Red Cross volunteers receive training in Utah before being sent to places hit by hurricanes

Murray, Utah – First responders from Utah have already arrived in the southeast, ready to assist anyone in need with Hurricane Milton’s predicted impact this week. This is in addition to the work they did in the wake of Hurricane Helene in other places, like Tennessee.

A training session for individuals who would respond to Milton’s possible devastation by providing aid to those in need, wherever they may be, was conducted on Tuesday at the American Red Cross headquarters in Murray.

The volunteers are participating in a six-hour program called Shelter Academy, which essentially serves as a crash tutorial on how to assist victims they may come across while traveling.

Jim Erickson served in the U.S. Coast Guard for thirty years, providing assistance during emergencies and natural disasters, including Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

Erickson assumed he would leave all that behind when he retired, but the acts of kindness and inspiration from volunteers led him to become a member of the American Red Cross.

“The level of compassion and the size of the heart of these people that respond really drew me back, and the Red Cross especially because the people here are 90% volunteer,” stated Erickson. “These are people that deploy for 2-3 weeks, 12 hours, 14 hours a day just to help other people.”

The Shelter Academy lessons this week have essentially concluded, and a few of the volunteers have already left for the East.

Erickson did point out that there is always a demand since there are currently over 500 open positions. Reno and Las Vegas are also hosting academies.