Why No MOU With American Red Cross?

[RADIOMAN015]

Recently was reviewing our National MOU's/MOA and I see a statement regarding NO agreement with the American Red Cross since May 2002.

I find that kind of odd that we have agreements with other national organization but yet for over 9 years have not been able to get an agreement with the Red Cross 

Does anyone know the reason why we haven't gotten an agreement with them for the past 11 years

I know one wing recently during an AF eval was tasked with transporting critical blood supplies and did perform that mission.    Over the past few years I've noted that CAP on rare occasions has provided this service.   Actually I find performing this mission to be problematic IF the taxpayers versus the Red Cross is paying because they add a processing fee to all blood that hospitals get from them, and it is likely that transportation cost is factored into this so they should be paying CAP for this service, not the taxpayers

Frankly, I'm personally very skeptical of some of American Red Cross's national fund raising strategies when there's a US national major disaster.   IF I remember correctly they receive reimbursement from FEMA under the national disaster response plan for some of the services they provide, yet I've NEVER seen them disclose that to the public in any fund raising about reimbursement from the federal government.   CAP on the other hand has always been right up front with the public on what we get reimbursed for from the USAF and other government agencies.

Surely, the American Red Cross does do some good in local communities, especially when people are burned out of their homes without anything (and that is funded via the local chapter and not the national folks).  Shelter operations varies greatly because some local/county and state governments are now running this program with assistance from CERT volunteers.

RM

[RiverAux]

So you're upset that we don't have an MOU with an organization that you don't particularly want us to be associated with?

The old MOU was pretty much worthless anyway.  The only thing we really want out of the RC would be cheaper training costs for first aid and CPR and they ain't going to do that.  Any mission related stuff is going to have to go through the NOC anyway, so an MOU is not necessary.

[FW]

Riv, I think you are exactly right.  We didn't get any benefit with our "partnership" with ARC.  And, the ARC has many other options for transporting blood and materials which are just as cost effective as with CAP.