Business Partnership Proves Invaluable in Wildfire Response

Business Partnership Proves Invaluable inWildfire Response

7 November 2007

published by www.redcross.org


USA — A partnership forged recently between the Business Roundtable and theAmerican Red Cross has proven to be a critical asset to the wildfire reliefefforts in Southern California.

Companies play a pivotal role in disaster response, and members of theBusiness Roundtable’s Partnership for Disaster Response are providingresources to aid in relief efforts in San Diego and San Bernardino, California.Warehouse space, fuel cards and freight transport are just some of the vastresources major U.S. businesses have contributed to the relief effort.

The alliance between the American Red Cross and the Business Roundtable, amembership organization of 160 chief executives from leading companies, wasannounced in September as part of National Preparedness Month. It’s designedto best utilize the wide variety of resources the private sector can offer to amajor disaster relief operation, such as the California wildfires.

The partnership helps match the unique needs of affected communities with theresources companies are able to provide during a disaster. This allows theRed Cross to move even more quickly during a large-scale response because theresources, such as storage space and transport, are already in place.

The partnership also focuses on training employees of Roundtable companies toserve as volunteers during a disaster and on developing resources to helpindividuals, families, and companies improve their disaster preparedness plans.

“Once again, the private sector has demonstrated how corporations can be apowerful resource in our nation’s response to disasters,” says JohannaSchneider, executive director of the Business Roundtable. “Our collaborationwith the American Red Cross underscores the value of advance preparation and howthe private sector can—and must—be a part of a coordinated solution tomitigate the suffering of people and communities when a disaster strikes.”

For more information on how the Business Roundtable’s Partnership forDisaster Response is assisting in relief and recovery efforts in SouthernCalifornia, visit www.respondtodisaster.org.


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