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...

PHILIPPINES: Last week a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit western Visayas and some parts of northern Mindanao in the Philippines, claiming at least 22 lives with a further 71 people missing and 52 injured. Within hours of the earthquake the Philippine Red Cross, with the support of the IFRC, deployed 500 food packs, 1,000 bottles of drinking water, 1,000 sleeping mats, 1,000 blankets, 500 jerry cans, 30 tents and one mobile warehouse to serve as the temporary hospital.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Early this month a ferry carrying at least 560 passengers sank off the north coast of Papua New Guinea. Two weeks later, over 180 people were still missing with authorities believing the death toll could reach at least 200. Staff and volunteers of the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society have been at the scene of the disaster since the accident occurred, offering counseling to relatives of the passengers waiting anxiously on shore and carrying out small distributions of emergency relief supplies.

SYRIA: Relief efforts continue in Syria as the violence escalates. Over the weekend Syrian Arab Red Crescent convoys reached the cities of Homs and Bloudan, providing much needed food, medical supplies, blankets, and hygiene consumables to thousands of people. The Syrian Red Crescent and the ICRC are planning further missions to continue providing humanitarian aid to people affected by the unrest.

BANGLADESH: Throughout the last decade, the ICRC has been working with the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society to promote international humanitarian law to authorities in Bangladesh. Last week deans and department heads of 35 public and private universities in Bangladesh met to discuss the inclusion of international humanitarian law in their curricula. Additionally, this week the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an anti-crime force, is participating in an ICRC training course on humanitarian principles and international human rights law in domestic legislation.


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...

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

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.

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

The Twelve Days of a "Red Cross" Christmas

Christmas is a special time to celebrate and be thankful for family and friends. Give the gift that keeps on giving this season, the gift of health and safety to yourself and others.

Here is a Red Cross rewrite of "The 12 Days of Christmas." I think you will like the creativity we've shown. Sing along with the words to remind you to keep using healthy and safe behaviors during the holidays and throughout the year. Reminder, there is only 12 days left until Christmas!

1. On the first day of Christmas the Red Cross said to me
Seat belts should be clicking into place.

2. On the second day of Christmas the Red Cross said to me
Don't drink and drive, and seat belts clicking into place.

3. On the third day of Christmas the Red Cross said to me
Manage your stress, don't drink and drive, and seat belts clicking into place.

4. On the fourth day of Christmas the Red Cross said to me
Get your vaccinations, manage your stress, don't drink and drive, and seat belts clicking into place.

5. On the fifth day of Christmas the Red Cross said to me
Practice fire safety, get your vaccinations, manage your stress, don't drink and drive, and seat belts clicking into place.

6. On the sixth day of Christmas the Red Cross said to me
Wash your hands often, practice fire safety, get your vaccinations, manage your stress, don't drink and drive, and seat belts clicking into place.

7. On the seventh day of Christmas the Red Cross said to me
Become a volunteer, wash hands often, practice fire safety, get your vaccinations, manage your stress, don't drink and drive, and seat belts clicking into place.

8. On the eighth day of Christmas the Red Cross said to me
Eight hours of sleep, become a volunteer, wash hands often, practice fire safety, get your vaccinations, manage your stress, don't drink and drive, and seat belts clicking into place.

9. On the ninth day of Christmas the Red Cross said to me
Prepare for emergencies, eight hours of sleep, become a volunteer, wash hands often, practice fire safety, get your vaccinations, manage your stress, don't drink and drive, and seat belts clicking into place.

10. On the tenth day of Christmas the Red Cross said to me
Be tobacco free, prepare for emergencies, eight hours of sleep, become a volunteer, wash hands often, practice fire safety, get your vaccinations, manage your stress, don't drink and drive, and seat belts clicking into place.

11. On the eleventh day of Christmas the Red Cross said to me
Take a CPR course, be tobacco-free, prepare for emergencies, eight hours of sleep, become a volunteer, wash hands often, practice fire safety, get your vaccinations, manage your stress, don't drink and drive, and seat belts clicking into place.

12. On the twelfth day of Christmas the Red Cross said to me
Make a donation, take a CPR course, be tobacco-free, prepare for emergencies, eight hours of sleep, become a volunteer, wash hands often, practice fire safety, get your vaccinations, manage your stress, don't drink and drive, and seat belts clicking into place.

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

World AIDS Day Quiz: How much do you really know about HIV?

Okay I lured you in with the promise of a quiz (it’s at the bottom of the page, I promise!) but please just take a few minutes out of your day to read my blog first.

No matter where you live in the world, no one these days can afford to be ignorant about HIV.

This year the CDC reported that over 1.5 million Americans are infected with HIV, but a quarter of them do not know they are infected.

But the good news is that the tide is turning with the global AIDS epidemic, new reports state that fewer people are becoming HIV infected and fewer people are dying. This news reflects the success of a massive international effort from governments and organizations to educate communities on the prevention of HIV, particularly around adopting safer sexual practices.

