Plans are being updated in Washington County for shelters for the public in case of an emergency. Washington County’s Emergency Preparedness Consortium is working to update the list of emergency shelters and resources available so that if a disaster hits the area plans are already in place. A work session was held Friday with Washington County Emergency Management, the Red Cross, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Washington County Engineer’s Office, Washington County Ambulance, Washington County Board of Supervisors and Washington Police Department.

When asked if a shelter needs to have a kitchen to operate, Red Cross Disaster Program Manager Mary Flury says it does not, “Typically even if there is a commercial kitchen in a facility we don’t have our volunteers cook there because it’s just a liability with food safety. So normally what we kind of transition to is having food come from a commercial kitchen, somewhere like a Hy-Vee.” The Red Cross will assume liability when it takes on and manages a shelter, meaning that it works in conjunction with the shelter provider and has staff there 24 hours. She added that local people can become Red Cross shelter trained. What is needed in advance is a Memorandum of Understanding, or a contract which lays out the shelter agreement between Emergency Management, the Red Cross, and the building owners.