October is Zombie Preparedness Month!

Just a few more days left in the month of October. Are you prepared for a zombie apocalypse?! If not, then it is time you get ready. Once you are prepared for a zombie apocalypse, you are prepared for any type of emergency.

                                                                             (Credit to the CDC. emergency.cdc.gov)

To get prepared follow the 3 basic emergency preparedness steps

                                                                          ( Credit to the CDC. emergency.cdc.gov)

When making your zombie preparedness kit, don’t forget to include the basic essential items and then add your zombie necessities.

·         Water (one gallon per person)

·         Food (non –perishable, high in protein)

·         Flashlight

·         First Aid Kit

·         Medications (Prescription and non-prescription)

·         Battery operated or crank radio

·         Tools (can opener, wrench, screw driver, hammer etc.)

·         Clothing (change of clothes, sturdy shoes, gloves and a blanket)

·         Sanitary supplies

·         Cash

·         Contact information

·         Map

 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently offering Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse. Also, check out their Zombie Novella!

www.cdc.gov/phpr/zombies_novella.htm

-Jessica

American Red Cross Responds to 66th Fire of the Season.

Fresno, CA, April 5, 2012— Local American Red Cross volunteers responded to a residential fire on the 1200 block of San Bruno Ave in Fresno, CA at approximately 3:05AM this morning. The team of Red Cross volunteers helped coordinate assistance in the form of food, shelter, and emotional support to the 4 adults who were affected by the fire.  This marked the 66th fire the Central Valley Chapter has responded to this year. Last year, the Central Valley Region responded to 545 fires.

“We’re deeply saddened for those affected,” said Ellen Knapp, Regional CEO.  “As we continue to provide support to those affected, we also encourage others to take action to minimize the risk of a home fire.”

The Red Cross recommends two easy steps to help protect your home and loved ones from a fire: get a smoke alarm and create a fire escape plan. 

• Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
• Place smoke alarms on every level of your home, including bedrooms.
• Test smoke alarms once a month and replace batteries at least once a year. 
• Have a plan in place can help you escape, including at least two ways to escape from every room of your home and a meeting spot at a safe distance from your home. 
• Discuss the plan with everyone in the household and practice it at least twice a year.

Red Cross volunteers on the scene were members of the Chapter’s Disaster Action Team, a group of specially trained volunteers who respond to the scene of a local disaster when called upon at any time of the day or night.

For more Red Cross fire safety and preparedness information visit www.redcross.org/homefires or www.arccentralvalley.org

To make a financial donation to your local Red Cross to help people affected by house fires and other disasters here in the United States and around the world, people can click, call or text - visit www.arccentralvalley.org, or call (559) 455-1000 or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. 

Japan: One Year after the Earthquake and Tsunami

One year following Japan’s tragic earthquake and Pacific tsunami, the country is firmly on the path to recovery.

“Donations to the American Red Cross have helped hundreds of thousands of disaster survivors and are serving a critical role in recovery plans,” said President and CEO Gail McGovern. “Whether it’s offering emotional support to someone struggling with trauma, building much needed healthcare facilities, or providing appliances to a family moving into a temporary home, the Red Cross is helping the Japanese people look to the future.”Donations to the American Red Cross have helped the Japanese Red Cross:

• Provide more than 316,000 survivors with necessary appliances for their temporary housing, including refrigerators, washing machines and rice cookers.
• Support construction of four temporary hospitals, one permanent hospital and a community health clinic.
• Rebuild a Red Cross nursing school that will train specialists in disaster medical care
• Provide more than 87,000 people with health services through Japanese Red Cross mobile teams and temporary clinics.
• Comfort 14,000 people by counselors trained to deal with disaster-related trauma.
• Provide transportation and vaccinations for the elderly and educational support, temporary school gyms and play areas for children.
• Improve the disaster response capacity of the Japanese Red Cross, so critical to saving lives.

"Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who has generously donated funds through the American Red Cross and national societies in many other countries,” said Tadateru Konoe, president of the Japanese Red Cross and the International Federation of the Red Cross. “Through your support we have been able to help survivors regain their resilience and also increase our preparedness to face up to potential future disasters."

The American Red was one of the largest private, international contributors to the Japan earthquake and Pacific tsunami response, raising more than $312 million. One year later, virtually all of the funds have been spent. Because of these donations, the Japanese Red Cross was able to bring emergency comfort to those living in shelters and later able to provide the supplies and services needed to help them get back on their feet.

Japan: One Year Later (Video)

In the last decade, Japan’s Ministry of Education has responded to market imperatives and a need for managers with specialized skills by increasing the number of graduate programs. But Japan's new professional and graduate programs have experienced chronic under-enrollment -- basically, no one is showing up to class. Now the Ministry of Education is playing catch-up to market these educational programs to a very truant bunch of students.

It is not hard to determine why Japan’s graduate classrooms sit empty. For one thing, the promise that graduate programs offer does little to remove the stigma associated with continuing education courses. Traditional definitions of success lead many professionals to fear that they will be perceived as less competent if they pursue education after they have entered a professional career. In the past, Japanese companies have also based career advancement on seniority. An extra one or two years in school has often meant falling behind less educated counterparts who move faster up the corporate ranks.

As Japan approaches the first anniversary of the crisis that transformed the nation, global attention will undoubtedly focus on the progress that the country has made in resurrecting its physical infrastructure. Restoring homes, roads, hospitals and schools, and mitigating the damage of the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl certainly deserve our attention and reflection. Still, it is important to remember that solving the social and economic problems that Japan faced before the crisis are just as critical.

The unique skills that graduate programs offer will play a vital roll in managing Japan's long-term recovery. If students and professionals continue to avoid higher education, Japan will find itself ill-equipped to maintain its revival. Considering how many people have been displaced and how much there is yet to be rebuilt, it may be worthwhile for the Ministry of Education to encourage distance learning or online graduate programs. Because online schools are more cost-efficient, offer the ability to reach a larger audience across vast distances, and provide the opportunity to study while working full-time -- thereby avoiding the stigma of a late entry into the workforce -- they may be the perfect tool in ensuring that once Japan's physical recovery is complete, the nation will have an educated workforce capable of leading an economic recovery.

To get involved in Japan's recovery, donate to:
American Red Cross


OnlineSchools.org presents Japan One Year Later

This video was sent in to the American Red Cross Central Valley Region and asked to be shared with you our loyal readers.

Red Cross Month 2012 - Presidential Proclamation

AMERICAN RED CROSS MONTH, 2012

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION 

After more than 130 years of providing humanitarian relief at home and abroad, the American Red Cross remains a reflection of the compassion and generosity central to our national identity. At moments of profound need, the actions of men and women across our country reflect our noblest ideals of service -- from search-and-rescue teams that brave disaster zones to ordinary citizens who deliver not only lifesaving care and supplies, but also hope for a brighter tomorrow. During American Red Cross Month, we pay tribute to all those whose dedication to relieving human suffering illuminates even our darkest hours.


A visionary humanitarian and unyielding advocate for those in need, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881 after many years of tending to soldiers and families injured in war's wake. In the generations that followed, the American Red Cross served as a force for peace and recovery during times of crisis. Presidents of the United States have called upon the American Red Cross time and again, beginning when President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Red Cross Week during the First World War, and continuing into the 21st century.


Today, emergency response organizations like the American Red Cross continue to play a vital role in responding to disasters that cast countless lives and communities into harm's way. When devastating storms struck cities spanning the Midwest to the Eastern Seaboard this past year, the American Red Cross and other relief organizations were instrumental partners in preparedness, response, and recovery. And when a devastating earthquake shook Japan's Pacific coast, they answered by extending support to the people of Japan and standing with them as they rebuild.


