SORRENTO — River Parishes Community College, together with officials from Elaine P. Nunez Community College in Chalmette and the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, held a two-hour briefing for Hurricane Katrina evacuees regarding the safe re-entry and clean-up of flooded homes.

The class was held Sept. 21 at the hurricane shelter housed in the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales.

Class instructors, themselves displaced Nunez Community College teachers, were Chester Mock, Associate Professor of Electrical Construction; Sharon Flanagan, a hazardous materials and health and safety expert and Facilities Director Sydney Dobson.

Also involved in the coordinated effort were Nunez Chancellor Tommy Warner, John Hough, Coordinator of Workforce Training and Economic Development for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, and Donna Seale, Institutional Advancement Officer at River Parishes Community College.

“We were glad to take part in this extremely vital community service,” said River Parishes Chancellor Joe Ben Welch.

“We were in the right place at the right time, and I commend those on our staff who helped to bring this safety class to fruition. I especially commend those subject-matter experts from New Orleans, who could have simply taken care of their own affairs, but instead took time to take care of others.”

The briefing was attended by approximately 40 displaced citizens.

Attendees were instructed on personal safety while at their flooded homes, proper techniques to dry out homes and general clean-up tips.

Instructors told the class to be especially mindful of chemicals that may have been moved into their homes by flood waters.

Although the class was held in a non air-conditioned arena, attendees listened attentively and asked many questions during the lectures.

River Parishes Community College is a two-year learning institution, fully-accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Associate Degrees. The school is located at 7384 John LeBlanc Blvd. in Sorrento.

For more information about River Parishes Community College, or to enroll in classes, call 225-675-8270 or log on to www.rpcc.edu.