The Disaster Action Team of the American Red Cross of Northeast Massachusetts has had a busy Fall and Winter season.  The Chapter responded to several home and apartment building fires in Amesbury, Beverly, Gloucester, Ipswich, Rowley, Rockport, and Salisbury as well as assisting with the search and rescue operation in Gloucester during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  Residents of the affected homes were helped with temporary shelter and emergency needs including clothing, food, and medications.  In Gloucester, the Disaster Action Team volunteers responded along with volunteers from Rehab 5 of Peabody to provide hot drinks and meals for the search and rescue teams.  The command and control  rehabilitation  center was established at the West Parish Elementary School and teams from the Massachusetts State Police, Massachusetts Environmental Police, United States Coast Guard, Gloucester Police, Fire, and EMS along with several Gloucester residents were all involved in the search and rescue operation.  The operation was successfully completed when the resident was found cold and wet but alive just after sunset on the Friday after Thanksgiving.  On January 4, 2010 volunteers assisted the Gloucester Fire and Police departments with the evacuation of a number of residents of the Poplar Park elderly housing units due to a cabon monoxide emergency causing the heating system to be shut down. Team members remained on scene in the event that an overnight shelter was needed, however heat was restored and residents returned to their apartments shortly after midnight. On January 20th, the team responded to the Folly Hill apartment complex in Beverly to assist residents displaced due to a fire in their 12 unit building. On February 22, DAT volunteers responded to assist residents of the Heights at Cape Ann who were impacted by the 3-alarm fire in their building.  Also, volunteers have assisted residents by opening shelters during the winter storm that impacted the North Shore in February.  Volunteers mobilized yet again to help residents cope with and recover from the devastating flooding that impacted the area in March.  The Chapter's new Emergency Response Vehicle was utilized during many of these operations. In addition, volunteers have been assisting at local Blood Drives throughout the Chapter area and at H1N1 vaccination clinics in the Cape Ann area.  Residents are urged to donate blood as supplies tend to be low during the winter months and also to speak with their physicians concerning getting vaccinations for both seasonal and H1N1 flu.