Coronavirus: Helping Residents Displaced by Local Disasters During a Global Pandemic

Losing your home and all your belongings to a fire or other disaster is incredibly traumatic but imagine being confronted with such loss and uncertainty in the middle of a global pandemic. That’s what makes the work of Red Cross team members, who come to the aid of these individuals, so critical. As this coronavirus crisis has evolved, the Red Cross has adapted the way we respond to local disasters with new safety measures including remote casework and registration, social distancing in the field and the use of face masks. But we are still providing critical relief.

For this podcast episode we interviewed longtime Red Cross volunteer Phil Cogan. Phil works as a dispatcher for the Red Cross, helping to coordinate disaster relief behind the scenes, in our Emergency Communications Center, or ECC. The ECC normally operates out of our Hell’s Kitchen Headquarters but because of COVID19, this work is now done remotely. Phil discusses how the Red Cross currently responds to these local emergencies that are still occurring every day and shares some of the types of calls he is receiving from the general public.

Producer & Editor: Will Wu
Host: Michael de Vulpillieres