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Duryea Citizens Take Their Anger Out On Council

High school used as flood refuge. Suggestion made arena might be better choice.



 

 
Joe Pasternack of the B&rsquo;nai B&rsquo;rith Apartments in Wilkes-Barre was one of the evacuees who found refuge last week at the shelter set up at GAR High School in Wilkes-Barre.
 
 BILL TARUTIS/for the times leader 
 

WILKES-BARRE -- Wilkes-Barre Area School District Superintendent Jeff Namey praised the American Red Cross&rsquo;s operation of evacuation shelters in district schools during the recent flood, but he also said there were issues that need to be addressed. 
He mentioned several problems that developed over the weekend during Monday&rsquo;s school board work session..
Board Member Phil Latinski proposed an obvious solution: Use the Mohegan Sun Arena, with ample parking and lots of room inside, as a shelter instead of schools.
The Red Cross is always eager to improve the shelter system, Regional Chief Executive Officer Ed Winters said, and will review shortcomings in this latest disaster in order to do better next time. As far as the arena goes, it&rsquo;s an option, but not necessarily as inviting as it may seem on first blush.
&ldquo;There are criteria for setting up shelters,&rdquo; Winters said. &ldquo;Basically, we have to have a heated, protected space with plumbing and showers, the basic amenities of home. Most high schools have locker rooms and showers, so we choose them first.&rdquo;
The Red Cross has an evaluation team that scrutinizes potential shelters. If they fit the bill and the owners are willing, an agreement is drawn up and signed by both sides. When the need arises, the Red Cross decides how many shelters are needed and where, asks for approval to exercise the agreement, and sets them up by sending a shelter coordinator and volunteers.
Winters wasn&rsquo;t certain if the arena had ever been approached as a possible shelter, but suggested there could be one big shortfall: Shower facilities may not be sufficient. 
As to problems that may have occurred at GAR High School or any other shelters set up during the flood, Winters said the Red Cross knows the process can hit snags.
Namey said the primary problems occurred after the shelter was set up and before all the people were settled in. When a large stream of people started to arrive, it was easier for problems to develop.
Winters said the Red Cross tries to mitigate those concerns by having some orientation with employees who work at the shelter, such as building administrators and staff at a school. But that system can break down if too much time elapses between training and an actual event.
During Monday&rsquo;s work session, Latinski asked Namey if the shelters ran more smoothly once the National Red Cross stepped in to manage them. Namey replied, &ldquo;yes and no,&rdquo; noting that in some cases the Red Cross experts who came in from out of the area were not as familiar with the local culture as the local Red Cross workers, resulting in some clashes and misunderstandings. 
Winters said the Red Cross categorizes disasters by several levels, based partly on how many people are affected. The local flood affected so many people it quickly hit Level III, which automatically brought The National Red Cross in.
About 500 national Red Cross people joined 80 from the local chapter and about 300 from other nearby regional chapters in response to this disaster, Winters said. They are all being coordinated to help in several counties. Headquarters are in Hazleton.

W-b Area Notes Problems At Gar Shelter