We are reminded in times like these that the strength of our humanitarian response and the measure of our resilience are drawn not only from the committed action of relief organizations, but also from individuals who step forward, volunteer, or give what they can to help their neighbors in need. With generous spirits and can-do attitudes, Americans from every corner of our country have come together again and again to show the true character of our Nation. As we celebrate American Red Cross Month, let us resolve to preserve and renew that humanitarian impulse to save, to serve, and to build, and carry it forward in the year to come.


NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America and Honorary Chairman of the American Red Cross, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 2012 as American Red Cross Month. I encourage all Americans to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities, and by supporting the work of service and relief organizations.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

Just In Case You Missed Team Firestopper In Your Community!

Team Firestopper hosted an event on Saturday, February 25, 2012 to help support fire safety in Fresno’s Highway City Community. This seminar was to help encourage all the residents of this area to be aware of fire hazards, what to do in case of a fire, and how to save someone if CPR was needed. Prior to the seminar, 50 families were able to sign up to get a free fire safety kit, which included things like a fire extinguisher, carbon monoxide detector, and a smoke detector.

There were a total of 56 families in attendance on Saturday, I believe that we did have a great turn out, and everyone that participated had a great experience, and walked away with a lot of information and knowledge on how to be prepared in case of a fire. Once families were registered they were able to go to one of the many booths that were set up, which were ran by volunteers. The booths consisted of hands only CPR, getting a kit ready in case of a fire, learning how to use various fire safety equipment like a fire extinguisher, planning a fire escape route out of the house, pet fire safety, and as well as a PG&E booth. Free lunch was provided to everyone who participated, which was a plus and a great way to end the whole event. Document protection boxes and first aid kits were raffled off at the end, with almost every participant leaving home with some fire safety prize in hand. Overall, the event was great; everyone met someone new, participants left with free prizes, and we had great weather!

Volunteering at this event meant that I was helping these families to potentially save a life if needed. I was placed at the hands only CPR station and I felt that many of the participants did not know how to perform CPR, if they did, they needed to refresh their memories on some of the exact steps to take. Volunteering, especially for an event like this, is very rewarding. Knowing that you have taught these families something important, that hopefully they will remember and use in case of an emergency is gratifying. I feel volunteering is a way to meet other volunteers and community members; it is a way to find out about problems in the community, and if possible finding a way to try to fix them. Helping others when it is needed most and giving back to the community is what volunteering is all about.

Alyssa Tapia, Intern

Preparedness Services

New Look, Same Red Cross.

The American Red Cross officially unveiled its new logo in early January, featuring the iconic Red Cross in a button, to symbolize the personal investment of volunteers, employees and supporters in the Red Cross mission. The Red Cross, one of the world’s most recognized and trusted brands, has historically represented hope, safety on the battlefield, and care in crisis.

This new look is designed to reflect the organization as it is today: modern, authentic and innovative. The updated identity is meant to appeal to both long-time Red Cross supporters and an entirely new generation of volunteers and donors, eager to show their affiliation with the organization. This presentation of the Red Cross logo is similar to the lapel pins and buttons worn by Red Cross supporters in the early part of the 20th century.

While most people think of disaster relief and blood donation when they think of the Red Cross, the updated brand identity is meant to invite people to learn more about the organization and its mission.”We want to show more people how they can be part of a Red Cross that intersects with their lives in many ways,” said Peggy Dyer, chief marketing officer of the Red Cross. “We’re proud of both our history and our future. We look forward to telling our story to a wider audience and the new brand identity is an important step in that process.”

The American Red Cross will continue to roll out its new look when it debuts a redesigned corporate website later this year. The new site will feature the logo button, updated graphics and an enhanced use of photography. It will also feature user-generated content to allow individuals to share their Red Cross experiences.

The American Red Cross is currently developing a public-service ad campaign that will feature stories of people whose lives have been touched by the Red Cross mission.

Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up!

Welcome to the Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It's a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work...

