Why I Am a Disaster Action Team Member

I am a Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT) Volunteer and my mission is simply that of the American Red Cross: "The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors." 

Mark Bryson, Red Cross Volunteer

Why do I do it? Picture yourself standing at the curb of a home completely devastated by fire. It's 2:00 am in a small Central California Valley town most people have never heard of. Before you stands a young mother with four small children. As she nurses the youngest one, she explains, (in Spanish through a neighbor who interprets), that her husband is working in the fields and she has been unable to reach him. They've lost everything, but thankfully she and the children were visiting a neighbor when the fire started. She has no idea where to go or what to do next. You help her. You give her money for food, clothing, and supplies. You put her and her family in a motel room for three nights, You call her husband's employer to explain what has happened and get a message through. You tell her who to call in the morning for more help. You give her some diapers and stuffed toys for the children. As this all takes place the look of fear in her eyes is slowly replaced by one of sincere gratitude. Once you have done this you will see the world and yourself differently. I have arrived on scene and actually heard people shout, "the Red Cross is here, the Red Cross is here." In the worst part of town I've watched the most hardened gang member step off the sidewalk to clear the way and give me a nod of respect as I walk by.Once you have done this, you will not stop.

How do I do it? I am 57 years old and I work at a demanding job full time. I came to Red Cross with no medical training or experience, but I had an open mind. Heck, when I volunteered I thought I would be stuffing envelopes. When they told me I would be trained in disaster response, I thought, "You've got the wrong guy. I don't know anything about disaster response!" Since then I have received many hours of excellent training, in the classroom, online and from mentors and fellow volunteers. All of it was free. When I had a question, someone nearby usually had an answer. This is not something you do alone. There are always people around you, the best kind of people. A year later, I am actually qualified to respond to smaller disaster, (house and apartment fires for instance), on my own, if necessary. I don't do it all the time. I am on call from 6:00 am Saturday to 6:00 am on Sunday. I get a call once or twice a month. If I am going out of town, I ask to be taken off the schedule. A few years from now, I hope to have time to be deployed around the country and overseas. I'll have achieved my goal. I finally won't have to be the guy watching TV and wishing that I could, "do something to help those people."

Want to change the world, starting with you? Call your local chapter of the Red Cross and tell them you'd like to volunteer to serve on a Disaster Action Team. You won't regret it.

Written by Red Cross volunteer, Mark Bryson

DAT Fire Call

Being on the Disaster Action Team (DAT) for the Central Valley is one of those opportunities that change your entire perspective on the world around you. Your outlook is so much more positive because you know how lucky you are to have your home, your belongings and your family safe.  

The specific DAT call that I'd like to share with you is close to my heart because this person had lost everything and on top of it all had very advanced staged cancer. He had been homeless for years and had finally saved enough to get a home and a few things for himself. Many of us know people who have had cancer and we've seen the toll it takes on those people. It's exhausting to try to function on a daily basis and the physical pain and mental frustration is never far away. This amazing man had worked so hard for what little he had and lost it all.

The fire had started out in the neighbors shed, they assumed it was a mix of chemicals from cleaning solvents. Before it could be contained the fire consumed the homes of 4 people. When I arrived on scene everything was dissolved to ash, even his brand new bicycle which was his only mode of transportation. But the most wonderful thing about this call was the family and neighbors. People came from around the block with pizza, 6-packs, water, hugs and smiles. These helping hands offered to drive him to whatever appointments he needed to get to. Without even being asked, they took it upon themselves to start cleaning up the wreckage that the fire had left behind. They took care of him as if he were their own. 

We see it countless times on the television when watching huge disasters pull people together. We completely forget our disagreements and find the common thread that keeps us together; compassion. As a DAT member with the American Red Cross we get the most incredible opportunity to see this all the time. Being a DAT member is not for everyone, it requires training, dedication and the ability to wake up for 3:00 AM fires, floods, and any other kind of disaster or emergency. Those of us that do it, love it and live for it. Being able to give someone something tangible - food, clothing and shelter - when they thought they had no where to go is a great feeling. Being able to give someone hope and direction is an even better feeling. 

