The American Red Cross Bay Area and Securita, Inc. Join Forces for Emergency Preparedness

SILICON VALLEY, CA--(Marketwire - October 19, 2007) - A survey conducted by the American Red Cross released in March revealed that 83% of Bay Area residents are currently unprepared and have not taken recommended actions to ready for disaster. Along the Atlantic/Gulf Coast, more than 60% of families do not have important records stored in a safe place. The American Red Cross San Francisco Bay Area believes disaster preparedness is a necessity so they have joined Silicon Valley-based Securita, Inc. to offer families a preventative solution in advance of unexpected crisis.

Securita's new, comprehensive Vital Records PortaVault®, a lightweight, self-contained organizational system in a water resistant, zip-up canvas case, holds hundreds of pages of important documents in a sturdy three-ring binder. Unlike file cabinets, metal boxes or other makeshift storage, the Vital Records PortaVault provides a simple way to compile personal records, and easily transport them when disaster strikes.

"One of the critical steps in being prepared for disaster is having important records and documents organized so they can be transported if evacuation is required," said Harold Brooks, CEO of the American Red Cross Bay Area. "The Vital Records PortaVault makes it very easy to accomplish this step and still keep records readily accessible for daily use. The Red Cross is proud to offer this useful tool in our Red Cross Store and in our upcoming Give the Gift of Preparedness Gift Catalog available November 2007."

The Vital Records PortaVault was created after Sherie Dodsworth, the Company's founder and an experienced CPA, saw thousands of Hurricane Katrina refugees in complete chaos; unable to get assistance because they did not have identification, medical, insurance, mortgage or other important records. Katrina's aftermath inspired Dodsworth to fill the grave need for an intelligently designed, easy-to-use, portable organization and storage product that could be easily accessed and carried away in emergent danger. Securita's Vital Records PortaVault also keeps records easily accessible on a day-to-day basis.

"Preparing ahead of time will always help someone respond better in a disaster or emergency, and may even save your life," said Robert Taylor, Director, Health & Safety Services. "Securita's Vital Records PortaVault offers the confidence that comes with being equipped. By offering it through the Red Cross Shop, we've tried to make it as simple as possible for everyone to take action immediately."

Securita's Vital Records PortaVault may be purchased at American Red Cross Bay Area Store located at 85 Second Street, San Francisco, CA., online at the Red Cross Store www.redcrossshop.org and at www.securitaonline.com for $69.95 each.

Contact Information: Media Contacts: Three Girls Media & Marketing Inc. 408-929-8068 Angela James angelajames@threegirlsmedia.com Erika Taylor erikataylor@threegirlsmedia.com