SYRIA: Violence in Syria continues with one of the latest casualties being the secretary-general of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, Dr. Abd-al-Razzaq Jbeiro. Dr. Jbeiro was shot in a vehicle clearly marked with the red crescent emblem after attending meetings at Syrian Arab Red Crescent headquarters in Damascus. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent, IFRC, and ICRC are renewing calls for an end to violence, while volunteers continue to administer life-saving first aid to the injured.

IVORY COAST: Following the second round of presidential elections in late 2010 where both candidates claimed victory, tension and violence grew into a full-fledged armed conflict in Ivory Coast. In the chaos, hundreds of children lost contact with their families. The ICRC and the Liberian Red Cross have registered around 600 children separated from their parents and areworking to bring the children back their families.

PHILIPPINES: As tens of thousands of survivors in Mindanao, Philippines enter their second month of uncertainty, the Red Cross is announcing plans to drastically increase its support to communities affected by December’s Typhoon Washi. The revised operation will see the Red Cross provide 2,000 families with cash or other livelihoods support as well as reaching 15,000 families – an estimated 75,000 people – with food, water storage containers and hygiene kits. In all, the Red Cross now intends to reach 100,000 people through these various interventions.

SUDAN: For Darfur's pastoral communities, livestock is essential for their sustenance and constitutes the backbone of the local economy. The lack of rain, desertification and prevailing insecurity has stressed herding communities into animal overcrowding at the few options remaining, leading to increased risk of disease. The ICRC has been extending its support by training animal health workers and through large-scale vaccination campaigns in remote areas of Darfur, and in response herders are reporting a dramatic decrease in the number of animals they are losing to disease.


GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

American Red Cross Responds to 12th Fire of the Season

Fresno, CA, January 25, 2012— Local American Red Cross volunteers responded to a house fire on 4400 block of East Ball Avenue in Fresno, Ca at approximately 4:14AM this morning. The team of Red Cross volunteers helped coordinate assistance in the form of food, shelter, and emotional support to the 4 adults and 4 children who were affected by the fire. This marked the 12th fire the Central Valley Chapter has responded to this year. Last year, the Central Valley Region responded to 545 fires. 
“We’re deeply saddened for those affected,” said Ellen Knapp, Regional CEO. “As we continue to provide support to those affected, we also encourage others to take action to minimize the risk of a home fire.”

The Red Cross recommends two easy steps to help protect your home and loved ones from a fire: get a smoke alarm and create a fire escape plan.

• Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

• Place smoke alarms on every level of your home, including bedrooms. • Test smoke alarms once a month and replace batteries at least once a year. • Have a plan in place can help you escape, including at least two ways to escape from every

room of your home and a meeting spot at a safe distance from your home. • Discuss the plan with everyone in the household and practice it at least twice a year.

Red Cross volunteers on the scene were members of the Chapter’s Disaster Action Team, a group of specially trained volunteers who respond to the scene of a local disaster when called upon at any time of the day or night.

For more Red Cross fire safety and preparedness information visit www.redcross.org/homefires or www.arccentralvalley.org

To make a financial donation to your local Red Cross to help people affected by house fires and other disasters here in the United States and around the world, people can click, call or text - visit www.arccentralvalley.org, or call (559) 455-1000 or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Ready and Responding: Local Chapter Responds To Multiple Unit Apartment Fire.

Local American Red Cross volunteers responded to an apartment fire on the 5100 block of Lane Ave in Fresno, CA at approximately 4:30 p.m. today. The team of Red Cross volunteers helped coordinate assistance to the 9 adults and 6 children, in the form of food, shelter, and emotional support due to fire damage to their units.

“We’re deeply saddened for those affected,” said Ellen Knapp, Regional Chief Executive Officer.  “As we continue to provide support to those affected, we also encourage others to take action to minimize the risk of a home fire this holiday season.”

The Red Cross recommends two easy steps to help protect your home and loved ones from a fire: get a smoke alarm and create a fire escape plan. 

• Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
• Place smoke alarms on every level of your home, including bedrooms.
• Test smoke alarms once a month and replace batteries at least once a year. 
• Have a plan in place can help you escape, including at least two ways to escape from every room of your home and a meeting spot at a safe distance from your home. 
• Discuss the plan with everyone in the household and practice it at least twice a year.

