Emergency expert to give tips on how to avoid a catastrophe

Red Cross volunteer brings lessons from around the world to preparedness lecture

By Jessica Lyons

The Glen has survived the quake of '89 and the floods of '98. Most Glenites have heard some rumblings about the Bay Area being due for another big one soon--but most folks aren't prepared. Harry Hall wants to change that.

Hall envisions fire extinguishers, flash- lights and tool boxes in every garage; bottled water, metal tape and working gloves in every closet; the basic emergency preparedness kit in every home.

Hall, a National Disaster Response Team volunteer for the Red Cross, will be giving a presentation on emergency preparedness Thursday, April 22 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Stone Presbyterian Church, 1108 Clark Way.

The workshop, co-sponsored by the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association and Stone Church, is expressly for homeowners, emphasizing home and family preparedness for any emergency situation.

"If anyone's like our family--and I think we're pretty normal--we're not prepared," WGNA president Kris Cunningham says. "We talk about it, and we do a few things but there's room for great improvement."

The workshop will focus on earthquake and flood preparedness, but will include safety tips on all natural disasters and possible emergency situations, says Virginia Holt, the evening's moderator and a member of the Church and World Board of Stone Presbyterian Church. "It's really important that people be aware of the different situations they need to be prepared for," Holt says.

Thursday's meeting will include a video emphasizing earthquake safety, as well as demonstrations of common household hazard-prevention techniques, such as how to turn off a gas valve and how to secure water heaters. Hall will also talk about creating an emergency family plan and an emergency supply list. He'll also be available to answer questions.

And it will be fun, Cunningham says.

"He is someone from our area who has had some exciting experiences in helping with emergencies, so it will also be entertaining as well as informative," Cunningham says. "It won't be a dry evening."

Hall, a 66-year-old retired Campbell School District administrator and 34-year resident of Willow Glen, spends about one-third of each year volunteering on location at natural disasters, ranging from typhoons in the West Pacific and hurricanes on the East Coast, to floods, tornadoes and forest fires in other parts of the country. When a disaster strikes and Hall is called to the scene, he orients volunteers to the area and community, and provides operational training for volunteers off the street.

Sometimes he has some unusual experiences. Like the time a neighboring town in South Dakota wanted to kick the Red Cross volunteers out while they assisted Spencer, a small town destroyed by a tornado. Or the nun--a principal of a Catholic School--who found some added behavioral benefits to keeping a fire ax behind her desk in the principal's office.

"Don't tell all my stories," Hall laughs, "Then no one will come to the meeting."

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