Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – After nearly 60 years of being located in the Star City, the American Red Cross is moving to Caribou.
According to Joyce Knorr, branch manager of the American Red Cross – Pine Tree Chapter, the decision was strictly a monetary one. “Unfortunately with the economy, we are just not meeting our budget. For the past six or seven years, we have been in a major deficit,” she said. “What has been occurring over the past few years is that most of the business donations that have been coming in through the Bangor office have been helping to carry this office where we have not been able to afford our operational cost.
“Last week, this chapter responded to its 99th fire in seven months,” said Knorr. “Our fiscal year won’t be up until June 30, and in a typical fiscal year, we respond to 106 fires. Because there’s been so many fires in the eastern Maine area, their [Bangor] budget is hurting, so the supplemental funds that have been available to us are no longer there, so we are having to find ways of curbing our operational cost which means utilities, capital expenses, and we’ve even had to cut our staff hours.”
Another way of curbing costs is by relocating to Caribou.
“We’re going to 111 High St. in Caribou. We’ll be sharing office space with the Aroostook County Emergency Medical Services Region 5,” said Knorr. “This is going to provide over $4,000 savings a year in our operational costs, and right now, every penny counts.”
Knorr said the Red Cross will be paying a flat rate of $225 per month, which will include everything from heat, electricity, water, snow and sanitation removal, and Internet hook-up.
“It averages to about $1.67 per square foot,” she said of the 18-foot by 18-foot office space.
Because the current 141 State St. location is an old building, which used to be a train station, Knorr said the chapter doesn’t have the money to make the much-needed repairs.
“It’s an old building … 60 to 70 years old, and we’ve looked for some donations, but they’re few and far between because of the odd sized windows and doors … they’re specialty type orders,” she said. “We have such limited support with staff, we have to utilize our time with making sure business is taken care of and our disaster needs are met. I don’t have the time to solicit businesses for donations for windows and things like that, we need to solicit businesses for monetary contributions.”
The American Red Cross purchased the building in 1950 for $3,000 with the condition that the organization work as a non-profit.
Knorr said American Red Cross advisory committee member Steve Corbin offered help to the financially strapped organization.
“Steve is the director for the county’s EMS Region 5,” she said. “He saw that we had a need and he had a potential answer where he could help us by offering us space. After we looked at the facility, our board and advisory committee both approved the move. The EMS board also OK’d the plan.”
One huge advantage Knorr sees to relocating to Caribou is that all emergency response services will be in close proximity to one another.
“The Aroostook County Emergency Management Agency has been working very closely with us over the past year, and ideally, if we have to rapidly respond, we are going to have all our disaster services [Aroostook County Emergency Operations Center, EMA, National Weather Service, Aroostook County EMS] within a one-mile radius,” she said. “All our first responder services – when it comes to disaster – are going to be right there. That’s an ideal plan and it makes sense to be more efficient and effective.
“We’re also going to be very visible,” Knorr said. “We’re going to be on a well traveled road that’s easy to get to. Right now, people still don’t know where we’re located.”
The last day of operating out of the Presque Isle office will be Friday, Feb. 22.
“Then we’ll be moving and setting things up in Caribou, and our first official day in the new office will be Monday, March 3,” said Knorr.
It’s crucial, she said, for county residents to know that the services will stay exactly the same.
“The thing about the Red Cross is that it’s not about a building or location, it’s about the services that we provide,” said Knorr. “I could operate out of the backseat of my car with a laptop and my cell phone, which I’ve done.
“We will continue to have our events in Presque Isle like at Northern Maine Community College and the Aroostook Centre Mall,” she said. “We will maintain our partners that we have in Presque Isle.”
Hours will remain 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, although a new telephone number will be issued to the local chapter.
The Caribou office is pretty well furnished, so Knorr said they will have some office equipment for sale.
“We’ll have some desks, chairs, a refrigerator, maybe some tables and a photocopier that will be for sale … we’ll have to liquidate some of the things we have here in the office,” she said. “If anyone’s interested, people can call 762-5671 to take a look at what we have.”
Knorr said the city of Presque Isle has been great to work with over the years.
“The city has been so generous and gracious in helping us with our outdoor activities such as plowing, maintenance, and making sure the grass has been cut,” she said. “We want to thank them for all they’ve done over the years and the support they’ve given this organization.
“We’ll miss being in Presque Isle, but will continue to meet everyone’s disaster needs throughout our region,” said Knorr, “regardless of where our office is.”