PRESS RELEASE  #1

EMERGENCY COUNTY SERVICES

Date:

Release:

Contact:

9/11/01

Immediately

Chris Hirsh, Public Information Officer

Santa Cruz County has partially activated the Emergency Operations Center to monitor the State and Federal response to this morning's terrorist attacks.

The EOC is in a heightened state of alert, monitoring the response from the Governor's Office for information regarding possible school closures and transportation alerts.

The Santa Cruz County Red Cross has established a central contact number for local residents seeking information on family members in the affected areas. That number is (831) 462-2881. For those interested in donating blood, the nearest center open today is in San Jose. Residents can call 1-800-448-3543 to make an appointment, and to get information on hours open, and location.

At this time, all County offices are scheduled to remain open. The cities of Watsonville, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, and Capitola remain open as well. Public safety agencies are in a heightened state of readiness.

Emergency personnel will continue to monitor the situation for further developments.