Red Cross volunteers on the scene were members of the Chapter’s Disaster Action Team, a group of specially trained volunteers who respond to the scene of a local disaster when called upon at any time of the day or night.

For more Red Cross fire safety and preparedness information visit www.redcross.org/homefires or www.arccentralvalley.org

To make a financial donation to your local Red Cross to help people affected by house fires and other disasters here in the United States and around the world, people can click, call or text - visit www.arccentralvalley.org or call (559) 455-1000, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. 

Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up!

Welcome to the Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It's a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work...

PHILIPPINES: Last week tropical storm Washi swept through entire villages in several areas of the Philippines, causing the deaths of an estimated nearly 1,000 people and massive damage to infrastructure, including the water system. The ICRC, led by it’s local partner the Philippine Red Cross, distributed food packs, essential household items and hygiene kits for 18,000 people in three of the areas hardest hit within the first 48 hours. With more than 270,000 people now lacking access to clean drinking water, ICRC water and habitat engineers are devising ways to bring water from the undamaged water sources and of storing it for use by the survivors.

HAITI: The Haiti Red Cross Society is working to recycle rubble from the earthquake in 2010 to prepare for future disasters. So far they have been able to take 25,000 cubic meters of rubble and have local residents process it into concrete blocks, paving slabs or walls which will stop the ground from slipping away during Haiti’s next heavy rains or in case of another earthquake. The rubble recycling is just one part of the Haiti Red Cross Society’s neighborhood development support that assists in providing shelters, access to water and sanitation, and job opportunities along with training and technical support.

SOMALIA: Torrential rains that started in the southern provinces of Somalia in early October were welcomed in the drought stricken nation, however most roads were turned into rivers that have slowed down transport and delivery of food aid. Together with the Somali Red Crescent Society, the ICRC has distributed beans, rice and oil to over 917,000 people in southern and central Somalia. This will help farmers bridge the gap until January, when they will be able to harvest from seed the ICRC has also distributed.

NORTH KOREA: In North Korea, meager crops were severely damaged after being struck by a typhoon and flooding in July and August. Now, with the arrival of the first snow, people in the area are busy preparing for what they expect to be a severe winter. The Red Cross Society of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, supported by the IFRC, has so far distributed 288 metric tons of yellow maize to 6,051 of the most vulnerable families (24,827 people) who were severely affected by floods and subsequent food shortages in three target counties in South Hwanghae province.


GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

All In A Year's Work - Red Cross Recap of 2011

American Red Cross Had 137 Big U.S. Relief Operations in 46 States in Disaster-Filled 2011

The American Red Cross helped hundreds of thousands of people whose lives were forever changed by disasters in 2011, from tornadoes, floods, wildfires and hurricanes in the U.S. to earthquakes and other disasters around the world.

Throughout the year, the American Red Cross supported the people of Japan and Haiti, while launching 137 domestic disaster relief operations in 46 states and territories to help people affected by fires, floods, hurricanes and tornadoes across the United States. In addition, major international disasters included the Japan earthquake and tsunami response and the continuing work following the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

“The number of lives affected by large disasters in the past year is simply staggering,” said, Ellen Knapp, Regional Chief Executive Officer. “Devastating tornadoes, flooding and wildfires wiped out entire neighborhoods. Through it all, the Red Cross, our partners, and communities nationwide responded, offering people shelter, food and comfort.”

In the United States, the Red Cross opened 1,019 shelters and provided more than 130,000 overnight stays. 27,622 trained disaster workers served more than 6.7 million meals and snacks and distributed more than 2.6 million relief items. Health and mental health workers provided more than 133,000 consultations and Red Cross workers opened 16,752 cases to help people get on the road to recovery.

State after state faced the powerful force of tornadoes in 2011. Devastating winds plowed through many neighborhoods, leaving destruction in their wake. Through it all, the Red Cross was on the scene, providing a safe place to stay, food to eat and supplies to help with the clean-up. The Red Cross helped people affected by large-scale tornadoes in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin in 2011.

