AmeriCorps: Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

It’s hard to believe that I’m already six months into my 11 month AmeriCorps experience. It seems like just yesterday that I left my roots behind in Indiana and made the long road trip to California. So much has happened in the last six months. I've met so many people here, some of which I’m certain I’ll always have a connection with. 

I've learned so much about how a large non-profit organization such as the American Red Cross works, and that it couldn't be done without all of the hard work that each and every person involved puts into it. On top of that, I've learned a lot about myself as a person. I’m a leader, and I can also work well and accomplish great things with a group. I’m very organized, and I’m a confident presenter to the point that I now look forward to speaking in front of large groups of people. I never thought those words would come out of my mouth! However, I've learned that public speaking is easy when you're speaking on a topic that is important to you and important to the mission itself. 

I've been all over Kern County, speaking to various groups of people about disaster preparedness. A grant from Kern Public Health has allowed me to reach out to communities all over the county and present our Be Red Cross Ready material. At each presentation, 10 basic preparedness kits and 1 large 3-day preparedness kit are raffled off for participants to take home. These people leave with valuable knowledge and tangible materials that could be used in case of a disaster. How awesome is that!? So be on the look-out Kern, if I haven't been to your community yet, I will be soon enough!

All of this learning and it's only been six months. There must be so much more in store for us AmeriCorps in the Central Valley Region. I'm really looking forward to the next 5 months! Ready, set, go!

Stay tuned...

Samantha Minks

Preparedness Coordinator

AmeriCorps NPRC 2013-2014

American Red Cross - Kern Chapter

samantha.minks@redcross.org

Vero's AmeriCorps Adventures

Vero’s log January 2014:

It’s been weeks since I have written. I have been out amongst the people observing them and having adventures. I found myself in a small city called Merced; I was there quite a bit this month. I actually spent time in the even smaller town of Winton, where the school district allowed me to enter some of their schools to teach some of their younger students fire safety. I presented them with our Kid Firestopper activity, and these kids surprised me with their smarts. At the end of the participation, I was able to reward 8 students with a new backpack they can use for an emergency kit.  I left with the confidence that they will encourage their parents to be safe during a fire. I did have a chance to interact with some parents of early head start children; encouraging them to begin fire safety plans was not difficult. I spoke with one mother who told me a story about her oven catching on fire, she grabbed her babies and left them at the neighbors, but my concern came when she told me she returned to the fire. This had me thinking, will there ever be a way to make parents, or any adult, understand…GET OUT AND STAY OUT? This young mother was lucky, she was able to use her fire extinguisher and put out the fire.  

To continue my adventures in Merced; I had a chance to bring them our Team Firestopper canvassing project. For MLK day, a day of service across the nation, we took to the streets of Merced and provided the communities with fire safety information. We were able to bring in 46 volunteers to come out and spread the word. We had some amazing volunteers, I don’t even know if they realize how thankful I am for their help. We had Alpha Phi Omega, Delta Gamma, Merced Red Cross Club, Rollin Roulette’s Derby Girls, Mc Swain 4H, Merced County 4H, United Way, our own Red Cross volunteers, Atwater Circle K, friends and family come out. Special thanks go out to Merced Fire’s own R. Ramirez, K. Albrecht, and B. Alcorn. Although these men have busy days, they took the time out to participate in our event and even speak to our volunteers.  Our day was a success; we reached out to 2000 homes, so THANK YOU to all who helped!

My last adventure brought me back to Fresno. I was able to conduct our first Hispanic Outreach. In the beginning of this month, I recorded a spot on Univision encouraging our Hispanic community to come and participate in a Team Firestopper presentation. It was an experience for me because I conducted it all in Spanish. Anyone who knows me knows I have pride in my culture; bringing this information to our Spanish speaking communities has been a goal of mine. The response of our participants was that of gratitude. They were encouraging me to continue the good work, and continue pushing the Red Cross’ mission into our Hispanic communities. My Spanish may be shaky when I’m nervous, but the message got through, and my guests made me feel confident. Almost brings a tear to my eye.

