Salvation Army Disaster Training Underway

CHATTANOOGA,TN, (WDEF)-Volunteers of all ages from across the Tennessee Valley spent the morning learning new skills from how to protect victims from tornado strikes to checking the gas pump in the disaster food van.

Kimberly George, "You see a lot of volunteers getting familiar with our mobile kitchen unit, which we call a canteen, so that way then when a disaster happens, we have more volunteers prepared and ready to serve"

New volunteers and auxiliaries say disaster can strike at any time and the training is necessary.

Hope Browning, Women’s Auxiliary Sal Army,"There’s been a lot of disasters especially in our area and I think you never know when its going to happen to you or your community, so we want to be prepared and go out and help in any way we can"

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Marcus Sales, Culinary Arts Disaster Training,"Their morale is down, first thing we need to do, is get them something to eat and drink, that’s always nourishing, it helps calm you down, you know somebody thinking about you also"

George added they are about to kick off a new program called Beat The Heat next week.

"On Mondays and Fridays we will be distributing fans for our beat the heat program we still need volunteers for that program, that is where we give fans to low income neighbors who need relief from the heat"

The Salvation Army say its vital that people remember they are not alone when a fire, flood or major storm strikes and they are just a phone call away.

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