SHARON

Volunteers are in low supply for two departments of the Mercer County Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Diane Buckley, the agency's executive director, said Red Cross needs volunteers for the its Disaster Action Team and Armed Forces Emergency Service Pager Team.

Disaster Action Team volunteers are on call to respond to local house fires 24 hours a day. Volunteers assess damage to a home and help provide victim's immediate needs for clothing, food and shelter, Ms. Buckley said.

Right now, the team consists of Ms. Buckley and a single volunteer who works two days a month. She said she would like to have about 15 volunteers for the job.

Armed Forces Emergency Service Pager Team volunteers help bridge the communication gap between active military men and women and their families at home, Ms. Buckley said.

If a family member has a message about a birth, death or injury to relay to a soldier on active duty, they can notify the Red Cross who will call a military message center to relay the news, she said. Red Cross provides volunteers, who work from their homes, with a pager and a cellular phone to make the calls, Ms. Buckley said.

Right now only four people, including Ms. Buckley, serve on the Armed Forces Service Pager Team. The agency needs about eight volunteers for the program so they can take turns manning the pager, she said.

Volunteers take two self-study courses at home. Armed Forces volunteers take a training course provided by the local Red Cross chapter at its Sharon office. Disaster Action Team members go through a family services course at the agency and train with an active team member, Ms. Buckley said.

Ms. Buckley said she thinks it's difficult to get volunteers because many people have hectic job schedules and family lives.

Ms. Buckley started heading up the department in June, and she said getting more volunteers is a priority. She said other departments in the Red Cross are pretty well staffed with volunteers.

Anyone interested in volunteering with the American Red Cross, Mercer County Chapter, should contact the agency. Information: (724) 981-3205, Ext. 22. is this the right number, i lifted it from where to volunteer

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Kristen Garrett at kgarrett@sharonherald.com