Are you 'Tech Ready' for a disaster?

In our increasingly technologically reliant society, people are finding new ways to communicate during and after a disaster. For example, during the Japanese crisis and East Coast earthquake people went for their mobile phones and computers to tell their family and friends what was going on. More Americans are using social media and technology in emergencies, and to help people understand and prepare the FCC (Federal Communication Commission) and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Administration) joined together to present a new tip list for How to Communicate Before, During and After a Major Disaster.

The list contains some key information for us to remember as we keep upgrading, and I've listed a few of the major tips below...

Does your household rely on cordless phones for your landline? Cordless phones require power both at the handheld units and the base station, which will likely be unavailable during a major disaster. It is recommended that you keep at least one traditional cord-based phone around the house.

Keep emergency contact information in your cell phone, and subscribe to text alert systems that many state and local governments are starting to offer.

After a disaster hits, if you lose power try to keep your cell phone charged. You can reduce the brightness settings, close apps, and put the phone in airplane mode to conserve power. Keep a car charger handy to recharge it if needed.

With a smart phone or other mobile device using a cell network, a natural reaction can be to go online and watch streaming media to find out what is going on. Resist the urge as it can add to network congestion that can hinder emergency response. Keep a battery powered or hand cranked radio handy instead.

For non-emergency communications use text messaging, e-mail, and social media. In addition, they suggest using the American Red Cross Safe and Well website. If you do need to make a phone call, try to keep it brief.

For more tips, visit the How to Communicate Before, During and After a Major Disaster and Ready.gov's Get A Kit - Get Tech Ready websites.

Photo: CNN

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: In response to some of the worst floods on record, the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) deployed volunteers trained to operate water treatment plants, pump accumulated water, and turn it into safe drinkable water. They have so far reached over 127,000 people with 638,700 litres of safe drinking water. Over 39,000 water purification tablets or sachets have been distributed to more than 6,200 people.

PHILIPPINES: Two years after two typhoons devastated the island of Luzon, the IFRC and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has ensured that more than 3,500 displaced individuals have homes. The PRC has installed 21 communal water supply points, and constructed or rehabilitated water and sanitation facilities for 30 schools that were affected by the typhoons.

NEPAL: Red Cross National Societies from three countries have joined emergency relief efforts to bring aid and medical care to the survivors of the deadly earthquake that struck the Himalayan region bordering north India and Nepal on September 18.

TUNISIA: The ICRC is helping to meet the needs of people fleeing the conflict in Libya and of the local population. Work is under way that will result in a considerable increase in the volume of water supplied to some 100,000 people.

GLOSSARY:

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

Good to Give, Good to Go! Don't Miss Out!

Help Fuel the Blood Supply and Get a Chance to Win a $100 Gas Card!

Red Cross to Hold $100 Gas Card Drawings Daily until September 30

The American Red Cross Pacific Northwest Blood Services Region will be giving away a $100 gas card EVERY DAY through the rest of the month--that’s $1,000 in free gas.

The promotion ends on September 30, 2011, so there's still time to participate in this awesome deal! All blood and platelet donors who present to donate at any American Red Cross donor center or mobile blood drive throughout Oregon and Washington will be entered in a daily drawing for a $100 gas card.*

“At a time when gas prices are nearly $4.00 a gallon, we’re pleased to reward donors with a chance to win a gas card and fill their tank on us,” said region CEO Steve Stegeman.

For more information, or to schedule your donation, please call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org

* Must be 18 years of age to participate in drawings.

Prepare-aphernalia: Video Game Armor

We often talk about preparedness and readiness around here, with the realistic (earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes) and the not-so-realistic (zombies, vampires, velociraptors). The idea is if you are prepared for something out of fantasy and fiction, you will also be ready for reality. ... but... what if you are a video game space marine dropped behind enemy lines, planets away from resupply and reinforcements? This is a popular scenario behind such games as Halo, Gears of War, Metroid, Borderlands, Mass Effect... (and a list that could easily fill this entire post).