However, with 33.4 million people worldwide still living with the virus the challenge of combating HIV is far from over.

HIV is an emotive subject and many people are frightened to talk about it, let alone think about getting themselves tested.

The fact that there is roughly more than 350,000 people in the US who do not even know they are infected with HIV worries me. Not only does this mean they are not getting the treatment they need but it also means they continue to put others at risk. It’s time we started talking more openly about this disease and by doing so tackling the fear.

Many young Red Cross volunteers in the US are well aware that HIV is not just a problem for countries overseas. Many are stepping out and expressing themselves and are using creative ideas to raise awareness about the disease, and fight discrimination and stigma.

I’m sure there’s more we can all do to raise awareness about HIV but for starters how about taking the quiz below? Share it with your friends, put it on Facebook and be honest about how many answers you got correct!

Questions:

1. Where was the world’s first case of AIDS identified and in what year?
2. What age group is most affected by HIV?
3. What are the three ways HIV can be transmitted?
4. What is the ABC approach to preventing the spread of AIDS?
5. Is there a cure for HIV?

Answers:

1. The world’s first cases of AIDS were reported in the USA in 1981.
2. 15-49 is the age group most affected by HIV.
3. HIV can be transmitted through: unprotected sex, blood (particularly through transfusions or intravenous drug use) and from mother to baby (via pregnancy, labor or breast milk).
4. The ABC approach to preventing the spread of AIDS stand for: Abstain, Be faithful, use a Condom. However it’s a controversial approach.
5. There is no cure yet for HIV, but there are drug treatments (antiretroviral therapy) that have transformed the prognosis of people living with HIV, turning it into a chronic condition that can be managed. However, this of course is dependent on the person living with HIV being able to afford/access the treatment and maintain a healthy lifestyle with good nutrition.

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...

MALDIVES: Last week the Maldivian Red Crescent became the 187th member of the IFRC at its 18th General Assembly in Geneva. The process of forming the new National Society began in the wake of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which affected over 27,000 people in the Maldives. These low-lying islands will be among the most threatened territories should sea levels rise significantly.

YEMEN: Two ICRC staff members and a Yemen Red Crescent Society volunteer who had been briefly held by armed individuals in a village in Lahj governorate, southern Yemen, returned to Aden. On November 22nd, they left to distribute food rations and essential household items to displaced people in Lahj, but were prevented from returning to their office. The ICRC was in regular contact with them after the incident occurred, and contacted the authorities and other leaders in the area to request their assistance in arranging for the prompt return.

NIGER: The ICRC is providing support for a major immunization campaign against meningitis that began last week in the Agadez area of northern Niger. The ICRC is supporting the campaign in the districts of Arlit and Tchirozérine, where over 58,000 people aged one to 29 will be vaccinated by the first week in December.

IRAQ: Over the past two weeks the ICRC, in a joint Iranian-Iraqi operation, found the remains of 103 Iranian and Iraqi soldiers in Al-Fao, southern Iraq, who went missing during the 1980-1988 war between the two countries. In its capacity as a neutral intermediary, the ICRC provides support for the efforts of the Iranian and Iraqi authorities to account for those who went missing during the war and to ease the suffering of their families.

SOMALILAND (SOMALIA): While Southern and Central Somalia carry the brunt of the East Africa food crisis, Somaliland has not escaped the effects of recurrent droughts and political violence. At the newly-established Sheikh Omar Internally Displaced People's (IDP) camp, the Somalia Red Crescent has been working to recruit volunteers and distribute relief items provided by the Icelandic Red Cross from its clothing business.


GLOSSARY:

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

Turkey Day Safety!

The kitchen is the place where family and friends love to gather, but it is also the setting of more fires than any other room in the house.

Cooking is the number one cause of home fires in this country and during the holidays, the American Red Cross wants everyone to be aware of steps they should take to avoid a fire while cooking.

Start by not wearing loose clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking. Never leave cooking food unattended – stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling or broiling food. If you must leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove. Other safety steps include:

• Check your food regularly while cooking and remain in the home while cooking. Use a timer to remind yourself that the stove or oven is on.
• Keep the kids away from the cooking area. Enforce a “kid-free zone” and make them stay at least three feet away from the stove.
• Keep anything that can catch fire – pot holders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, and towels or curtains—away from your stove, oven or any other appliance in the kitchen that generates heat.
• Clean cooking surfaces on a regular basis to prevent grease buildup.
• Consider purchasing a fire extinguisher to keep in your kitchen. Contact your local fire department to take training on the proper use of extinguishers.
• Always check the kitchen before going to bed or leaving the home to make sure all stoves, ovens, and small appliances are turned off.
• Install a smoke alarm near your kitchen, on each level of your home, near sleeping areas, and inside and outside bedrooms if you sleep with doors closed. Use the test button to check it each month. Replace all batteries at least once a year.

