Community Events (Preparedness) Training Class Welcome! Community Events (Preparedness) Training Class

Who Are You?

Who is 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. We have more than 500 chapters in the U.S. and we are in nearly 200 countries (Red Crescent societies). More than 500,000 volunteers and 31,424 paid employees.

Clara Barton Founded the 5 Core Services Services to the Armed Forces Communication Blood Services Drives / Donations Disaster Services Prepare / Respond / Recover Health & Safety Services CPR/First Aid/AED, Pet First Aid, Babysitting, Aquatics International Services 189 countries around the world Clara Barton Founded the American Red Cross May 21, 1881

Every 7.5 Minutes the Red Cross Responds to a Disaster In 2011, that was 1 earthquake, 4 blizzards, 10 wildfires, 15 hurricanes, 27 floods, 29 tornadoes and nearly 70,000 home fires. An average of 91 cents out of every dollar that you donate goes to fulfill our humanitarian mission.

What We Do Prepare Respond Recover Community outreach Fire canvass events Pillowcase Project Respond Food Clothing Shelter Comfort Care Recover

On May 11, 2014 a EF2-EF3 tornado hit the towns of Sutton, Garland, Cordova, Daykin and Beaver Crossing. Beaver Crossing took a direct hit with 90 mph winds, 103 homes were damaged in town and another 20 in rural areas. 1 shelter opened, 13 people sheltered, 65 volunteers on the job, 5 Emergency Response Vehicles

June 3, 2014 Storms

Pilger / NE Nebraska Tornadoes Tragically two individuals lost their lives. 20 were hospitalized. Staffed 2 local EOCs, plus the State EOC. 3 shelters were opened; one in Wakefield, Norfolk and Wayne. 127 well-trained disaster workers, 5 Emergency Response Vehicles.

What Should I Know?

Clara Barton Founded the 5 Core Services Services to the Armed Forces Communication Blood Services Drives / Donations Disaster Services Prepare / Respond / Recover Health & Safety Services CPR/First Aid/AED, Pet First Aid, Babysitting, Aquatics International Services 189 countries around the world Clara Barton Founded the American Red Cross May 21, 1881 12 12

How People Can Help Make a financial gift to disaster relief Donate blood or host a blood drive Sponsor an employee giving or matching gift program Donate ad space Place a Red Cross banner on their website Text “REDCROSS” to 90999 to make a donation Become a Red Cross volunteer 13

How People Can Volunteer Disaster Action Team Ready When the Time Comes Preparedness Volunteer Pillowcase Project Presenter Services to Armed Forces Donate Blood Take a Class, Save a Life, Become a Volunteer Instructor Your personal profile through Volunteer Connection Go to www.redcross.org/neia and click on “Volunteer” and scroll down to find your nearest chapter/office location to complete the online application. 14

What is Preparedness?

Prepare Like It’s 1999 Help yourself Help your neighbor Peace of mind Independence Help your neighbor Help your community Build resilience Focus on your job Lessen the load on community resources EMT’s 1 : 374 Firefighters 1 : 280 Red Crossers 1 : 660 Remember 1999? Spent the whole year preparing for the worst! Can’t help others until you help yourself. Knowing home and family are safe then you can focus on your community and in your case, your job. 16 16

Who Should Prepare Businesses Individuals/Families Ready Rating Ready When the Time Comes Individuals/Families Get a kit Make a plan Be informed Mobile apps Home Fire Safety Plan What happened after ALL that Y2K planning? Nothing! But we were prepared as well as having a plan for any other natural disaster to hit the power grid. Despite that, did you have a plan then? Probably not! Do you have a plan now? Probably not! Why? Because it’s never going to happen to me!! 17 17

