American Red Cross of the Ohio River Valley volunteer Charles Clegg shows the audience the features on the emergency vehicle that will help him perform his duties. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

PARKERSBURG — The American Red Cross of the Ohio River Valley held a dedication ceremony for a new Disaster Relief Operation vehicle on Wednesday.

American Red Cross of the Ohio River Valley Executive Director Sharon Kesselring gave the opening remarks at the ceremony, followed by a ribbon cutting.

She thanked all of the donors and volunteers who contributed to the purchase of the $150,000 emergency vehicle. The process has been ongoing over the course of a year, and Kesselring was excited to make the announcement.

“One of its primary goals is to respond with feeding and distribution of emergency supplies and larger-scale disasters,” she said.

Prior to this purchase, full-time Red Cross volunteer Charles Clegg said they would have to borrow vehicles from Wheeling and Charleston. The emergency vehicle will allow for Red Cross volunteers to travel into disaster zones both locally and nationally.

Full-time American Red Cross of the Ohio River Valley volunteer Charles Clegg stands beside the brand new Disaster Relief Operation emergency vehicle during the dedication ceremony on Wednesday at the organization’s Parkersburg office. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

“Now that we have this we can respond without the worry or the hassle of trying to track one down,” said Clegg.

Clegg has been volunteering for almost 11 years and showed the audience all of the features on the emergency vehicle that would improve his ability to respond during emergencies. Clegg said that he didn’t see this as a job, but an adventure.

Clegg talked about a specific experience that made him realize why he volunteers for the Red Cross. He recalled giving hot meals to a woman and her family who reciprocated by giving him a batch of cookies for him to bring to his team.

“You have to have a big heart and love to make a difference,” said Clegg.

Kesselring said this is their station’s first emergency vehicle and they’re looking for more volunteers. It doesn’t take long to train and there isn’t a specific license required to drive it, she said.

American Red Cross of the Ohio River Valley Executive Director Sharon Kesselring cuts the ribbon during the emergency vehicle dedication ceremony on Wednesday at the Red Cross office in Parkersburg. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

“So the American Red Cross volunteers can apply online and then go through a background check,” said Kesselring. “After that, they’ll do training and then choose when they want to go on call.”

Kesselring said volunteers can apply to a variety of services and have the option of creating their schedules. Volunteering doesn’t mean someone has to be available 24/7.

The emergency vehicle will be stationed locally but can be called in for national use if the situation is urgent. Kesselring said it’s unlikely their vehicle would need to be used out of state.

Some of the donors included Red Cross board members, FirstEnergy Corp., Bernard McDonough Foundation, Peoples Bank, Marietta Community Foundation, Parkersburg Area Community Foundation, Virginia L. Neptune Charitable Foundation and West Virginia Central Federal Credit Union.

Those who are interested can find more information online at www.redcross.org.

Donors and volunteers gather behind the ribbon for the dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting for the American Red Cross of the Ohio River Valley’s new Disaster Relief Operation emergency vehicle on Wednesday. The organization raised enough money over the course of a year to purchase the $150,000 vehicle. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

Amber Phipps can be reached at aphipps@newsandsentinel.com.

The new Disaster Relief Operation emergency vehicle was purchased by the American Red Cross of the Ohio River Valley and presented to the public Wednesday. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

American Red Cross of the Ohio River Valley Executive Director Sharon Kesselring gives the opening remarks during the emergency vehicle dedication ceremony on Wednesday. (Photo by Amber Phipps)