A large part of the country – almost 20 states – was impacted by flooding in 2011. The Red Cross launched 27 relief operations related to flooding in Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Vermont.

Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee caused the need for relief operations in more than a dozen states. Thousands of disaster workers were deployed and more than 250 Red Cross feeding trucks were sent into neighborhoods to distribute meals and clean-up supplies. In New York and New Jersey alone, the Red Cross provided almost 34,000 overnight stays in shelters and distributed more than 840,000 meals and snacks.

Wildfires consumed almost four million acres across the state of Texas, and destroyed thousands of acres in New Mexico, Arizona, Florida and Oklahoma. Again, the Red Cross stepped in to help in the fire-ravaged neighborhoods, providing a safe place to stay, food to eat and emotional support for those forced to leave their homes, as well as firefighters and first responders.

The Red Cross depends on the generous support of the American public to assist people affected by disasters. If you would like to help, please consider making a donation today by visiting www.redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to your local Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

More 12 Days of the Red Cross!

The Grand Canyon Chapter of the American Red Cross put together an adorable video set to the popular carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” – check it out to see just what kind of gifts the Red Cross loves to give!

Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up!

Welcome to the Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It's a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work...

EAST TIMOR: A team of well-trained Red Cross Volunteers recently helped with a horrific collision in regional East Timor. Four people died and almost 20 more were seriously injured when a troop carrier crashed two hours south of the capital, Dili. Nurses and doctors at the local hospital in Aileu were overwhelmed by the size of the emergency and Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste volunteers stepped-in to help. For eight years, the organization has received funding and training support from the Japanese Red Cross and the IFRC.

IRAQ: People in rural Iraq are among the most severely affected by seemingly never-ending violence, the lack of economic perspectives and of appropriate infrastructure. The ICRC is helping needy farmers increase their production in a sustainable way, and since September has provided some 900 farmers in Diyala, Baghdad, Wassit, Babil and Anbar governorates with drip irrigation systems benefiting over 6,300 people. Since the beginning of the year, almost 42,000 people, mainly in rural areas of central Iraq, have been given a boost by ICRC livelihood support projects.

LIBYA: More than 100 surgeons are enhancing their skills treating gunshot and blast-wounded patients through a seminar in Tripoli this week. The training is being co-organized by ICRC and the Ministry of Health. The ICRC conducted similar workshops in Benghazi, Tripoli and the Nefusa Mountains earlier in 2011.

INDONESIA: The ICRC has recently completed a mass scabies treatment program at the Labuhan Deli Prison in Medan, North Sumatra, working with the Indonesian Directorate General of Corrections. Scabies is a contagious skin disease caused by tiny, invisible mites that spreads easily in crowded surroundings such as at prisons. The campaign benefited 908 inmates, who had been living with scabies for years.

NIGERIA: Many children in Nigeria miss school or find it hard to concentrate because of the little talked of illnesses caused by worms. The Mushin division of the Nigerian Red Cross Society is tackling this by distributing de-worming tablets and teaching students about the importance of taking them regularly. So far 35 Red Cross volunteers have targeted 84 primary schools and provided tablets to over 22,000 children.


GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up!

Welcome to the Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It's a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work...

PAKISTAN: This year alone, more than 12,000 people have benefited from services in physical rehabilitation centers supported by the ICRC in Peshawar, Quetta and Muzaffarabad, Pakistan. The centersprovide custom-made artificial limbs and supportive devices, crutches and wheelchairs designed according to the needs of the patients. Physiotherapy helps patients learn how to use new devices and to regain their full mobility.

YEMEN: Violence in the Yemeni city of Taiz has had a serious impact on basic services in recent weeks, with life-saving medical services especially hard hit. The ICRC is reaching out to authorities, fighters and all others involved to respect human life and dignity and to allow first-aid and medical teams to treat and transport injured people in safety.

