02/28/2008

By BETSY TAYLOR  / Associated Press

The American Red Cross on Thursday introduced a new program that organizers say is unique because it provides a measurable way for businesses, schools and organizations to learn their readiness should disaster strike.

The Ready Rating program is being launched in St. Louis, but organizers expect it to be available nationally within two years. Federal and local officials announced details during a news conference at Anheuser-Busch's headquarters. The brewery provided financial and other support to get the program started.

Participants in the St. Louis region can register online, where they use tools provided by the Red Cross to assess their disaster vulnerabilities and put together an emergency response plan.

They can grade themselves annually, using a points system. They'll also be encouraged to help prepare their community, with efforts like sponsoring blood drives or training employees to become national disaster volunteers.

"We each have a personal responsibility to do our part to be ready," said Joe White, chief executive officer of the St. Louis-area Red Cross chapter.

Red Cross officials cited their surveys showing that only one-fifth of Americans feel prepared for a catastrophic event, and close to 60 percent are unprepared for a disaster of any kind.

There is no cost to organizations that take part in the program, except for funds they decide to spend to get prepared for an emergency, White said.

The program works like this: Participants fill out an electronic survey and award themselves points for completing certain tasks. For example, they get one point if 10 percent of the staff is trained in basic first aid and CPR, or another point for having safety equipment on hand in case of an emergency.

The maximum score is 65, and organizers say participants should strive for a score of at least 60.

Assistant Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security Alfonso Martinez-Fonts said he often speaks with people who think emergencies aren't going to happen, won't affect them, or that someone will come to help them if a disaster should strike.

"That's basically the mind-set we have to get people out of," Martinez-Fonts said.

The Mehlville School District in suburban St. Louis, which has about 11,000 students, is already taking part in the Ready Rating program. Assistant Superintendent Brian Lane said more school involvement should translate into more preparedness at home.

"There's probably no better pressure than your 8-year-old coming home and asking, 'Where's our emergency kit?,'" he said.

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On the Net:

readyrating.redcrossstl.org