Red Cross Helps Allegheny County Libraries Prepare Patrons for Flu Season
PITTSBURGH – With extensive reference materials, computers and class offerings, Allegheny County libraries provide a wealth of information to the community. Amid flu season, however, the America
PITTSBURGH – The holidays are a time for excitement, celebration and laughter. With this holiday season quickly approaching, people throughout the region are decorating homes; while the American
Red Cross Urges Local Residents to Use Fire Alarms
PITTSBURGH - The American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter wants you to be safe and ready in the case of a fire. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) release
August 28, 2007 American Red Cross National Preparedness Month 2007 Op-Ed
President Ronald Reagan remarked in 1987 that "No one can predict when the next river will flood or the next storm will hit. No one can foresee the next threat to the nations’ health. What is predictable is that we will face such threats and emergencies, and that the American Red Cross will be there to offer help and hope."
As we enter September, National Preparedness Month, the American Red Cross stands committed to help you Promise to Prepare for disasters and life-threatening emergencies by helping you Make a plan, Build a kit, Get Trained and Volunteer.
A 2005 Red Cross survey indicated:
Only two in 10 American households have taken the initiative to receive specific information and/or training on how to prepare for a catastrophic disaster or other emergency situation in the past 12 months.
The most cited reason for not taking the initiative to receive information or training is "Don’t know where to go/not available."
Two-thirds of Americans polled feel it’s ‘very important’ to be prepared for a catastrophic disaster, but only one-tenth of respondents have taken the four recommended steps to be prepared: make a disaster plan, build a kit, be trained, and volunteer.
Lower-income Americans are more than twice as likely to not be prepared.
Last year, the American Red Cross responded to 74,244 disaster incidents, providing financial assistance to 1,521,060 families nationwide. In Allegheny, Fayette, Greene and Washington counties, the Southwestern PA Chapter assisted 1700 of our neighbors who were victimized by a disaster. Surely, not one of these people knew, even a week before, how their lives would be turned upside-down.
As the nation’s partner in disaster and emergency preparedness, the American Red Cross has seen the difference that preparing ahead of time can make on a person’s ability to respond to and recover from a disaster or first aid emergency. We want you to have the confidence and peace of mind that comes with being prepared. So this September, we invite you to join us as we celebrate National Preparedness Month with activities and outreach to help get the Southwestern Pennsylvania region prepared!
Preparing for the unexpected has clear personal benefits, and when everyone prepares, the benefits extend to our entire community. We hope you will do your part by making a simple Promise to Prepare this September. Call American Red Cross Southwestern PA Chapter at 888-217-9599 or go to www.swpa.redcross.org to begin to make your home, your business, and your community a safer place to live.
August 27, 2007 Local Red Cross Deploys Volunteers to assist after Minnesota Flooding
PITTSBURGH---Aug. 27, 2007
---This morning, three volunteers from the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter flew to Minnesota to assist individuals and families affected by the devastating flooding that struck over the last week. The local Red Cross contacted its disaster volunteer base to update their availabilities in advance of more potential deployments.
Gerald Jennings of Pittsburgh flew to Minnesota as a national Red Cross disaster responder where his duties will center on the bulk distribution of supplies.
Tom Palmquist of Bethel Park and Peg Redmond of Brownsville will both be performing damage assessment work as national Red Cross responders, where they will go street-by-street or door-to-door and learn the extent of damages to residents’ homes. This will provide the Red Cross additional information to plan the response and to further understand the affected residents’ disaster-caused needs moving forward.
Disaster assignments are for 2-3 weeks.
When disasters (such as the Minnesota flooding) occur and surpass the capabilities of the local affected Red Cross chapters, the national Red Cross disaster responder system is enacted and volunteers from all over the United States can be deployed to help.
As of yesterday evening, more than 348 Red Cross volunteers were in Minnesota and had provided nearly 3800 meals and 4800 snacks to the area residents affected by the flooding. They also still had two of the five shelters/evacuation centers open in which 177 residents had stayed overnight since the beginning of the flooding.
If you are a trained Red Cross volunteer and want to help, contact your local Red Cross chapter to update your availability. If you still need to finish Red Cross training, please see our Web site for upcoming trainings: www.swpa.redcross.org or call 888-217-9599.
August 23, 2007 Local Red Cross and Pittsburgh Steelers Partner to Raise Funds for Local Disaster Relief During Sunday's Game against Philadelphia
Donations will remain in local jurisdiction to help families affected by disasters
PITTSBURGH - The American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter will be collecting donations at Sunday’s Pittsburgh Steelers game to support local disaster relief efforts.
Collections will begin at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 26 and volunteers will be located at all gates, suite entrances and the Coca-Cola Great Hall.
"The Steelers have a long history of working with the American Red Cross in times of need," said Red Cross CEO Tim Tassone. "In recent memory, we collected in response to both the Indonesian tsunami and the 2005 hurricanes that struck the Gulf Coast. But it’s important that our communities understand that we respond to disasters on a daily basis - here in our local neighborhoods - and they will be helping us continue to be able to provide our vital services in times of need."
"The Red Cross has a well-earned reputation for its outstanding work in responding to disasters," said Steelers’ president Art Rooney II. "We are proud to continue working with the Red Cross to help the needy throughout Western Pennsylvania."
The chapter responds to a local disaster nearly every 22 hours and the monies raised will go toward helping families and individuals recover. The Red Cross response to local disasters is to provide for the immediate disaster-caused needs such as safe shelter, clean clothing, groceries and sometimes medical needs or emotional support.
August 13, 2007 Local Red Cross Continues Door-to-Door Outreach and Mobile Food Distribution to Flood-Affected Families
Pittsburgh - Aug. 13, 2007 - Volunteers for the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter today will once again be going door-to-door in Millvale and driving Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles in flood-affected communities along Route 28 from Oakmont to Sharpsburg to Millvale and an additional vehicle will be in the Turtle Creek area to deliver snacks, water and supplies during residents’ clean-up.
As volunteers meet families they are assessing their recovery status, determining if there are additional emergency disaster-caused needs that they still have and referring other organizations’ information for longer-term resources that may be needed.
The mobile food and supply distribution will begin in Oakmont around 11 and continue down Route 28 toward Millvale with stops along the way in Sharpsburg and Etna. The other Emergency Response Vehicle will be in Turtle Creek.
Residents who were affected by flooding and have not yet spoken to the Red Cross can call 412-263-3161.
August 10, 2007 Red Cross Initiates Opening of Four Shelters for Flood-stricken Communities
PITTSBURGH, August 9, 2007
- (8:45 p.m.) The American Red Cross has now initiated the opening of a third and fourth shelter for those affected by today’s flooding.
St John’s Lutheran Church, 715 Greensburg Avenue, in N. Versailles is now open as a safe haven for those worried about homes becoming unsafe due to flooding - or if evacuations necessitated another place to stay for the evening.
10thStreet Elementary School in Oakmont is now open as a result of an evacuation of 80+ homes in Oakmont Commons.
Other shelters still open include:
Millvale Recreation Center, Lincoln Avenue, Millvale
Hilltop Hall, Harper Drive, Turtle Creek
The shelters will stay open until its services are no longer needed by the community and will provide for emergency needs - such as meals and water - to those affected.
Anyone experiencing flooding throughout the remainder of this evening through tonight can go directly to these locations according to whichever is closest to them.
Some items to consider bringing along are an overnight bag, necessary medications and identification.
August 10, 2007 Red Cross Closes Shelters---Residents are able to return home
PITTSBURGH---The American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter closed the four shelters that it opened yesterday in response to the local flash flooding. The goal of the shelters was to be a safe haven for residents if they felt their homes were unsafe during the storms throughout the evening and night. As of this morning, all residents were comfortable returning to their homes and no longer requested a place to stay.
The four locations are:
Millvale Community Center, Lincoln Ave., Millvale
Hilltop Hall, Harper Drive, Turtle Creek
St. John’s Lutheran Church, North Versailles
10th
Street Elementary School, Oakmont
Residents stayed overnight at two out of the four shelters: seven at Turtle Creek and five at the Oakmont location. After Red Cross representatives spoke with the residents to assess their comfort level to return home, the request for shelter was no longer needed.
The next step for the Red Cross response to is conduct damage assessment in the several areas that were affected by the storms. Damage assessment enables the Red Cross to identify specific affected areas and to understand the individual extent of damage there. These numbers can then be used to individualize the Red Cross financial assistance, meal distribution and supply distribution plans accordingly.
August 10, 2007 Red Cross Recommends Ways to Stay Safe during Clean-up after a Flood
Food safety, home safety and taking care of yourself among suggestions
PITTSBURGH---While many residents may still be dealing with loss of utilities due to yesterday’s storms and the often times overwhelming task of cleaning up after a flood, the American Red Cross suggests some safety precautions so that residents and their families are safe during their clean-up and recovery efforts.
Food safety:
As soon as the power returns to your house, check temperatures of the foods in your refrigerator and freezer. If the food in the freezer has ice crystals and is not above 40 degrees you can refreeze. Perishable foods in the refrigerator should not be above 40 degrees F.
If the utilities are still off tonight before you go to bed, try to pack your perishables into coolers if you haven't already done so and put in as much ice as you can. Also, when you go to bed, leave a bedroom light switched on. When the power goes back on, it will likely wake you, so you can check the condition of your foods in the freezer.
Home safety:
Your home and its contents may look beyond hope, but many of your belongings can be restored. There are certain things you can do so that your home can be cleaned up, dried out, rebuilt, and reoccupied sooner than you think.
Play it safe. The dangers are not over when the water goes down. Your home's foundation may have been weakened, the electrical system may have shorted out, and floodwaters may have left behind things that could make you sick. When in doubt, throw it out. Don't risk injury or infection.
Ask for help. If you have technical questions or do not feel comfortable doing something, get professional help. There are often organizations who offer help with clean-up, so do your homework.
Taking Care of Yourself and Your Family:
1. Take Care of Yourself First Protect yourself and your family from stress, fatigue, and health hazards that follow a flood.
2. Give Your Home First Aid Once it is safe to go back in, protect your home and contents from further damage.
3. Get Organized Some things are not worth repairing and some things may be too complicated or expensive for you to do by yourself. A recovery plan can take these things into account and help you make the most of your time and money.
4. Dry Out Your Home Floodwaters damage materials, leave mud, silt and unknown contaminants, and promote the growth of mildew. You need to dry your home to reduce these hazards and the damage they cause.
5. Restore the Utilities The rest of your work will be much easier if you have heat, electricity, clean water, and sewage disposal.
6. Clean Up The walls, floors, closets, shelves, contents and any other flooded parts of your home should be thoroughly washed and disinfected.
7. Check on Financial Assistance Voluntary agencies, businesses, insurance and government disaster programs can help you through recovery.
8. Rebuild and Flood-proof Take your time to rebuild correctly and make improvements that will protect your building from damage by the next flood.
9. Prepare for the Next Flood Protect yourself from the next flood with flood insurance, a flood response plan, and community flood protection programs.
This information was compiled by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Red Cross to help flooded property owners. It is designed to be easily copied. Permission to reproduce all or any section of this material is hereby granted and encouraged.
August 9, 2007 Local Red Cross Responds to Flooding: Assessing volunteer availabilities and mobilizing supplies
PITTSBURGH---The American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter is responding to the local flash flooding due to heavy rain storms this morning. In response to flooding, the Red Cross role is to respond to affected individuals’ and families’ basic needs such as safe shelter, food and possible clothing.
The Red Cross activated volunteer teams to assess damage in Millvale and has contacted additional volunteer workers to assess their availability for potential shelters through the next 24-48 hours.
In anticipation of being requested to provide shelter to evacuated residents due to the flooding, the Red Cross is closely monitoring the situation and working with local and county emergency management officials.
August 9, 2007 Local Red Cross Initiates Opening Shelter for Flood Victims Tonight
Utilizes local citizens to manage shelter as part of unique community-driven model
PITTSBURGH, August 9, 2007 - Residents in the Millvale and Turtle Creek/Wilkins Township areas will be offered a safe place to stay tonight in the event that additional storms cause more flash flooding. Red Cross officials have asked the two communities to open the following two safe shelter locations beginning at 5 p.m. through 8 a.m.:
Millvale Recreation Center, Lincoln Ave., Millvale
Hilltop Hall, Harper Drive, Turtle Creek (for Turtle Creek and Wilkins Township residents)
Flood victims from these hard-hit communities will be offered the shelter to help them with short-term needs if they are worried about their homes becoming unsafe and/or local officials require them to evacuate overnight. The shelter will stay open until its services are no longer needed by the community and will provide for emergency needs - such as meals and water - to those affected.
The shelter is unique in that trained citizens from the local community are staffing and managing it, instead of Red Cross staff and volunteers. It is the culmination of a year’s worth of emergency planning and education in a new Red Cross model that uses ‘citizen responders’ under the guidance of Red Cross rather than the other way around. Thanks to a July 2006 grant from United States Steel Foundation, the necessary shelter equipment was purchased and now can be put to use.
Citizens operating the shelter have volunteered for this role and have been trained by the local Red Cross on how to feed and shelter large numbers of disaster victims at a moment’s notice.
Anyone experiencing flooding throughout the remainder of this evening through tonight can go directly to these locations according to whichever is closest to them.
Residents should bring with them an overnight bag complete with any necessary medications, and showers are available at the Millvale location, but personal towels should be brought.
Responding to this local flooding is just one of hundreds of ways that your local Red Cross improves the vitality of our community. We are not a government agency; therefore, what we provide in this community must be supported by dollars raised in this community.
