2 People From Area Help Out on Saipan

A pair of area residents are half a world away on a South Pacific island, lending a hand as disaster-relief volunteers of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Red Cross.

Frank Glorioso of Agoura Hills, Patricia Gise of Granada Hills and 188 other Red Cross disaster-relief volunteers have helped residents of Saipan get back on their feet after Super Typhoon Keith hit the island Nov. 3, said Mike Powers, spokesman for the organization’s Los Angeles chapter.

“Damages were substantial but the people are doing good and getting back into their routine,” said Glorioso, a communications technology firm owner who is serving as communications officer in Saipan. “I think they’re very resilient and have great attitudes even though there was a considerable amount of devastation.”

Glorioso said nearly 900 homes were damaged or destroyed by the typhoon, a Category 5 storm with winds of up to 220 mph.

After arriving in Saipan on Nov. 13, Glorioso began overseeing communications links, including the installation and maintenance of telephones, radios, pagers and fax machines. This is his eighth disaster-relief assignment this year.

“Frank is one of our most active volunteers,” Powers said of Glorioso, who became involved in disaster relief after spending time in a Red Cross shelter following the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

This year, Glorioso has taken time off from work to serve as communications officer during the New Jersey floods in August, the North Dakota/Minnesota floods from April to June, the Ohio floods in March, the Illinois and West Virginia floods in February, and the Sacramento floods in January.

Gise, who left for Saipan on Nov. 5, has been helping families on a case-by-case basis assess personal damages caused by the typhoon and has been issuing vouchers redeemable for items such as food, clothing, shoes, blankets and furniture.

A Red Cross volunteer since 1976, Gise has responded to more than 20 disasters, including the Northridge earthquake.

Glorioso and Gise should return from Saipan next week, Powers said.