The Central Valley Chapter of the Red Cross responded to more than 500 home fires during the 2011 fiscal year. House fires are the worst disaster threat to families in the United States. To learn how to prevent a fire in your home and how to keep members of your household safe, you can find many downloadable fact sheets available at www.redcross.org on how to be fire safe over the holidays, how to avoid home heating fires, candle safety, proper use of smoke alarms and teaching your children what to do in the event of a fire.

Five-and-Five Can Keep Them Alive.

Moms know best when they say, "It's not polite to talk with your mouth full." Apart from being a dinner table faux pas, talking while eating is the most common cause of choking. This Thanksgiving, the American Red Cross offers tips that can help avoid a dinner disaster and save a life.

If someone is choking, remember "FIVE-and-FIVE can keep them alive."

•Ask the person if they are able to breathe and if you can help.

•Once you know the person is unable to cough, speak or breathe, have someone call 9-1-1.

•Lean the person forward and give FIVE sharp back blows with the heel of your hand.

•If the obstruction isn't dislodged, give the person FIVE quick, upward abdominal thrusts (also known as the Heimlich maneuver).

•If you are alone, you can perform abdominal thrusts on yourself, just as you would on someone else. Thrusts can also be administered by pressing your abdomen firmly against an object such as the back of a chair.

•If you feel as if food may be caught in your throat, never leave the room. Stay where others can see you and help if your airway becomes blocked.

To learn more on choking rescue enroll in a Red Cross First Aid and CPR course today. For more information visit www.arccentralvalley.org or call your local Chapter at (559) 455-1000.

Prepare-aphernalia: Flu Prevention Coasters

The flu is back and seems to be making the rounds this season, it's especially important to avoid swapping germs by mistakenly drinking from someone else's glass at Thanksgiving dinner. (You wouldn't want to inadvertantly give - or receive - The Holiday Gift You Don't Want.)

That's why I'm loving these slip-on coasters from DimmalimmHome on Etsy. They're handy, classy, and just seem much more practical than wine glass charms. They come in packs of six, but it looks like you can get combos of 12 or more color/shape variations if you're planning a big holiday party.

Could there be a more stylish way to be prepared for flu season? I think not.

Here are a few more tips for keeping your germs to yourself at holiday gatherings:

• Avoid the usual kisses and handshakes when greeting friends and family.
• If hosting the holiday dinner and someone in the household becomes ill, make sure that they can be isolated into a separate area for care, or ask another family member to host dinner to avoid spreading the flu.
• Wash hands frequently, before preparing food, while cooking, and especially before eating.
• Keep plenty of hand soap in the bathroom, preferably in a pump container. Skip the pretty hand towels this year and instead use disposable hand towels or a roll of paper towels.
• Consider putting the glasses away this year and using plastic cups, or provide a way for guests to identify their drinks. (<-- Like the awesome slip-on coasters!) Don’t drink out of anyone else’s glass.
• Put serving utensils in every dish, including snacks like nuts, pretzels, etc. This allows people to spoon out their portion instead of reaching in with their hands.

And, last but not least... Please remember the sleeve sneeze.

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

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...

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: Torrential rains recently hit South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, destroying over a thousand houses in Sange and leaving many people destitute and without shelter. The Red Cross Society of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with support from the ICRC, distributed essentials such as clothing, kitchen utensils, hygiene items, hoes, blankets, sleeping mats, buckets and tarpaulins to 1,080 families between 30 October and 5 November.

SOUTHERN EUROPE: Recent days have seen countries in southern Europe faced with extreme weather conditions, including severe rain and storms. Most affected were south-east France and the north-west regions of Italy. Italy in particular was hit by two devastating waves of flooding in a period of ten days, which have so far left 17 dead. The Italian Red Cross is focusing on urban search and rescue (USAR), health care, food assistance, shelter and psychosocial support activities for those affected by the floods.

LIBYA: Although fighting has ceased in most of Libya, civilians continue to be injured or killed regularly by explosive devices. In Bani Walid, and particularly in Sirte, where the highest concentration of ordnance is to be found and the humanitarian impact is the most serious, the ICRC is launching urgent campaigns to educate people about the risks. Removing the threat of explosives in heavily contaminated areas will take considerable time and resources.

TUNISIA: At the same time as bells rang the end of the Gaddafi régime in neighboring Libya, Tunisia was experiencing its first democratic election polls since the fall of the Ben Ali régime. A wind of change from the Arab Spring was in the air, and the Tunisian Red Crescent prepared for anything. With the support of the ICRC, volunteers made extensive preparations to provide help should it be needed. The elections went smoothly and there was no need to activate emergency first aid preparations.

IRAQ: While the security situation in Iraq has slowly but steadily improved, there are many humanitarian needs that still have to be met. The ICRC is expanding humanitarian activities in disputed territories and in the belt around Baghdad, giving priority to women heading households, physically disabled people, primary health in rural areas, displaced people and others who are not getting the services they are entitled to.


GLOSSARY:

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