Posted on 01/19/2005 5:25:15 AM PST by tmp02
BETHEL TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A school in Pennsylvania's Susquehanna Valley is one of a number of shelters the American Red Cross is setting up in the event of an emergency at Thursday's presidential inauguration.
INAUGURATION 2005 Schedule, History and More
It's the first time the Red Cross has taken such extensive precautions for an inauguration.
"We try to plan for any type of emergency that may occur," said Dawn Vitez, with the American Red Cross.
Tuesday was a regular school day at Northern Lebanon High School, but the building is ready to take on an important role should there be some type of disaster at Thursday's presidential inaugural.
"It would be for people who have had to leave their homes suddenly and have nowhere else to go," Vitez said.
"What we have to do is make sure our building is open and available," Superintendent Don Bell said.
"The shelters are being established within a 200-mile radius outside of Washington, D.C.," Vitez said.
The reason Northern Lebanon High School was chosen is that it is very close to two major roads -- Interstate 78 and Interstate 81, and that means it would be easy for anyone evacuating to get there.
Plus, each shelter location has large open areas, such as gymnasiums, to house evacuees, potentially overnight.
"We could do anything that we would need to do when we open a shelter," Vitez said.
The building is also able to handle large-scale food service and classrooms would be used to house families.
"The students may be sent home," Bell said.
Starting Wednesday, the district's bus drivers will stay on call, and at the Red Cross in Lebanon, key staff, volunteers and emergency vehicles will also be ready to go.
"We're in a time when we're not too sure about anything. Preparation's always the key," Bell said.
Red cross officials said other shelters are ready in York, Lancaster and Dauphin counties.
The Red Cross planned to stay on heightened alert through Saturday at noon.
Susquehanna Valley?
Sign of our times.
Yet this is sad because this is a Historical event.
One that we as Americans are proud of.
God Bless America and our President!
Sorry, I don't know PA that well.
This is a real eye opener first thing this morning.
I don't either but I know that location is about 80 miles from DC and I wonder what is the story behind this story.
Now if I'm wrong I'm sure some freeper will point it out to me....:-)
Ten or fifteen years ago thinking about various scenarios along these lines was, for me, mostly confined to the entertainment of an early Clancy novel . . .
Now they become the morning news and the object of earnest prayer.
Is this a new DHS requirement?
Bump for George Bush's safety.
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