"Think Fast" - take a Red Cross CPR class

During the Superbowl, Hyundai demonstrated an amusingly inefficient way to perform chest compressions on a comatose patient. Not a substitute for taking a Red Cross CPR class, but this sure is funny.

Blaze sparks at SE Portland apartment complex

Oregon Red Cross volunteers are assisting several SE Portland residents displaced by an apartment fire in the 2000 block of SE 122nd Avenue. Red Cross volunteers are prepared to provide humanitarian assistance, which is provided free of charge, and may include comfort kits, lodging, food, clothing and information about health and mental health services.

As reported by KOIN Local 6, investigators believe the two-alarm fire at a Southeast Portland apartment complex on Saturday night was caused by a careless smoker. The blaze broke out sometime before 7:39 p.m. at the El Moro Apartments, located at 2016 SE 122nd Avenue.

Alisa Cour, spokesperson for Portland Fire and Rescue, says the fire initially started in a one-story unit, but arriving crews discovered that strong east winds had spread it to three others through a common attic space, prompting the second-alarm.

Firefighters cut a hole in the roof of all four one-story units, which had all been safely evacuated prior to their arrival. The fire was brought under control within about 40 minutes.

There were no injuries, but an elderly woman was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. The Red Cross is assisting displaced residents with housing. TriMet also sent a bus to the scene to help residents stay warm.

Red Cross responds to McMinnville Apartment Fire

Oregon Red Cross volunteers responded to an apartment fire on Sesame Street in McMinnville, OR. They provided humanitarian assistance to 15 people displaced by the fire. All services were provided free of charge and may have included comfort kits, lodging, food, clothing and mental health services.

As reported by KWG news, two young children, a 5-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy, were home alone when a fire started in a McMinnville apartment and spread to three other units Friday morning, authorities said. A neighbor pulled the girl to safety from the burning apartment.

Emergency crews were called just before 11 a.m. on Friday to a report of a fire in the 1700 block of Sesame Street. A blanket had caught on fire and the flames quickly spread through the apartment, according to the McMinnville Fire Department. Neighbor Tonya Wright said by the time she got downstairs the boy had already jumped out of a bedroom window. But his 5-year-old sister was still trying to get out.

“She was standing there and I just grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out,” Wright told KGW. Investigators said one of the children or a dog inside the apartment started the fire by knocking over a candle. That unit and a nearby apartment were heavily damaged.

Two other units were also damaged. There were no reports of injuries. A total of 15 tenants were displaced by the fire and Red Cross was assisting at the scene.

Disaster Preparedness Initiative

Our leader and CEO, Maree Wacker, was recently featured on Comcast Newsmakers of Oregon and Southwest Washington, hosted by veteran journalist Ken Ackerman.

Showing off her scientific chops in describing the potential for a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake—i.e., "The Big One"— and how to deal with the aftermath, Maree discussed with Ken the Oregon Red Cross' new Disaster Preparedness Initiative, with the goal of getting 90% of Oregonians prepared for a major disaster with personal and/or business emergency plans in place.

You can also catch the segment all day on CNN Headline News - Channel 45 - at 54 minutes past the hour now through February 19th (except in Prime Time).

We need your Red Cross stories!

For most people, encounters with the Red Cross never go beyond the occasional office blood drive or what they see on the news after a major disaster. It’s hard to explain the people behind the stories, and the very real effect the Red Cross has on those lives, unless you've experienced it yourself.

That’s why we need you. If you've been helped by the Red Cross, in any way, this is your chance to give back by sharing your story of the American Red Cross with a national audience.

Whether you were helped following a house fire or a flood, received a blood donation, were able to give life-saving CPR, were assisted by our Services to the Armed Forces, or are a volunteer remembering a special moment from a disaster deployment, your story is one we want to share.

Tell us how you were helped and what that meant to you. Go to: https://american.redcross.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=ntld_great_stories to find out more.

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...

CENTRAL/EASTERN EUROPE: Parts of Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Serbia, Romania and Russia have been gripped by wind, heavy snow and temperatures as low as -26°F. Over 80 people have died from hypothermia and frostbite, and the chill has caused power outages, traffic chaos and the closure of schools and nurseries. Red Cross Societies have been working around the clock to meet the basic needs of the affected people with hot meals, warm clothing and blankets.

MEXICO: Drug related violence in the Mexican city of Ciudad Juárez (on the US border) has put health care in danger, risking the lives of medical staff and often preventing patients from getting the treatment they need. The ICRC has been working with the Mexican Red Cross on improving safety for their volunteers and staff, developing a specific protocol to respond to emergencies by confirming that police are at the scene, the victim is alive and needs pre-hospital care.

FIJI: Severe flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains on Fiji’s largest island of Viti Levu have forced thousands from their homes to seek safety in evacuation centers. Staff and volunteers of the Fiji Red Cross Society have been responding to the immediate needs of many of those displaced and has started distributing emergency relief items to over 3,000 people in 74 evacuation centers and communities isolated by the floods.

IRAQ: The new Nasiriya physical rehabilitation center opened this week and will be capable of treating 500 patients a year, providing them with artificial limbs and rehabilitation services. The ICRC has built the center in coordination with Iraqi health authorities, and it is the second physical rehabilitation center built by ICRC water and sanitation engineers in Iraq following completion of the Falluja center in 2008. 35,000 people with a disability have benefited from ICRC-supported physical rehabilitation services in Iraq since 1993.


GLOSSARY:

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

Rally For The Big Game With Us!

In anticipation of the biggest football day of the season, the American Red Cross Clark County Donor Center's drive this Thursday, February 2nd from 11AM-5PM is football-themed!

Presenting donors are encouraged to have fun and bring friends! Sport enthusiasts encouraged. There will be a drawing for giveaways from Fred Meyers, Butcher Boys, Cottman Transmission, and Kazoozdles (children's toys). To schedule an appointment, please call (360) 989-2932. The Clark County Donor Center wants to thank you for your continuous support and commitment!

Graphic courtesy of super-bowlnews.blogspot.com