PROVO — When a fire in Lehi burned a duplex Tuesday, the owners were OK.

They escaped safely, they were insured and they had a place to go. Plus, they can expect a nearly full reimbursement for their losses.

The man renting from them wasn't so lucky.

Within a few minutes, he lost everything he owned.

He's the one the Mountainland Chapter of the Red Cross could help with food, clothing and housing.

"That's the kind of things we do," said David Gunn, the new and outspoken director of the chapter that appeared to be on the verge of shutting its doors last year.

Gunn thinks a closure of a Red Cross office in Utah County wouldn't have happened because the regional and national offices would have stepped in. But he admits the 84-year-old operation was in disarray.

"If it fails, it would be because of indifference. I don't think you're going to find that kind of indifference here, not in Provo," Gunn said. "A lot of people in town donate very, very generously to this effort."

Gunn, a former military man, isn't daunted by the task of bringing an end to the turmoil or stumping for funds. Most of the staff had been let go, funding was down and few in the community realized the chapter was so dependent on their contributions.

When he served in Vietnam in 1969 and 1970, he worked on projects established to help orphaned children and was awarded a Bronze Star because of his efforts.

Gunn is a former battalion commander for the Utah Army National Guard and now serves with the guard as the director of family programs, working with families being mobilized to Kuwait.

He retired in January from Provo city as director of public services and agreed to take over as the chapter's executive director three weeks ago.

"I like to be involved where the work is important, and the problems here are not the fault of the Red Cross, its mission, its goals or its people," he said. "It's been more a problem of inadequate leadership."

Gunn, who was recruited by board member Lenora Plothow, said he can remember how welcome the trademark Red Cross was during his days in the military.

"They're everywhere. The Red Cross is so big. It has the mechanism and the ability to get things to people, whether it be food, or blankets, or blood."

He's optimistic about the chapter's future because he believes the mission is too critical to let slip away.

"My job is to let people know about us because the only way we can do what we do is through donations. We don't get any government funding."

It takes $1,000 a day to run the chapter with 90 percent of donations going directly to assistance.

The building has been donated, and there are only three paid employees, including Gunn, so overhead is kept at a minimum.

"Our fixed expenses are basically lights and salaries, the phones, emergency medical supplies, training materials and mannequins. The mannequins for the CPR and First Aid training cost a lot, and they wear out quickly because we use them so much."

Volunteers make the programs work, teaching the water safety, CPR and first aid classes and responding to disasters such as the Lehi fire.

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"It's really kind of inspiring," Gunn said. "We're here for the needy when they need us because people care."

Open house May 3

The Mountainland Chapter of the Red Cross invites the public to an open house Thursday, May 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. at 865 N. Freedom Blvd. in Provo.


E-MAIL: haddoc@desnews.com

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