NATCHEZ &8212; Nearing the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the Adams County chapter of the Red Cross will start holding disaster training classes in Natchez this weekend.

Anyone can attend the classes, which usually last three to four hours, Disaster Services Assistant Angie Brown said Wednesday.

Saturday&8217;s 9 a.m. class, &8220;Introduction to Disaster,&8221; will lay a foundation for later classes on topics like shelter operations, community services, client assistance and disaster assessment, she said.

The introduction is a prerequisite for the other classes.

&8220;From there, depending on what your interests and abilities are, we figure out what you want to do and get you into the different classes for that,&8221; Brown said.

Most of the classes right now are geared toward shelter operations, she said.

Some of the classes are very interactive, Brown said. One of the classes simulates running a shelter based on what the students learned in the shelter operations class.

&8220;But maybe you&8217;re interested in dealing with people one-on-one, maybe you&8217;re interested in client services,&8221; Brown said. &8220;In that class, you learn to interview a client and assess what their needs are.&8221;

The Adams County chapter has held disaster training classes in surrounding counties since June, Brown said.

&8220;We&8217;ve had a good turnout,&8221; Brown said.

Classes are added to and changed over time, Brown said, and this year is no exception.

&8220;We&8217;re also working on trying to put together a disaster mental health class,&8221; she said.

The classes are free and are staggered between weekends and weeknights to be available to as many people as possible.

After Saturday&8217;s introduction class, a disaster assessment class will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Anyone interested in the classes or who wants more information should call the Adams County chapter of the American Red Cross at (601) 442-3656.