The drill was broken into two cycles, each lasting about two hours.

The Greater Somerset County Chapter had 27 disaster volunteers in the first two-hour cycle, ensuring all clients, who were also volunteers, got registered in the center, sheltered, fed, and health needs taken care of. The team set up cots and blankets, staffed the registration desk, welcomed clients, and communicated with the CERT command post. Overall, the simulation

received a positive response from participants.

This is the second drill the Greater Somerset Chapter has participated in this year and Plager said he felt the drill was a success in practicing what volunteers have learned and he also had the confidence that they would be able to respond in an emergency.