Local Red Cross still waiting to go to Haiti

The group is awaiting word from the International Red Cross.

The Philadelphia branch of the American Red Cross hasn’t been called to Haiti yet, but is expecting to send people down to help with the devastation following the massive earthquake that hit Tuesday. The local group is awaiting word from the International Red Cross.

Specially trained volunteers are ready to go at a moment’s notice from the Philadelphia area to aid the relief effort. Tom Foley is the head of the Red Cross Philadelphia office. He says international agencies are the first responders in times of a crisis outside the United States.

Foley: We’re making sure because we don’t know when we are going to get the call to know who’s available. We have hundreds who are trained for this kind of response we know there’s a whole cadre of International responders who will be the first in  there but eventually they are going to need our folks because it is clear that this is going to be a long-term response.

For now Foley says, the group is working with the Philadelphia Haitian community – trying to communicate with workers in Haiti to reunite families.