Emergency shelters are on stand-by for use whether due to adverse weather conditions, a prolonged power outage or another event, according to Patrick County Emergency Services Coordinator Steve Allen.
“We partner with the American Red Cross to provide shelters when they’re needed,” Allen said, and noted the ARC provides a standardized form for users to complete upon arrival at a shelter.
ARC representatives also help to man those shelters that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), while other volunteers man those that are not, he said.
Shelters may all be open, or just those needed to serve an individual community, depending on the need, Allen said.
The locations are included as part of Patrick County’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).
The number of residents affected, whether short- or long-term housing is needed and other factors determine which shelter or shelters will open.
If there is a need to open up a shelter, emergency officials use the reverse 911 system, and local media outlets to notify residents in case of an emergency, he added.
(The Enterprise maintains a Facebook page for breaking news and/or emergencies at https://m.facebook.com/localnewssource.)
All the shelters can house and feed multiple individuals; three have shower facilities, Allen said.
Shelters accommodate different numbers of people, depending on whether a short- or a long-term stay is needed, Allen said, and explained more square footage is required for long term stays.
Short term generally means “no more than a day,” while long term can mean several days, Allen said.
Patrick County High School can accommodate 408 long-term and 816 short-term; Blue Ridge Elementary School, 480 short and 240 long; Patrick Springs Elementary, 463 short and 263 long-term; Hardin Reynolds Memorial, 498 short-term and 249 long-term, he said.
Stuart Elementary School can accommodate 783 and 391 short- and long-term respectively; Meadows of Dan Elementary, 575 and 287; Woolwine Elementary School, 486 and 243.
In addition to school buildings, others are available to serve as shelters during an emergency, Allen said of the Patrick County Training Center, which can accommodate 110 short- and 50 long-term; Meadows of Dan Volunteer Fire Department, with 200 and 100; Meadows of Dan Community Building, 148 and 74; Smith River Volunteer Rescue Squad Building, 100 and 50; and Rotary Building at Rotary Field in Stuart, 500 short- and 250 long-term, respectively.