Increasingly these characters are being portrayed with massive battle armor, yet no backpacks or supply kits. Where do they store their food and other survival essentials? Dorkly has taken on the challenge of imagining what might be inside of the hulking armor featured in the newly released Gears of War 3;


What would you keep in your armor? Personally, medkits are great and all but I prefer the armor in Halo and Fallout that provide motivational conversation within post-apocalyptic landscapes.

Surviving An Emergency that Required No Toilet Paper

My Emergency Prep. Kit: Made out of a Widmer Beer box. Ready to help you calm down.

On a recent sabbatical, I experienced the kind of family emergency that requires no canned foods, protein bars or radio.  As a result, I reached into my emotional emergency preparedness kit which is based on: (1) Lifeguard training, (2) a false alarm in a hotel throughout which I screamed "I'm too young to die," and (3) a Fireman's advice.

The first, Lifeguard training, propelled me to isolate the victim's movement and call 911.

The second and third are closely related through a thread of panic.
As an 8 year old, I responded to the supposed fire with a natural, albeit highly unhelpful panic reaction.  Panic fuels the fire of an emergency.  Luckily, it was the advice of a Fireman (AKA my Grandpa Al) that ultimately made me a helpful partner in the emergency at hand.

The Advice? 

"You are going to Panic, Decide to Panic Later."

The goal of this message is to get you to stop reacting, and start acting (Roddey, 2011).
The goal is to help you focus on the task at hand AND the next step towards your safety.

"Panic Later" became my mantra I yelled at myself over and over as I followed the ambulance to the hospital.  My only job was to arrive safely to accompany my family through the scary ER and what turned out to be a successful recovery.

"I Want to Panic, But I'm Going to Panic Later." This should be your mantra during an emergency.
Repeat it, and teach it to your kids and friends.

I suggest placing the phrase "Panic Later" on the inside of your emergency pack and repeating it when you are inevitably scared and upset as an emergency rears its ugly head.
 

Are your kids and pets prepared?

We are well into National Preparedness Month and also halfway through our annual #just1thing contest. We want to help you prepared and thanks to our great partners at the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program at the Oregon Health Authority we still have two great preparedness kits to give away to lucky winners. To enter send a tweet to @RedCrossPDX with whatever you're doing to get prepared and use the hashtag #just1thing or visit RedCrossPDX on Facebook and post your #just1thing on our wall. You'll then be entered in a drawing to win one of the follow kits:

Sept. 22-28: Kid Kit
Sept. 29-Oct 5: Pet Kit

Need help with ideas? Check out our Be Red Cross Ready Online Training.

All participants are welcome, however only Oregon residents are eligible for prizes, to be awarded via random drawing. Sorry to our friends across the country and around the world, but this is one of the stipulations since we're partnering with the State of Oregon. The contest is free and there are no requirements to purchase anything to participate.

*photo courtesy of Film-Exposed

Shelter Operations Training Opportunity - Sandy, OR

The Sandy Area Community Organizations Active in Disaster identified the need for a Shelter Operations Training and Red Cross responded! "We really need individuals from the local area to be part of our Shelter Operations Team", said Alice Busch, Sandy Fire District "Red Cross is willing to share their expertise in this area and we are fortunate to host their training in Sandy".

On Saturday, October 1st from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm (Sandy Grange, 34705 SE Kelso Rd Sandy, OR 97055) Red Cross will teach two classes, a Shelter Operations class and a Shelter Simulation class.

Registration is as simple as emailing your name and phone number (with ‘Oct 1st Shelter Class' in the subject line) to: Curtis Peetz at peetc@oregonredcross.org

Both classes are free and are open to the public.

"I think most people are so accustomed to Red Cross being there, they may forget that Red Cross is made up of, in many cases, local volunteers who took the time to get trained so they would be able to lend a hand to their neighbors if ever the need arose. Without this valuable training and others like it, the effects of a disaster can become exagerated, placing needless hardship on those who are already suffering. I am proud of our community for requesting this training and thankful for our partners in Red Cross for providing it" said Busch.

