CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The local chapter of the American Red Cross in Charleston is getting a boost with disaster relief.
Encova Foundation of West Virginia, a program of Encova Insurance donated enough funding to secure a new Emergency Response Vehicle to the organization on Tuesday.
The vehicle was dedicated outside of the Encova offices in downtown Charleston.
“We’re thrilled about this vehicle at the Red Cross. The Emergency Response Vehicle is an iconic emblem of help and hope after a disaster. When people need us most, this vehicle makes sure we can get there,” Erica Mani, Regional Chief Executive Officer for Red Cross said.
Mani said the vehicle is more fuel-efficient, has a better wheelbase and has the technology that will allow the Red Cross to help people.
According to her, the Red Cross in the Charleston area drove its vehicle to over 1,000 local disasters in 14 states in 2019.
“We’ve had the old ambulance style emergency response vehicles in the past and while they’ve done the job well, they are ready to be retired and this vehicle is going to allow us to be there more reliably,” Mani said.
Greg Burton, the Executive Chair at Encova Insurance spoke on Tuesday. He said Mani approached Encova about helping out and they immediately jumped on board.