If you were considering a donation to the local Red Cross, please donate NOW to help us deliver disaster response services as well as lifesaving courses and education so that we are all better prepared and better able to respond when community-wide disasters occur. Call 412-263-3127 or go online at swpa.redcross.org
August 8, 2007 Be Prepared for the Heat: Red Cross recommends safety tips for avoiding heat-related illnesses
PITTSBURGH---With the weather continuing to consist of hot and humid conditions, and the National Weather Service heat advisory for most of the region until 8 p.m., the American Red Cross Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter wants to ensure that residents are taking the necessary precautions to beat the heat.
"When temperatures are this hot and the humidity is so high, it creates a perfect scenario for heat-related illnesses to occur," said Matt Clay, Health & Safety Services Manager. "Individuals and families should take the necessary precautions to not over-exert themselves and to be sure how to recognize and avoid heat-related illnesses."
Heat-Related Illnesses
Normally, the body has ways of keeping itself cool, by letting heat escape through the skin, and by evaporating sweat (perspiration). If the body does not cool properly or does not cool enough, the victim may suffer a heat-related illness. Anyone can be susceptible although the very young and very old are at greater risk. Heat-related illnesses can become serious or even deadly if unattended.
Preventing Heat-Related Illnesses
Dress for the heat. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. It is also a good idea to wear hats or to use an umbrella.
Drink water. Carry water or juice with you and drink continuously even if you do not feel thirsty. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which dehydrate the body.
Eat small meals and eat more often. Avoid foods that are high in protein which increase metabolic heat.
Slow down; Avoid strenuous activity. If you must do strenuous activity, do it during the coolest part of the day, which is usually in the morning.
Stay indoors when possible. Take regular breaks when engaged in physical activity on warm days. Take time out to find a cool place. Pay attention to yourself and those around you for the signals of a heat-related illness.
Signals for Heat-Related Illnesses:
Heat cramps Heat cramps are muscular pains and spasms due to heavy exertion. They usually involve the abdominal muscles or the legs. It is generally thought that the loss of water and salt from heavy sweating causes the cramps.
Heat Exhaustion Heat exhaustion typically occurs when people exercise heavily or work in a warm, humid place where body fluids are lost through heavy sweating. With heat exhaustion, sweat does not evaporate as it should. As a result, the body is not cooled properly. Signals include cool, moist, pale, flushed or red skin; heavy sweating; headache; nausea or vomiting; dizziness; and exhaustion. Body temperature will be near normal.
Heat Stroke Also known as sunstroke, heat stroke is life-threatening. The victim's temperature control system, which produces sweating to cool the body, stops working. The body temperature can rise so high that brain damage and death may result if the body is not cooled quickly. Signals include hot, red and dry skin; changes in consciousness; rapid, weak pulse; and rapid, shallow breathing. Body temperature can be very high--sometimes as high as 105 degrees.
General Care for Heat Emergencies
1. Cool the body 2. Give fluids 3. Minimize shock
For heat cramps or heat exhaustion: Get the person to a cooler place and have him or her rest in a comfortable position. If the person is fully awake and alert, give a half glass of cool water every 15 minutes. Do not let him or her drink too quickly. Do not give liquids with alcohol or caffeine in them, as they can make conditions worse. Remove or loosen tight clothing and apply cool, wet cloths such as towels or wet sheets. Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number if the person refuses water, vomits or loses consciousness.
For heat stroke: Heat stroke is a life-threatening situation! Help is needed fast. Call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number. Move the person to a cooler place. Quickly cool the body. Wrap wet sheets around the body and fan it. If you have ice packs or cold packs, wrap them in a cloth and place them on each of the victim's wrists and ankles, in the armpits and on the neck to cool the large blood vessels. (Do not use rubbing alcohol because it closes the skin's pores and prevents heat loss.) Watch for signals of breathing problems and make sure the airway is clear. Keep the person lying down.
For more information about these safety tips, visit our Web site at www.swpa.redcross.org or call 412-263-3100.
August 6, 2007 Beaver-Lawrence Red Cross to Host Rep. Jaret Gibbons in Honor of Florence Nightingale Award Recipient
BEAVER---Aug. 6, 2007---Rep. Jaret Gibbons will honor a nursing volunteer from the Beaver-Lawrence Chapter of the American Red Cross for receiving the Florence Nightingale award at the Beaver chapter location, 133 Friendship Circle in Beaver, Wednesday, beginning at noon.
Every two years since 1920, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal to nurses and volunteer aides worldwide who have shown exceptional courage and devotion to the sick, wounded and disabled in times of war and peace. Nursing volunteer, Catherine Head, of Fombell, received the award for her dedication to helping improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations and for establishing a process for deploying a healthy work force during Red Cross disaster relief operations. The Florence Nightingale award is the highest honor awarded by the ICRC.