Descriptions of the classes are below. Students are encouraged to attend both classes.

SHELTER OPERATIONS (3 hours) is an instructor-led, basic level course designed to give participants an overview of the American Red Cross policies and procedures for setting up, running and closing a shelter during a disaster. The course includes lecture and group exercises. Its purpose is to prepare volunteers to manage shelter operations effectively and sensitively as a team while meeting the needs of people displaced as a result of a disaster.

SHELTER SIMULATION (3 hours) builds on the information presented in the Shelter Operations course and provides participants an opportunity to practice working with procedures for setting up, running and closing a shelter during a disaster. It provides participants with an opportunity to apply the knowledge, skills and abilities required to operate a successful shelter.


If you can't make this training or are just interested in doing more. Consider becoming a Red Cross Volunteer.

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...

KENYA: The ICRC has setup phone service in Dadaab, for the many thousands of refugees fleeing the conflict and drought in Somalia. This allows refugees the opportunity to make a phone call to an immediate family member or other close relative anywhere in the world. More than 7,200 have taken advantage of the service.

LIBYA: Over the past week the ICRC has been providing medical supplies along the front lines of four disputed areas. The supplies are being staged for use at hospitals to help increase their capacities and capabilities. Additionally, continued support is being made available to those displaced by the ongoing conflict.

YEMEN: The ICRC is currently monitoring the situation in the capital of Sana’a, where a ceasefire has been agreed upon for the conflict between Government forces and protestors.

HUNGARY: Earlier this week the IFRC and the United Nations Volunteers program co-hosted more than 200 volunteer organizations from across the world in adopting a Declaration determined to value, recognize and encourage volunteering’s contribution to people, their communities and our planet.

RUSSIA: The IFRC is delivering immediate assistance in the Russian Federation to 1,800 families in the Krasnodarskiy Kray (region) and the Republic of Adygeya, in response to flooding caused by heavy rains.


GLOSSARY:

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

It’s Hard to Keep a Good Man Down

At age 98, the nation’s oldest American Red Cross blood donor plans his next donation for Thursday, September 22, 2011

In the last 100 years, the world has seen a man walk on the moon, two world wars transpire, the formation of the United Nations and the introduction of LifeSavers candy. While these historical benchmarks are well publicized, another significant event of a “true lifesaver” deserves honor and recognition.

On February 17, 1913, Willard M. Hayne, the nation’s oldest American Red Cross blood donor, was born in Gresham, Oregon. Currently 98 years old, Willard began donating in 1949, just one year after Dr. Carl Walter, a trained surgeon, developed a plastic bag for the collection of blood in place of glass bottles.

“Any chance I can encourage people to donate, I will,” Willard exclaimed. Even later in life, when blood donor regulations limited the upper age limit, Willard returned as a regular donor once the limitation was lifted.

Willard has successfully donated 138 units, eight of which occurred in the last 24 months. Not content to stop at 138 donations, Willard last attempted to give blood in August 2011 and will make another attempt on September 22nd in the Coos Bay area, where he’s been retired (and donating) for the last 18 years.

Willard comes from a history of gratitude and hard work, which is instrumental in his philosophy of blood donation. After retiring from the banking industry, Willard states that he “started from the bottom as a bookkeeper and worked my way up to manager.” He finished his career as bank manager at First National Bank of Oregon in Silverton, which is now a Wells Fargo.

Passing on his donation practice to those around him, Willard has instilled the habit of giving blood in his three children, including a son who has provided directed donations in Minnesota due to his rare blood type. Now that Willard is retired, he’s found friends in fellow blood donors in his retirement community. “I feel grateful that I’m healthy enough to donate. It’s been a blessing to me.”

Beyond donating blood, Willard has also made financial donations to the Red Cross after witnessing how the organization provided emergency services during disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis. Although Willard has lived an incredible life of generosity, he is humble when informed of his status as the nation’s oldest American Red Cross blood donor.

“It feels so good to be honored as a donor. I’ve never expected anything in return. You hear about people who need blood and just being able to donate is a gift enough.”