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Organization Spotlight - October 2005

The American Red Cross (ARC), a humanitarian organization led by volunteers, guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement, will provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.

Working Together During the 2005 Hurricanes

The ARC and the MRC have collaborated at the national and local levels for almost 3 years, but the partnership between them was significantly strengthened during the 2005 Hurricane Season. ARC was in need of additional volunteers to help at shelters throughout the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and MRC units and volunteers agreed to provide the support needed.

Prior to Hurricane Katrina's landfall, ARC disaster operations staff requested MRC support for their sheltering operations (which they predicted would be extensive and long-standing). Policies and processes were developed to identify, assign, and activate MRC members who were willing, able, and authorized to respond to this mission. ARC provided transportation, logistical support, and supervision for the deployed MRC members who were supporting ARC health services and mental health and shelter operations. The MRC Liaison Desk at the ARC Disaster Operations Center received more than 700 applications from MRC members, and more than 400 of these applicants were deployed or approved for travel.

MRC members from more than 80 MRC units in 26 states applied for the national mission to support ARC operations and to help victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. However, the strong partnership between the MRC and ARC works at the national and local levels. MRC units are working with local ARC chapters to staff shelters for evacuees in their areas and to provide training and immunizations for volunteers deploying with the ARC to the affected areas.

Cooperation at All Levels

At the national level, the MRC and ARC are separate, yet cooperative organizations. They include emergency preparedness and response among their top priorities, but they have different missions.

The primary focus of the MRC is to strengthen the local public health infrastructure and to improve the community’s emergency preparedness. MRC units adapt to meet the needs of their local communities—there are no nationally set activities or standards. ARC activities include blood drives, swimming lessons, educational programs, and disaster response. Their initiatives throughout the country adhere to national ARC standards.

At the local level, many MRC units enjoy mutually beneficial relationships with their local ARC chapters. For example, the ARC chapter could provide disaster classes to MRC members, even training members to become instructors. The MRC, in return, may agree to provide extra volunteers to provide health services in an emergency shelter.

ARC History

The Red Cross concept emerged in 1859, when a Swiss man named Henry Dunant encountered a bloody battle in Solferino, Italy, between the armies of imperial Austria and the Franco-Sardinian alliance. Approximately 40,000 men lay dead or dying on the battlefield, and the wounded lacked medical attention. Dunant organized local people to bind the soldiers' wounds and to feed and comfort them. On his return, he called for the creation of national relief societies to assist those wounded in war, and pointed the way to the future Geneva Conventions.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement was created in October 1863, in Geneva, Switzerland, to provide nonpartisan care to the wounded and sick in times of war. The Red Cross emblem was adopted at this first International Conference as a symbol of neutrality and was to be used by national relief societies. In August 1864, the representatives of 12 governments signed the Geneva Convention Treaty. The extraordinary efforts of Henry Dunant led to the eventual establishment of the International Red Cross. Today, the Red Cross Movement incorporates the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (the International Federation), and National Societies in 175 countries, including the ARC of the United States.

Clara Barton (1821–1912) dominates the early history of the ARC, which was modeled after the International Red Cross. She did not originate the Red Cross idea, but she was the first person to establish a lasting Red Cross Society in the United States. She successfully organized the American Association of the Red Cross in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 1881. Created to serve America in peace and in war and during times of disaster and national calamity, Barton's organization took its service beyond that of the International Red Cross Movement by adding disaster relief to battlefield assistance. She served as the organization's volunteer president until 1904.

Last Updated on 5/25/2006