This man was able to get back on his feet despite the odds against him with the help of his wonderful friends, family, neighbors, the Red Cross and its donors. R

ed Cross does not receive funding from the government and every dollar we spend to provide food, clothing and shelter come directly from the generosity of donors. Furthermore nearly every DAT member is a volunteer who has been specially trained by the Red Cross to provide these services. I can't say enough about how wonderful Red Cross is and how much I love my teammates on the Disaster Action Team. 

Prepare Central Valley

The American Red Cross Central Valley Region is working every day to ensure our communities are ready for disaster by training individuals in lifesaving skills and empowering local businesses and community organizations to develop the necessary skills, resources and networks needed to prepare for a disaster. By fostering a culture of readiness through personal preparedness and collaboration between location organizations, communities become much more resilient and are able to recover quickly following a disaster.

Over the past two years, the Prepare Central Valley Campaign, in partnership and funded by Pacific Gas and Electric, has trained over 5,000 people throughout the Central Valley in emergency preparedness skills. Team Firestopper has reached nearly 6,000 homes with important information and training in fire prevention and safety. We are eagerly awaiting a booming third year in this campaign where we have plans to bring in more training's in schools and businesses than ever before.

We would be happy to set up a training that fits your needs. Below is a list of resources and programs that the American Red Cross Central Valley Region can offer your community:

Individual Preparedness Programs

Are you and your family prepared to take care of your own needs for the first 72 hours after a disaster or emergency? Get started with the following free programs:

Personal Preparedness Training

Free one-hour Be Red Cross Ready training courses cover the action steps necessary to ensure that individuals, families and their communities are prepared and ready to respond to any disaster and emergency, large or small. Also available in Spanish.

Youth Preparedness Training

It is important that children and teens know what to do in an emergency. Youth can be prepared by attending one of the following free one-hour courses: Be Red Cross Ready Teens, Ready K.I.D.S., or Masters of Disasters.

Firefighter Frank & Friends Puppet Show

Parents know the importance of learning fire safety skills, but may not have the resources to make the process fun and non-threatening to children. Join Firefighter Frank and his friends as they prepare youth ages 4-9 in this 45-minute puppet show extravaganza that educates participants in how to perform fire drills, how to stop, drop and roll, match safety, and crawling low in smoke.

Community Disaster Resilience

Is your organization ready to play an active role in a disaster relief operation? Get involved now with the following programs.

Community Sheltering and Feeding

Providing safe food and shelter after a disaster is the most critical component of the Red Cross disaster response program which is made possible through public and private partnerships. The Red Cross can evaluate your facility as a potential shelter site and train your team to manage shelter operations and care for the community.

Ready When The Time Comes

This program engages businesses to prepare teams of employees to be ready immediately to help in a time of

local, large-scale disasters. Ready When The Time Comes volunteers serve as a reserve corps that can be called upon when a disaster strikes to operate a call center, staff a community shelter and more.

Organizational Readiness Programs

Is your organization equipped with the skills, plans, networks and supplies necessary to safely respond to all hazards? Learn how by joining the following programs:

First Aid and CPR Training

Sign up for a course hosted at a training location near you or invite the Red Cross to your facility. Available training modules include First Aid, CPR, AED, and more. Trainings can be conducted in a classroom setting or using a combination of online and classroom learning. (Fee required)

Ready Rating Program

This program provides an easy-to-use online five-step framework to help organizations assess their readiness for all types of emergencies. When joining this free program, members make a commitment to improve their readiness over a one-year period and appoint an internal coordinator to lead those efforts with the support of the Red Cross.

For more information call Red Cross at (559) 455-1000 or check out our website www.redcross.org/centralvalleyregion for more information.

Moore, Oklahoma

I was deployed to Moore, OK on Tuesday June 11, 2013 and returned Saturday, July 29, 2013.  This was my first deployment and I had no idea what to expect.  I arrived at the airport and picked up a car that I used the entire time I was deployed.  Upon arriving at headquarters, I met with the mental health managers, receiving room information and a phone and my assignment.  I was assigned to the largest and busiest Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC 4) to provide mental health services to families affected by the Spring Storms, including tornadoes and floods, of May 11 and May 29-30.  

