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Local teams ready to help Hurricane Ian response
Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida Wednesday. The Red Cross is putting out the call for volunteers to help.
LOS ANGELES - As Hurricane Ian batters Florida, Joanne Nowlin, CEO of the Los Angeles Red Cross is calling out for help
"This is a massive response, the highest level response that the Red Cross has," Nowlin said the Red Cross needs 1,700 volunteers to help Floridians. "Right now we've been able to deploy 500 who are on the ground, and we're going to need at least 1200 more."
These 1,700 volunteers will help provide food and water and will open and operate shelters.
"We're providing all the supplies that everyone is desperately in need of," Nowlin said.
The Red Cross will be offering basic training this weekend online and in person for those who might have two weeks to volunteer to go to Florida. Anyone interested can go to RedCross.org/la for more information.
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Red Cross in need of volunteers and blood donation
As Florida braces for Hurricane Ian, the Red Cross is in need of volunteers and blood donation.
LA’s new Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said she's ready if Florida calls for help to send firefighters, paramedics and swift water rescue teams, whatever might be needed.
"Here in Los Angeles we have the ability to staff an 80-member team, but we also have the flexibility to staff smaller teams that are a little bit more agile with the ability to move around and have the water rescue capability as well," Crowley said.
They’ve done this before. The Chief said this was done with Hurricanes Irma and Harvey as well. "I was on that team," Crowley said. "I had the opportunity to deploy to Texas, so I had the opportunity to deploy to Texas multiple times in different types of hurricanes, so we do have extensive experience."
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In Depth digital exclusive: LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley on Hurricane Ian response
Fire Chief Kristin Crowley joined FOX 11's In Depth to discuss how firefighters in California could step in to help Florida.
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Here's what the Red Cross put out to potential volunteers:
Volunteers:
More volunteers are needed to help continue to deliver the American Red Cross Mission. Learn more about deploying and how you can help by visiting redcross.org/la. Virtual and in-person training opportunities are available for Angelenos this week.
Donations:
Help people affected by Hurricane Ian. Your donation enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster.
To help people affected by Hurricane Ian, visit redcross.org/la, call, or text the word IAN to 90999 to make a $10 donation.