Arlington, Va. (June 22, 2009) – The American Red Cross of Arlington County and of the National Capital Area, responded to a call from Arlington County OEM to assist 200 senior citizens displaced by a transformer fire and resultant gas fire at the Lockwood and Elmwood Houses in Arlington this morning. The Red Cross has been staffing a shelter, working with Arlington and Fairfax Offices of Emergency Management, Fairfax and Arlington Police, Fairfax County Schools staff and others to assist residents of the senior center, many of whom are Korean- and Vietnamese-speaking, elderly and infirmed. 

The American Red Cross is where people mobilize to help their neighbors in emergencies-across the street, across the country, and across the world. Each year, in Arlington, some 25 or so disasters bring together neighbors, familiar and new, and the more than 800 volunteers and 12 employees of the Arlington Red Cross. Our disaster volunteers also respond to the needs of the first responders, police and fire, by providing canteen services to ongoing incidents like hostage barricades and hazmat incidents and at the same time ensuring the adjacent neighbors are taken care of with food and sheltering when evacuation is necessary. 

Financially supported by the generosity of the local community, your local Red Cross continually builds its capacity to effectively prepare for and respond to the next major disaster to strike our community. The Arlington County Chapter is part of the American Red Cross in the National Capital Region, which includes the National Capital Area jurisdiction including the counties of Prince George’s, Montgomery and Fairfax; the District of Columbia; and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church. The chapter maintains a field office on Fort Belvoir, and a presence at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Andrews Air Force Base. The region also includes chapters within the city of Alexandria, and the counties of Loudoun and Prince William. 

For details on the services offered by the American Red Cross in the National Capital Region, contact Julie Wright, chief public support officer of the Arlington Chapter at 703-850-2145 or jwright@arlingtonredcross.org; or contact Kathy Thompson, director of communications and media relations at 703-584-8412 or ThompsonK@redcrossnca.org or contact Kim Covington at 703-584-8455 or CovingtonK@redcrossnca.org of the National Capital Area Chapter.

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