AFGHANISTAN: The ICRC's assistance activities are helping to create incomes for vulnerable rural communities by piloting a poultry rearing, food-for-work project with primarily women entrepreneurs. In the months since the scheme began more than 240 women have participated in the eight cluster villages. Each has raised around 15 chickens and collected an average of 20 eggs from each hen per month.

SRI LANKA: The war is over but now the people of Sri Lanka have the hard task of rebuilding their lives and homes. The Australian Red Cross is playing a key role in dealing with the acute housing deficit in Sri Lanka, but unlike many donors it is not building houses for people by contracting foreign companies and workers to do the job. Here, people build their own housesbased on five specific cash grants, each one coinciding with the completion of a specific construction task.



GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Christmas Tree Fire Safety!

What's a holiday party or even the traditional Christmas morning scene itself without a beautifully decorated tree? If your household, as those of more than 33 million other American homes, includes a natural tree in its festivities, take to heart the sales person's suggestion—"Keep the tree watered." That's good advice and not just to create a fragrant indoor winter wonderland atmosphere. Christmas trees account for 250 fires annually, resulting in 14 deaths, 26 injuries and more than $13.8 million in property damage. Typically shorts in electrical lights or open flames from candles, lighters or matches start tree fires. Well-watered trees are not a problem. Dry and neglected trees can be.

The video clip above from the Building and Fire Research Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology illustrates what happens when fire touches a dry tree. Within three seconds of ignition, the dry Scotch pine is completely ablaze. At five seconds, the fire extends up the tree and black smoke with searing gases streaks across the ceiling. Fresh air near the floor feeds the fire. The sofa, coffee table and the carpet ignite prior to any flame contact. Within 40 seconds "flashover" occurs - that's when an entire room erupts into flames, oxygen is depleted and dense, deadly toxic smoke engulfs the scene.

Wet trees tell a different story. For comparative purposes, the NIST fire safety engineers selected a green Scotch pine, had it cut in their presence, had an additional two inches cut from the trunk's bottom, and placed the tree in a stand with at least a 7.6 liter water capacity. The researchers maintained the Scotch pine's water on a daily basis. A single match could not ignite the tree. A second attempt in which an electric current ignited an entire matchbook failed to fire the tree. Finally they applied an open flame to the tree using a propane torch. The branches ignited briefly, but self-extinguished when the researchers removed the torch from the branches. As NIST fire safety engineers say: REMEMBER, A WET TREE IS A SAFE TREE!

Your local Red Cross Chapter responds to home fires on average every 14 hours. You can help prevent home fires by taking a FREE preparedness course from the Red Cross, or becoming a Community Preparedness Education Leader. For more information contact alex@arccentralvalley.org

Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up!

A day late, and a dollar short, I know!

Welcome to the Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It's a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work...

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: The ICRC is currently bringing aid to around a thousand families whose houses were destroyed or seriously damaged in clashes between two armed groups in the city of Bria in September. In partnership with the Central African Red Cross Society, the ICRC is distributing such essential items as tarpaulins, blankets, sleeping mats, basins, soap, jerrycans and kitchen utensils.

THAILAND: The population of Rachaburi Central Prison in Thailand has leapt from 300 inmates to 1540, due to evacuations from flooded prisons elsewhere in the nation. With prisoners sleeping in corridors and gardens, the ICRC has been providing blankets and other essentials to make conditions a little more bearable. Additionally, the ICRC has helped evacuees let their relatives know where they are.

NAMIBIA: With financial support from the Swedish and Belgian-Flanders Red Cross societies, the Namibia Red Cross has begun a massive water and sanitation program under the campaign, ‘Water is Life’. The program ensures the protection of springs and water pumps in selected areas and communities.

UGANDA: The Rural Water and Sanitation Program managed by Uganda Red Cross Society and supported by the Danish Red Cross and the European Union has been implemented in the districts of Ntoroko, Bulisa, Kabarole, Kasese and Hoima, bringing clean water and hygiene promotion, and having a massive impact on communities.


GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies