Kaine to visit local funeral home that can double as a lifesaver

RICHMOND

When Gov. Timothy M. Kaine visits South Hampton Roads this week, he will make stops to talk transportation, infant mortality and volunteerism - and he'll attend a funeral home ribbon-cutting.

The funeral home is the newest Metropolitan Funeral Service facility, operated by Del. Kenny Alexander, D-Norfolk, who also plans to use the property as a public shelter in emergencies.

Kaine and Alexander, both Democrats, are political colleagues and friends who have campaigned together. Attending groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting ceremonies isn't unusual for the governor, according to aides.

"The governor is going because it's an emergency shelter," said Kaine press secretary Gordon Hickey.

Alexander said the new funeral home, a roughly 16,000-square-foot facility at 120 W. Berkley Ave. in Norfolk, was built with materials sturdy enough for extreme weather conditions.

"We wanted this facility to be built with the structural integrity to withstand tornadoes, hurricane and strong winds," he said. It also has backup electric generators.

One of the 20 employees who will work at the funeral home has completed emergency training through the city of Norfolk, Alexander said.

Norfolk has 27 buildings - mostly schools - designated as shelters, said city emergency preparedness and response director Ron Keys, who praised Alexander's efforts.

"We're really pushing for better involvement and partnering with the business community," Keys said. "The city just can't do it all."

Evaluation of a building's suitability as a shelter is done by the Red Cross, said Pam Wakefield, the agency's disaster services manager for the Southeastern Virginia chapter.

Wakefield said she could not comment about Alexander's facility because she was not aware of its intended alternate use. The Red Cross hasn't done a survey of the site, she said.

Constructing the new funeral home for a dual purpose added to the cost, said Alexander, who noted he didn't take advantage of any local, state or federal incentives that were available.

"Not one red cent" of government funds was used in building the project, he said.

Alexander has been involved with the family funeral home business for more than 20 years; his father started the company in the 1960s.

Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com