 When I first arrived, I was assigned to sleep in a dormitory room at the University of Oklahoma, rooming with a nurse.  The arrangements were comfortable, with shared bathrooms.  Sleeping bags, pillows and blankets were offered if you did not bring your own gear.  There were snacks and water provided by the Red Cross, along with toothbrushes, shampoos, toothpaste, etc.  I learned that on this particular deployment, I didn't need to pack much and will definitely pack lighter next time.  

When I arrived at MARC 4, which was only a mile away from ground zero, I found my Supervisor and I was immediately providing mental health services to children and families, stabilizing clients and making longer term referrals to local mental health agencies.  We had an excellent group of 5 therapists working together and camaraderie developed quickly.  Staff knew the mental health therapists by the blue tape that was put on the back and shoulders of our red cross vests.  We worked long shifts: 8am-8pm. I was there to work, so the long hours did not bother me.  Self-care is extremely important, so taking lunch and other breaks is important in order to look after yourself.  

It took 2-3 days to get my "sea legs" so to speak, and it was constantly busy.  On day 5, all my fellow mental health workers deployed out and I was asked to Supervise all mental health for MARC 4.  They also collapsed all the other MARCs into MARC 4 so we got even busier.  New therapists and counselors deployed and I spent the next two weeks training and supervising new volunteers, but was still able to work directly with clients, which was my reason for going to Moore in the first place.  I have two or three stories of amazing clients I had the privilege of working with that I'd like to share with you in my next blog.  I feel this was an amazing and humbling experience and I definitely wish to deploy again.  

I would encourage you to deploy if you haven't already done so.  The pictures you see do not even come close to capturing the magnitude of the disaster.  The swath of the tornado was 1.5 mile wide and 17 miles long.  Then the rains came and flooded everything within minutes.

Thank you, Glenda Love, LCSW

Become a Red Cross Volunteer today!

Volunteering With Red Cross

A year ago, I never thought that I would actually be volunteering for The American Red Cross.  I’ve always watched on television how much help they’ve done for families around the world and that made me want to help out too.  Finally, in the beginning of the year, I was going through a lot and I knew that I needed to do something to help me forget about everything and do something for others.  I decided to sign up to volunteer at the Kern Chapter of the American Red Cross.  

I signed up for the Department Assistant position; then in March, Health and Safety Director, Gaby Tamayo called me to offer me the job.  I was extremely happy because I was finally going to be a part of a cause greater than myself.  I’ve been with the Red Cross now for about 5 months and it has been great! All the ladies that work at the office are always welcoming, crazy, fun, professional, and hardworking individuals.  I do a lot as a Department Assistant, which may include a lot of tedious work, but I love it!  If I’m not working at my other two jobs, you’ll find me at the Red Cross doing paper and computer work.  

I have also attended many health fairs.  Being very introverted and not one to initiate conversations, these health fairs helped me open up and talk to strangers about the key services and mission of the ARC.  My first health fair was with the Volunteer Coordinator, Amy Mayer.  She made the experience exciting and fun.  Once I went to at least two health fairs, I had the urge and confidence to do more without being shy.  Since then, I attend pretty much every health fair opportunity that comes my way.  I am also a part of the Disaster Action Team (DAT) and eagerly await my first fire call.  

My friends have asked me why I put so much of my time into assisting the Red Cross when they don’t pay me.  I tell them that I don’t do it because of the money; I do it because I love it.  I have gained friendships, experience, and love for my community.  Helping others has always been in my blood and the Red Cross has given me the opportunity to pursue it.

Written by American Red Cross Volunteer, Evelyn Herrera

My Summer Internship W/ American Red Cross

I started my summer internship with American Red Cross on June 17, 2013. It’s been quite an experience; it was my first real type of job. Of course I’ve done community events and seen the real hard world, but poverty is totally different than what I’ve experienced here. Working with the Red Cross and their service to Armed Forces casework is pretty emotional, I mean I’ve gone through pretty hard stuff so when I’m reading different cases my heart aches knowing the pain they are going through. From death to injuries to premature babies being born, it’s hard. When it comes to follow up with the cases, I feel bad calling them sometimes. It’s like reminding them the pain they are going through all over again, I understand that helping them is what makes them feel better by getting their family together as a whole by sending their spouse, son, daughter, father, etc. home. Being a part of a military family is hard, when you need your soldier home to help you, to protect you from all your worries and hardships, to be your shoulder to lean on but they’re not there. They are millions of miles away and you can barely talk over the phone. That’s where American Red Cross comes in. They help in any way they can to get you connected with your service member. They reassure you that you aren’t alone. American Red Cross tries to do everything they absolutely can to help military families; sometimes it’s a harder situation than others.