Readers, I hope you don’t mind if I continue to update you on my adventures. My interactions, my volunteer’s interactions, and even my co-worker’s interactions with our communities is where we can truly see the impact our work is having. I know I can’t do what I do without the help of my co-workers, my volunteers, and the community. So I leave you now with this warning...LOOK OUT! Kid Firestopper and Team Firestopper: Hispanic Outreach is coming to a location near you!

The AmeriCorps Member: A True Life Story Series

As I have previously mentioned, I have had a phenomenal AmeriCorps experience thus far. I have had opportunities to learn, experience, manage, and network on behalf of the American Red Cross in Tulare and Kings Counties. Through my experience, I have noticed organizational behavior characteristics while trying to make connections with government agencies, private businesses, and other organizations that benefit the community. From what I have seen, I cannot overemphasize the importance of this message: communicate.

If you ask anyone on my team how often I ask questions, they'll tell you "often." However, I take these calculated measures to ensure that I am most effective in my job. I strive to perform at my optimal level and to help me, I must have the right tools, information, tact, and institutional memory. When I communicate with anyone from my team, the Red Cross in our region, and the communities in which I operate, I'm helping piece together an abstract puzzle of how I can best serve the people of Tulare and Kings Counties. This is part of the reason why I love what I do - to build a more prepared, resilient community.

Though I'm only halfway through my national service, I can imagine if someone were to ask me at the end of my year, "What is the most important thing you learned from working with the American Red Cross," I might just tell them "Communication is key to success."

Amitai "Tai" S. Zuckerman
Preparedness Coordinator
American Red Cross – Tulare and Kings Counties
AmeriCorps NPRC Member 2013-2014
Community Preparedness and Resilience Services
amitai.zuckerman@redcross.org

Disaster Preparedness of Olympic Proportions

As the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi are just around the corner, I figured I'd give an update on how the Russians are taking disaster preparedness into consideration.

The main concern for the Russians is security, and a noticeable presence has been beefed up in areas that have anything to do with the Olympic Games. Different zones have been declared, such as "controlled" and "forbidden," and security forces number in the tens of thousands. With various Russian agencies taking different aspects of the security, they are ever vigilant for the threats that have been launched against the games. Flying drones, security boats on the Black Sea, intelligence, air-defense rockets, and good ol' uniformed personnel are some of the measures taken.

On the U.S. side of disaster preparedness for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, the Department of Defense and the Department of State are taking measures in case of large-scale evacuations: the U.S. will place warships nearby that will allow helicopters to evacuate U.S. citizens and C-17s will be on standby in Germany for even larger evacuations. Of course, these are entirely precautionary measures should a disaster occur, but it is better to err on the side of caution.

It's too early to predict accurate weather forecasts for the Games but in case the weather turns too warm, around 450,000 cubic meters of last year's snow has been stored and will come to the rescue.

Good luck to Team USA!

Amitai "Tai" S. Zuckerman

Preparedness Coordinator

American Red Cross – Tulare and Kings Counties

AmeriCorps NPRC Member 2013-2014

Community Preparedness and Resilience Services

amitai.zuckerman@redcross.org

The Facts: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Hello all!

Today I want to talk about carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s that time of year again, when temperatures fall and people everywhere want to start using their fireplaces, but remember to take the proper measures in preventing exposure to this poisonous gas. One of the reasons why carbon monoxide is the silent killer is because it’s odorless, colorless, and tasteless. It’s produced through the incomplete burning of various forms of fuel (coal, wood, charcoal, oil, kerosene, propane, and natural gas.)

• At lower levels of exposure, carbon monoxide causes mild effects that are often mistaken for the flu. These symptoms include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea, and fatigue.
• At moderate levels of exposure, angina, impaired vision, and reduced brain function may result.
• At higher concentrations, exposure to carbon monoxide can be fatal.
• The effects of exposure can vary greatly from person to person depending on age, overall health and the concentration and length of exposure.

Watch this informative video that explains how to properly check your chimney to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning!

Here are some tips for properly installing your carbon monoxide detector:

• Because carbon monoxide is slightly lighter than air and may be found with warm, raising air, detectors should be placed on a wall about 5 ft. above the floor. 
• Do not place the detector right next to or over a fireplace or a flame-producing appliance.
• Keep detectors out of the way of pets and children.
• Each floor needs a separate detector.
• Place near a sleeping area so its loud enough to wake you up.
• Read manufactures instructions for additional information on placement and maintenance of the CO alarm.

