Follow American Red Cross Fire Safety Tips This Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the American Red Cross Central Valley Region encourages families to prevent kitchen fires by taking some basic safety measures. In the U.S., Thanksgiving is the peak day for cooking fires, 90 percent of which are caused by unattended cooking. 

We all think of Thanksgiving as a time for family, good food and football, but it’s also prime time for cooking fires. Taking a few simple precautions can help everyone have a safe and happy holiday.

• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.

• Keep anything that can catch fire—potholders, wooden utensils, food wrappers or towels away from your stove top.  

• Have a “kid- and pet-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove.

• Turn the handles of pots and pans on the stove inward to avoid accidents.

Follow safety tips year round

Install smoke alarms on every level of the house and inside bedrooms. Replace smoke alarm batteries at least once a year. Test each alarm monthly by pushing the test button.

Create and practice a first escape plan. Ensure that household members know two ways to escape from every room.

If a fire occurs in your home, get out, stay out and call 9-1-1. Crawl low under smoke and stop, drop and roll if your clothes should catch fire.

Visit www.redcross.org/homefires for more information about fire safety and prevention.

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

Reflection: Central Valley Veterans Stand Down

 The Central Valley Veterans Stand Down took place last month, September the 18^th through the 21^st. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to volunteer at such a wonderful event on behalf of the American Red Cross. It is an event that has a lasting impact on the lives of both those who volunteer and receive services.

 For those who are not familiar with what the Stand Down is I will further explain. The Stand Down is an event organized by the organization, Central Valley Veterans with the help of numerous agencies and led by Director John Schuler. The event lasted 4 days and offered veterans services and homeless veterans were able to stay overnight at the facilities. Among the services offered included, application for California Identification Cards, Social Security Cards, employment opportunities, medical referrals and mental referrals. Veterans that chose to stay overnight at the facility were provided meals, clothing, personal hygiene supplies and access to showers. Among the list of presenters at the opening ceremony was the mayor of Fresno, Ashley Swearengin and Secretary of California, Department of veteran Affairs, Peter Gravett.

 Every year the Red Cross participates in this extraordinary event by providing comfort kits. The comfort kits include items such as shampoo, soap, a toothbrush and toothpaste. In addition, the Red Cross provides cots for the veterans that are staying overnight at the Stand Down.

 The Stand Down is an amazing event for so many reasons. It provides a safe place to stay for homeless veterans and provides easy access to services that they are in need of, but were out of reach of. Veterans who participate are given items they can use there and take with them when they leave. For the 4 days Veterans receive 3 meals a day. A person should never have to worry where their next meal will come from, something so many of us take for granted. There is a sense of unity that you can feel. Everyone there was either a veteran or has a passion for helping veterans. When you join the military you enter a brotherhood and sisterhood that is life long, being at the Stand Down I could definitely feel that. As a veteran you are surrounded by people who fought the same battles, who made the same sacrifices and felt that same pain and fears.

 Personally, I absolutely loved volunteering at the Stand Down, it fed my passion. As a volunteer I was welcomed by John Schuler and the veterans assisting with the event. I remember looking around in awe of everyone there, each generation, knowing that they have fought for our country and now we must fight for them. These veterans are struggling, but I loved that during this event they can gain resources and hope. Seeing everyone laugh and share stories was priceless.

 I, along with the American Red cross want to do everything that we possibly can to help military members, veterans and their families. I highly encourage everyone to become involved and help at this event next year.

-Jessica

New Member, Jessica!!

The door at the American Red Cross is one that is revolving. We are people helping people. You can receive services and later join our amazing team as a volunteer or staff member and give back. My own personal journey began in February when I was a student at Fresno State. Thrilled, I joined the American Red Cross office in Fresno as a Service to the Armed Forces Intern. As an intern I had the opportunity to gain leadership experience while doing exactly what I love, providing services in the time of need to military members and their families.  During my time spent as an intern I also learned various skills and had the opportunity to teach the community how to be prepared in the event of a natural or domestic disaster. I took advantage of my internship and learned all that I could about Red Cross services and how we help people. At the end of the day nothing matters to me more than helping my community in any way that I can. Therefore, I greatly appreciate the opportunity the American Red Cross has given me to join the team as an AmeriCorp member. I will now serve as a Preparedness Coordinator and will work out of the Visalia office, serving the counties of Kings, Tulare and Kern.

Bakersfield Preparedness Rally

(Left, me & Right, Gaby)

New Earthquake App

Are you ready for some BIG news?!... The official American Red Cross Earthquake app was launched today! This new and informative app is FREE for iPhone and Android platforms. Not to mention as a way to provide easy accessible information to as many people as possible, the app is currently available in both English and Spanish.

The earthquake app is the third in a series of apps launched this year by the American Red Cross. First in the series was the First Aid app, providing information regarding asthma attacks, bleeding, broken bones, burns, choking and the list goes on. The Hurricane app was launched second, providing information and locations of Red Cross shelters. During Hurricane Isaac app users were able to send “I’m safe” messages to loved ones. The just released Earthquake app will provide information on what to do before, during and after an earthquake. As a part of the app, new “Shake Zone Impact Maps” will provide app users with specific local information regarding the status of their community.

