Photo by August Kryger / St. Joseph News-Press / Purchase this photo

Ralph Dishong with the Midland Empire chapter of the American Red Cross details the amenities contained in Andrew County’s new disaster relief trailer. The trailer can equip emergency personnel essentials such as food and blankets during a mass emergency situation.

Andrew County had been the only remaining county of the 10 served by the Midland Empire chapter of the American Red Cross without a disaster supply trailer. This officially changed Tuesday at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the First Baptist Church of Savannah.

“It’s a shelter start-up kit, a shelter for dummies,” joked Ralph Dishong, Red Cross mass care specialist for St. Joseph.

Kevin Kirby, executive director of the Midland Empire chapter, explained that when the state received funding from the Department of Homeland Security, money for the trailers was limited.

“Andrew County didn’t receive a trailer because of its proximity to St. Joseph,” Mr. Kirby said. “In the last three years, Andrew County has had as much flooding as anywhere else in the region, and moved trailers to Nodaway and Amazonia, where homes were affected.”

Mr. Kirby said the county started writing grants to see who would be interested in funding a trailer, and the Messick Charitable Trust stepped up.

“The Messick Trust has long been a charitable resource to meet the needs of organizations in Andrew County and the surrounding area,” said Bill Titcomb, vice president of U.S. Bank Private Client Group. “We are very humbled to play an important part in making dreams like this become a reality.”

The readiness and mobility of the trailer would make response immediate and provide basic materials, including registration forms, 50 cots and cot pads, diapers, hygiene items, meals, first-aid supplies and more. The supplies can assist up to 100 residents and would be accessible to county emergency managers and American Red Cross volunteers.

Cindy Esely, chairwoman of Andrew County’s mass care, and Cyndee Merritt, Andrew County clerk, said the trailer would have been helpful during the ice storm in the winter of 2007-2008.

“My first experience with one of the mass care trailers happened during the ice storm,” said Ms. Esely. “Once you go through a personal experience, it’s very real then.”

“Hopefully, it’ll be a long time before we have to use it again,” said Ms. Merritt.

The trailer would be used to open a mass shelter and provide services to residents in the area. Mr. Kirby hopes the trailer will be a good rallying tool to attract more volunteers to take sheltering classes.

The Red Cross has scheduled a shelter simulation class at 1 p.m. June 22 at the Red Cross offices in St. Joseph. More information can be found online at www.redcross-stjoseph.org, or by contacting the Red Cross at 232-8439.