In lieu of the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001,the American Red Cross Sacramento Chapter teamed up with Citizen Voice to make and distribute emergency kits.

Gary Dietrich, the president of Citizen Voice, held an event at Bayside Church in Granite Bay Monday evening to present his new project to Sacramento County residents.

The Safely Out project was designed in January to help “all people, including the vulnerable residents, to get out of dangerous situations,” Dietrich said.

He said people can no longer rely solely on first responders, as people saw during Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.

The kit includes a double-sided, waterproof doorknob hanger with the words, “Safely Out” on one side and “Need Help” on the other. The intent of the doorknob hanger would signal to emergency responders whether a house is empty or if someone inside is in need of help.

The hanger was inspired by stories from the Ninth Ward of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Dietrich said a dead person was found in the back a house after it was visited several times by emergency responders.

The hanger also includes a section, which lists the location of the evacuees and also the evacuation helper’s contact information.

The plastic bag can also be used to store prescription medication and health insurance information in the refrigerator. Dietrich said the refrigerator is a powerful appliance, since it’s waterproof, airtight and fire-resistant.

“Sometimes the most complex of problems can be solved by the simplest of solutions,” said Dietrich.

A number of local celebrity endorsers came to the event ?” including John McGuiness, the Sacramento Country Sheriff, Pat Walsh, with KFBK sports and Jay Alan, also of KFBK.

Leslie Olson, a 9/11 survivor, also came to the event. She was in the lobby of Tower Two of the World Trade Center when the United Airlines Flight 175 struck.

She said there was not strong sound when the plane crashed into the building but that there was “a great burst of air.”

Starting today, the kits are being distributed to Red Cross chapters all across the United States, along with information about how to handle disaster situations.

The kits are available via the Citizen Voice website for a charge of $2.50 per kit and suggest donating to the organization.

Jamie Gonzales can be reached at [email protected]