Get a Kit / Make a Plan Talk with your family Develop a plan List of responsibilities Meeting places Evacuation routes Pet plan Safe & Well Customize your kit for your family Meet with your family or household members to discuss how to prepare and respond to emergencies. Identify responsibilities for each of your household and work together as a team. If a family member is in the military, plan how you would respond if they were deployed. In your plan identify two places to meet if you and your family are separated – one outside your home (in case of a fire) and one outside your neighborhood in case you’re evacuated and cannot return home (in case of flood or tornado). If you have to evacuate, plan your route. Choose an out of area emergency contact person. It may be easier to text or call long distance if local phone lines are overloaded or out of service. Are you “on call” for your job during a disaster? Then it’s best to have a plan at home so you can focus on work. Use the Red Cross “Safe & Well” website to let your family and friends know you are safe. Or call 1-800-Redcross and select the “Disaster” option. PRACTICE evacuating your home twice a year, drive your route, review your kit, plan ahead for pets, make sure you have updated contact info. Take your kit with you in case you go to a shelter then you have things YOUR family needs and makes you feel better. 18 18

Be Informed Mobile Apps Preparedness at your fingertips Volunteerism at your fingertips Six different mobile apps and they’re all FREE! Most useful would be First Aid, Tornado and Team Red Cross Apps. Team Red Cross app is the allows you to help your community with Red Cross related activities should a disaster occur in your community. You can receive and respond to notifications for volunteer jobs based on your location. 19 19

Preparedness Initiatives Home Fire Preparedness Campaign The goals of the strategy are to save lives that are lost to preventable causes like fires, disasters, choking, and cardiac arrest and to improve the resilience of the social safety net in the face of disasters. The Pillowcase Project The Pillowcase Project is a preparedness education program for children in grades 3 – 5, which teaches students about personal and family preparedness, local hazards, and basic coping skills.    Coming Up! September – National Preparedness Month October – Fire Prevention Month (Oct. 11) 20 20

The Role of a Community Events (Preparedness) Volunteer

What Will I Do? Display Booth/Table Health fairs, preparedness booths, safety fairs, etc. Set up table with preparedness materials Table cover, informational materials, not too much Engage participants No sitting behind the table! TALK to people – have them download apps, fill out a family safety plan, complete a communications plan, do they have a home fire evacuation plan, smoke alarms Tracking Try to record the number of participants talked to and/or materials shared Attire Typically business casual – red or Red Cross shirt, khakis, avoid blue jeans, shorts okay if an outdoor summer event Look and act professional – you are a representative of the Red Cross

What Will I Do? Public Speaking May be anywhere from 5 minute to 60 minute presentation Variety of different groups invite the Red Cross to speak – Clubs, Women’s Groups, Church Groups, School Groups, Business Lunch & Learns, etc. Engage participants Ready made presentations and templates Encourage participants to download apps, fill out a family safety plan, complete a communications plan, do they have a home fire evacuation plan, smoke alarms Tracking Community Disaster Education (CDE) survey when appropriate Try to record the number of participants talked to and/or materials shared Attire Typically business casual – red or Red Cross shirt, khakis, avoid blue jeans, shorts okay if an outdoor summer event Look and act professional – you are a representative of the Red Cross

What Will I Do? Other Services to Armed Forces Events Outdoor Events – fairs, cooling stations, displays, parades (optional) Fire Canvass / Home Fire Preparedness Initiative Pillowcase Project Presenter – teach youth ages 8-11 how to be prepared Requires an online training class and teachback/skill review Always Engage Participants Always record the number of participants talked to and/or materials shared Always record your hours

What Will I Do? Use Volunteer Connection Check regularly for event opportunities My Shifts Community Events OR Trainings & Meetings Pillowcase Project Presentations if a trained presenter Register for the event or class Volunteer Hours Make sure you use Volunteer Connection to track your hours If you’ve registered in Volunteer Connection and once you’re marked ‘Attended’, you hours are recorded

Disaster Preparedness Specialist Welcome to the Team! Cindy Pfennig Disaster Preparedness Specialist American Red Cross (712) 435-5671 (402) 990-6803 cindy.pfennig@redcross.org Thank You!