Video courtesy of Reid Park Zoo. Read our latest update about baby elephant Penzi here: http://tucne.ws/1fjr

The American Red Cross is seeking volunteers who want to be trained to help out in emergency situations during hurricane season.

The agency is seeking people who would be trained disaster volunteers who can be sent to other parts of the country as needed to help with shelter operations and other emergency services. Arizona volunteers routinely help in areas hit by hurricanes.

Volunteers are needed to train in sheltering operations, including supervisory roles. Volunteers are needed to help staff shelter reception, registration, feeding, dormitory, information collection and other vital tasks.

Health-care professionals with current licenses are also being sought as volunteers. Needed are nurses, EMTs, paramedics, nurse practitioners, doctors and physician assistants. They would volunteer to assist in the health needs of people staying in shelters. Roles are also open for certified nursing assistants, home health aides, student nurses and medical students. Volunteers are needed who can provide care as delegated by a licensed nurse in shelters.

The Tucson Fire Department said multiple agencies were responding to a swift water call along the Rillito River north of Tucson Mall on Thursday morning. The Northwest Fire District and Green Valley Fire District said they were also responding to several swift water rescues. More weather updates: http://tucne.ws/1fgo

These tasks could include assisting with activities of daily living, personal assistance services, providing health education, and helping to replace medications, durable medical equipment or consumable medical supplies. “The coronavirus pandemic will make it challenging to deploy trained disaster volunteers from other parts of the country should a large emergency, like a hurricane, occur. In light of this, the Red Cross is asking the public to consider becoming a trained volunteer and consider deploying to help with sheltering and other disaster-related services,” said Kara Egbert, board chair of the Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Red Cross. “Train now to be a Red Cross volunteer and answer the call to help if the need arises in areas hit by devastating hurricanes.”

Those interested in helping should a disaster occur, please go to redcross.org/volunteertoday or contact Stacey Moore at 576-2874 or Stacey.moore@redcross.org.

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