FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Lucy Keely, Lee County Emergency Management
               (239) 477-3600

DISASTER EXERCISE----- SATURDAY FEBRUARY 28TH ASSIGNMENT OF UNAFFILIATED VOLUNTEERS AFTER A CATASTROPHIC EVENT

Fort Myers, FL. (February 6, 2004) - Lee County Emergency Management and Friendship Volunteer Resource Center (FVRC) are conducting an exercise on Saturday (February 28th) simulating how volunteers would be assigned after an actual emergency or disaster.

The Volunteer Resource Center exercise will run from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The site of the event will be the Senior Friendship Center located at 3597 Fowler Street in Fort Myers.

To participate you must register in advance at FVRC.

The Volunteer Reception Center serves as an assembly point after a disaster. Volunteer coordinators match people and their skills to agencies needing assistance. These people are called "unaffiliated" volunteers because they are not affiliated with a specific disaster relief organization such as Salvation Army or Red Cross.

During the exercise, some people will receive training in the registration process, interviewing, data coordination, volunteer identification processing, safety training, phone bank duties and public information.

If you would like additional information regarding this exercise please contact:

Lucy S. Keely Lee County Emergency Management (239) 477-3600

If you would like to volunteer with the Volunteer Reception Center please contact:

Meryl Rorer Friendship Volunteer Resource Center (239) 275 4427

Media wanting to do stories on this exercise please coordinate with Lucy Keely. (239) 477-3600.