BATON ROUGE- American Red Cross Louisiana is holding a three-day, intensive training camp in Baton Rouge that aims to certify over one hundred new volunteers in disaster response skills and providing the knowledge and certifications needed to serve their communities in the face of intensifying disasters ahead of the 2024 hurricane season.

They started day one with a press conference at LSU, where student partners joined disaster response officials and red cross leaders to share preparedness and readiness updates.

This camp was led by current Red Cross volunteers and staff members. Residents were offered interactive experiences for essential disaster response techniques that included setting up community shelters, providing feeding assistance, assessing damage and supporting impacted families.

The group spent Saturday in a church as shelter to get the real experience. They slept on cots and practiced survival tactics as if it were the real deal.

"Our goal is to empower Louisianans with the training they need to help themselves and their neighbors," Ed Bush, Regional Disaster Officer of the Louisiana Red Cross said. "This disaster camp is a fast-track for the certifications that often take volunteers much longer to complete."

Louisiana is no stranger to natural disasters, especially hurricanes. This training was to make sure, when it happens again, their ready to serve their community and ensure a safe haven for those who need it.

Some who attended knew of Red Cross, but never knew what it was really about until now.

"I've always known Red Cross," Ursula Collins, a new volunteer said. "But to come here for these three days, and experience what I experienced, I never knew what it was all about. I'm proud to be a part of this team."

This event is meant to enhance the organization's capacity to mobilize skilled volunteers during times of crisis in Louisiana and when aid is needed across the country.