9/18/14 - Itâs been a part of the community since 1917, but a consolidation plan being implemented by the American Red Cross in Michigan will result in the elimination of the Livingston County chapter. Driven by $70 million in red ink at the national level, Red Cross officials say they are implementing a nationwide consolidation effort. In Michigan, that means that as of October 1st there will only be four regional chapters. Those will then be run by a single headquarters in Detroit. Locally, the Livingston County Chapter of the American Red Cross will be merged into the Mid-Michigan Chapter. Renee Wyatt, the Executive Director of the Livingston County chapter, will have her position terminated as of October 9th. Matt Ikle is the Chair of the Livingston County Red Cross Board of Directors and says their facility on Grand River will remain open for the time being, but will eventually be sold. All local service delivery activities such as blood collection and first-aid classes will be carried out strictly by certified and trained volunteers. Putnam Township Fire Chief Greg Amburgey is a former chair of the local Red Cross board and says this was something that had been hinted at when he served with the organization and says no matter how you look at it, it will be a loss for the county. Regional Red Cross Executive Director John Cauley says that there are currently no plans to remove the chapterâs emergency response vehicles from the county. But Amburgey says the county fire departments several years ago recognized this as a possibility and formed their own independent Disaster Assistance Response Team, or DART. (JK)
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