Fairfax, Va. (April 3, 2009) –  Linda C. Mathes, CEO of the American Red Cross of the National Capital Area, delivered testimony today before The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, chaired by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. Administrators from FEMA, Washington Hospital Center and the Red Cross were queried by the committee about disaster capacity in the National Capital Region. View the hearing on C-SPAN. 

The subcommittee was eager to learn about local agencies’ preparedness measures in the event of a local catastrophic event in or near the District of Columbia. Mathes testified that the local Red Cross is more prepared for a major disaster than ever before, but there is still much to be done. She appealed for more members of the local community to volunteer and she stressed the critical importance of developing personal and family preparedness plans. Mathes discussed how the American Red Cross in the National Capital Region collaborates with nonprofits and government partners; reaches out to the special needs community to ensure needs are anticipated; executes its Disaster Response Plan; engages civil rights organizations, faith based institutions, businesses and schools in emergency preparedness and disaster response and addresses the challenges and opportunities that are unique to the region. She highlighted that the Red Cross receives no government funding, apart from available grants, and is completely reliant on the goodwill of members of the local community for volunteers and the financial resources to make its services possible.