Also, check out this website for more safety and preparedness tips!

http://www.drc-group.com/project/jitt.html#special

Samantha Minks

Preparedness Coordinator

AmeriCorps NPRC 2013-2014

American Red Cross - Kern Chapter

samantha.minks@redcross.org

Prepare-aphernalia: The All American Sun Oven

Whenever I talk to people about getting a disaster preparedness kit ready, the topic of food is always mentioned. We discuss what types of foods to have stored (high in protein, nuts, dried fruit, etc.), but canned food is inevitably brought to the table (pun intended) and they are always stumped with how to prepare most foods that come from a can as they usually need a heat source before consumption. Gas stoves are almost always dismissed as we do not recommend indoor use, among other hazards.

Well, fellow disaster preparers, question no more because I give you the All American Sun Oven. That's right - this is an oven that works off the heat of the sun. Certain details must be paid attention to, such as aligning "sun track holes" and leveling devices, but this oven would be a great accessory to enjoy the comforts of normality during otherwise chaotic times. Heck, make it fun! Have cooking competitions to see who can make the most effective meal during an earthquake relief effort. You can also use it for camping, day trips to the beach, and roof-top office parties!

However, I can't promise that you won't be ridiculed for using a somewhat-ridiculous looking contraption. And when you get the snarky remarks, make sure they know that they're not invited for dinner.

For more information, check out the following, unnecessarily long hyperlink: http://www.solarcooker-at-cantinawest.com/All_American_Sun_Oven.html?mysrc=amazon-pads&mychannel=on-amazon&publisher=www.amazon.com&subpage=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FSun-Oven-GLOBAL-SUN-OVEN%2Fdp%2FB00286KQ1W%253FSubscriptionId%253D07NRTARVZ019JYQYDGR2%2526tag%253Dmvsurvival-20%2526linkCode%253Dxm2%2526camp%253D2025%2526creative%253D165953%2526creativeASIN%253DB00286KQ1W&medium=cpc&SKU=AASO294

Amitai "Tai" S. Zuckerman
Preparedness Coordinator
American Red Cross – Tulare and Kings Counties
AmeriCorps NPRC Member 2013-2014
Community Preparedness and Resilience Services
amitai.zuckerman@redcross.org

Prepare-aphernalia: The Adamant

Hello all! I’ve recently returned to California from Indiana where I visited my family for a few weeks. As a lot of you are aware, the Midwest is experiencing record low temperatures this week as well as over a foot of snow! I left just hours before the blizzard of the decade hit my hometown, and needless to say, I’m pretty happy I returned to the Central Valley where it’s dry, sunny, and warm. Of course, I gave my family members a basic Be Red Cross Ready spiel, explaining to them all the measures that should be taken while preparing to be snowed in. 

Fortunately, here in the Central Valley we don’t have to worry about being snowed in. The chances of that happening are slim to none. Instead, we have to worry about other types of emergencies such as floods, fires, and earthquakes. Most of the participants in my Be Red Cross Ready training sessions are worried most about the next big earthquake. So, I switched gears from snow and cold weather conditions to earthquakes, and that’s when I found this: The Adamant. 

It’s for all of you out there who are taking the most extreme measures to prepare for the next big one. The Adamant is an earthquake-resistant bed with an extra strong carbon fiber roof that can be pulled close like the top of a convertible. It has two fluorescent lamps, an emergency beacon, and a storage area for radios and food. The slope of the roof is designed so that falling debris will slide downward.

This bed will allow you to keep those pretty paintings and mirrors above your beds as decoration, because the roof will serve as protection from them falling on your head during an earthquake. 

Visit http://www.wired.com/gadgets/gadgetreviews/multimedia/2008/05/gallery_survival_gadgets?slide=2&slideView=2  for more preparedness gadgets!

By the way, Happy 2014 Central Valley! It's good to be back!

Samantha Minks

AmeriCorps NPRC 2013-2014

Preparedness Coordinator

American Red Cross - Kern Chapter

samantha.minks@redcross.org