Five Questions

"It's been a little nutty," says Deborah Horvath of the weeks following Hurricane Katrina. As executive director of the American Red Cross of Collier County, Horvath is always on the phone or out in the community; and these days she's even busier than usual, coordinating relief efforts for families displaced by Katrina. The chapter is hurriedly training volunteers to relieve those in the disaster area while making sure to keep enough local volunteers to respond to crises at home as well.

1. What can businesses do to be better prepared for a disaster?

Plan. How much more proof than Hurricane Katrina do you need that you, your business, your families should all have a disaster plan? An emergency manager doesn't give the order to evacuate on a whim; it's very serious and should be taken very seriously.

Also, businesses should know that if you don't allow your staff to go home and take care of their homes and families, then they are no good to you; their minds are on their loved ones. Let them go home first, then come back and back up computers.

2. What are some misconceptions people hold about the Red Cross?

One of the biggest misconceptions here in Florida is that we take blood [donations]. Nationally the Red Cross supplies half the nation's blood, but here in Florida we don't collect blood. Another misconception is that we are a government agency. We are a private nonprofit; we just happen to work closely with FEMA and the military. We don't receive any government funding. We are completely funded by the generosity of the American public.

3. What does the Red Cross do that people aren't aware of?

We go to house fires, brush fires, chemical spills and tornado touchdowns. We go whenever any kind of disaster strikes, whether it affects one family or a whole neighborhood. We do some international tracing, emergency communications and messaging. When people are separated by war or a national disaster, we try to put them back in touch with each other.

4. What can people do to help here on the Gulfshore?

Give money or come in and get training. We are training and sending so many people out, we are leaving ourselves wide open locally. I wish I had a list of people who would say to me, 'Just call me when you have to open a shelter.' When a storm is threatening we need hundreds of people.

5. What's the future challenge to your chapter?

Fund raising. People gave to the Red Cross after 9/11, then after Hurricane Charley and now for Katrina. Right now we are planning our New Year's Eve event. It's going to be even tougher to find sponsors, as people will say, 'Well, I already gave to the Red Cross.' But [money for Hurricane Katrina] doesn't stay local. It's wonderful to support the relief, but it is even more important to help fund our own nonprofits.