Media Advisory: NY Red Cross Joins NY Metropolitan Regional Chapters to Demonstrate the Region’s Ability to Provide Immediate Emergency Care to More Than 40,000 People Before a Major Disaster Strikes

Chapters Throughout the Region Conduct Full Scale Drill on June 12th With Simultaneous Opening of 34 Shelters Photo Opportunities and On-Camera Interviews Available at Shelter Locations and at NY Headquarters Emergency Operations Center WHAT: The NY Metropolitan Region will conduct its first “region-wide” shelter exercise by opening 34 shelters (15 live and 19 simulated) throughout the jurisdiction. The Greater NY Chapter will have shelter operations in New York City, Rockland, Orange, Sullivan, and Putnam Counties, and the NY Emergency Operation Center will be activated during the drill. “In order to successfully reduce the risk of harm or injury in the 2,500 incidents we respond to each year in Greater NY, we need to be prepared. I therefore, commend the team for coming together today to conduct this ‘mega-drill’ so that we are prepared to effectively respond to disasters throughout Greater NY––both large and small,” said NY Red Cross CEO Terry Bischoff. WHERE: American Red Cross in Greater New York Emergency Operations Center 520 West 49th Street New York, NY 10019 Note: Information on 9 shelter locations will be available on 6/12 WHEN: Saturday, June 12, 2010 9am-1pm ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Interviews and photo opportunities available with Red Cross disaster response experts at NY Red Cross Emergency Communications Center and Shelter operations throughout Greater NY. Please call to schedule. The American Red Cross in Greater New York (ARC/GNY) is a key humanitarian partner and a vital participant in New York’s plans and programs to help over nine million people in New York City and Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Sullivan counties prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. The Chapter responds to an average of 7 emergencies a day—fires, floods, building collapses—and provides immediate humanitarian aid to as many as 100,000 people affected by these emergencies each year. Additionally, ARC/GNY helps New York residents and businesses prepare for emergencies by offering hundreds of lifesaving courses and emergency preparedness training programs and resources. The American Red Cross in Greater New York is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, not a government agency, and relies on donations to fund its free humanitarian services. For more information about how you can help, call 1-877-RED CROSS (1-877-733-2767), or visit www.nyredcross.org http://www.nyredcross.org/?nd=news_room_detail&news_id=179&jid=63321