When I’m done with this internship I want to be more engaged with my community. I honestly love helping people, sometimes it does get emotional but that’s life. You have to have hard times to appreciate the good. I love being a part of charities and community events, when you see the smile on the helpless child’s face that you just gave clothes to or even a Christmas gift. That’s what makes you feel wonderful. Life works in mysterious ways and sometimes you can never predict the outcome, but no one is ever alone. People are all around to help; even if you can’t see them.

Red Cross Offers Tips for a Safe 4th of July

"The American Red Cross wants everyone to have a happy – and safe – Fourth of July holiday, and taking a few simple steps to stay safe can help ensure that this will be an enjoyable holiday for all"

The Independence Day Holiday is just around the corner and many people will visit the beach, enjoy fireworks, or fire up the grill for a backyard barbecue.

“The American Red Cross wants everyone to have a happy – and safe – Fourth of July holiday, and taking a few simple steps to stay safe can help ensure that this will be an enjoyable holiday for all,” said Camy Trinidad, Chapter Executive Director.

BEACH SAFETY

If swimming in the ocean is part of someone’s holiday plans, they should check the weather and water conditions beforehand and throughout the day, swim only at a lifeguard-protected beach within the designated swimming area and obey all safety rules. Avoid alcohol before and during any water activities and make sure to never swim alone.
             
Other tips to keep in mind:

• Actively supervise children at all times – even if a lifeguard is present. Stay within arm’s reach of young children when they are in the water.
• Have weak swimmers wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Don’t rely on water wings or inflatable toys.
• Always enter shallow water feet first. Dive only in areas marked safe for diving.

RIP CURRENTS

Be aware of the danger of rip currents and remember the following:

• If caught in a rip current, swim parallel to the shore until out of the current. Once free, turn and swim toward shore.
• If someone can't swim to the shore, they should shout for help, float or tread water until free of the rip current and then head toward shore.
• Stay at least 100 feet away from piers and jetties. Permanent rip currents often exist near these structures.

You can find additional water safety tips on our website.

WATCH THE SUN

Everyone should limit the amount of direct sunlight they receive between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and apply broad-spectrum sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 15 throughout the day. Drink plenty of water and avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine in them. Wear sunglasses that will absorb UV sunlight to protect one’s eyes. And remember to protect one’s feet by wearing some kind of beach shoes.

FIREWORKS SAFETY

Nothing says “Fourth of July” like fireworks. To help stay safe while enjoying them, follow these safety steps:

• Never give fireworks to small children and always follow the instructions on the packaging.
• Keep a supply of water close by as a precaution.
• Make sure the person lighting fireworks always wears eye protection.
• Light only one firework at a time and never attempt to relight "a dud."
• Store fireworks in a cool, dry place away from children and pets.
• Never throw or point fireworks toward people, animals, vehicles, structures or flammable materials.
• Stay at least 500 feet away from professional fireworks displays.
• Leave any area immediately where untrained amateurs are using fireworks.

GRILLING SAFETY

If a picnic and grilled goodies are part of someone’s holiday plans, they should follow these steps:

• Always watch the barbecue grill when in use.
• Never grill indoors – not in a house, camper, tent or any enclosed area.
• Make sure children and pets stay away from the grill.
• Keep the grill out in the open, away from the house, the deck, tree branches or anything that could catch fire.
• Use the long-handled tools especially made for cooking on the grill to keep the chef safe.
• Never add charcoal starter fluid when coals have already been ignited.
• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using grills.

“In addition to these tips, all iPhone and Android smart phone owners should download the new, free American Red Cross First Aid app now so they will have information on how to treat everyday emergencies right in their hands,” added Trinidad.