Features of the app include:

§  Earthquake epicenter location, impact magnitude and local geographical impact data provided by the U.S. Geological Survey;

§  Personalized push notifications, monitoring both magnitude and geography;

§  A “Shake Zone Impact Map” that provides real-time, simplified impact assessment when available;

§  Comprehensive reporting of all seismic activity for every geographic area in the United States;

§  Options to view the app in English or Spanish based on user handset settings;

§  One touch “I'm safe” messaging that allows users to broadcast reassurance to family and friends via social media outlets that they are out of harm's way;

§  Locations of open Red Cross shelters;

§  Simple steps and checklists people can use to create a family emergency plan;

§  Preloaded content that gives users instant access to critical action steps, even without mobile connectivity;

§  Information on events that may happen after earthquakes such as fires and tsunamis;

§  Toolkit with flashlight, strobe light and audible alarm; and

§  Badges users can earn through interactive quizzes and share on social networks.

We are putting lifesaving information right into the palm of your hands. I encourage everyone to download this FREE amazing lifesaving app today!

National Preparedness Month Kick Off

Without much settling in time, I was tasked with helping organize rallies, presentations, and world record breaking events! It's been a whirlwind 2 weeks into September - National Preparedness Month. The first weekend started with an incredible world record breaking event at the Fresno State Bulldog Football team's first home game. At half time we trained the entire stadium of some 20,000+ people in hands-only CPR. While it was amazing to witness so many people yelling "Are you okay?" to their imaginary victims, my favorite part was going through and shaking the inflatable tunnel to the field at half-time and pretending I was a football player prepping for a big game.

Almost a full stadium at Fresno State's opening game!

We broke the world record!

Back in the office the following week, we jumped into final preparations for the Prep Rally we were hosting that coming Saturday. The event was a huge success and due to our meticulous planning and organizational skills (applause) everything went smoothly and without too much undue stress. We had a big turnout and all the participants said they really enjoyed the event.

People getting involved at the Prep Rally.

Thanks to these amazing student nurses we taught
115 people hands-only CPR at our Prep Rally!

Later that night it was time to relax at the Taste of River Park event benefiting the American Red Cross. The place was packed. I got to taste delicious food and wine while watching ribbon dancers, a PG&E check presentation to the Red Cross, a fashion show and a jazz dance group. Needless to say by the end of the night I was exhausted, but it was completely worth the effort!

My calendar is filling up and I just wonder how I'm going to fit everything I want to do and learn into the short 9 1/2 months I have left.

Newest Americorps NPRC Members

My name is Cayce and, along with my cohort Jessica Marquez, I am the newest and first Americorps National Preparedness and Readiness Corps (NPRC) member of the American Red Cross Central Valley Chapter. Based out of beautiful Fresno, California, my job for the next 11 months will be to prepare the communities of Fresno, Madera, Merced and Mariposa Counties for disasters and provide relief efforts in the unfortunate event of a disaster. 

My very first, first-hand experience with the Red Cross was in 2007 when I was sent to do research in the Saharawi Refugee Camps located in Algeria among a desolate expanse of the Sahara Desert. Here I saw tireless relief efforts by the Saharawi Red Crescent (SRC) in conjunction with the Algerian Red Crescent (ARC). When Morocco invaded its southern neighbor, Western Sahara, in 1975 the Saharawi Red Crescent was established to provide relief efforts to the people of Western Sahara and to help establish a refugee camp across in Algeria. Today all the aid coming into the camps is channeled through the SRC and ARC. In a place where few survive, the Saharawi people have united and organized themselves in a way that has allowed them to survive and grow to a population of 165,000 over the past 37 years. The SRC and ARC could always be found at community centers handing out food rations, propane tanks, and other necessities. Working in places like this and seeing the efforts of humanitarian aid workers like the Red Crescent is what inspired me to want to make this my career.

Mustafa, 4, overlooking the Saharawi Refugee Camps

After returning home, I completed my Bachelor's in Anthropology from UC Santa Barbara, backpacked Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia, and interned with human rights based non-profits along the way. Returning home once again, I started looking for jobs in human rights work and realized that the UN, Amnesty International and International Committee of the Red Cross all required higher degrees and more experience to get the jobs I wanted. So I went to Kingston University in England to complete my Master's in Human Rights, interned and volunteered with more non-profits, then finally came back home to California to pursue a slightly less up-and-go lifestyle. 

Cayce in Palermo, Sicily 2011

Through a series of unlikely events - having to waitress for 8 months, chatting to a customer about her work, finding out she works for the American Red Cross, and finally getting the"in" I needed to land a job in the field I've been wanting to work in - I got the NPRC position with Americorps and the American Red Cross Central Valley Chapter. So now I get to be the crazy person who dreams of going into desolate, conflict ridden, disaster prone areas and finding out what I can do to help. So I am happy to be sitting here, watching storm maps and teaching my neighbors how to be resilient in the event of a disaster.