Be Red Cross Ready for Fire in the Kitchen

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The most effective way to protect yourself and your home from fire is to identify and remove fire hazards.  Sixty-five percent of home fire deaths occur in homes with no working smoke alarms.  During a home fire, working smoke alarms and a fire escape plan that has been practiced regularly can save lives.

It has been found that most fires originate in the kitchen.  Follow these steps to avoid a fire while cooking.  Start by not wearing loose clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking.  Never leave cooking food unattended – stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling or broiling food.  If you must leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.

A stove after a house fire.

Fire Safety Tips for the Kitchen:

• Check your food regularly while cooking and remain in the home while cooking.  Use a timer to remind yourself that the stove or oven is on.

• Keep the kids away from the cooking area. Enforce a “kid-free zone” and make them stay at least three feet away from the stove.

• Keep anything that can catch fire – pot holders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, and towels or curtains—away from your stove, oven or any other appliance in the kitchen that generates heat.

• Clean cooking surfaces on a regular basis to prevent grease buildup.

• Consider purchasing a fire extinguisher to keep in your kitchen.  Contact your local fire department to take training on the proper use of extinguishers.

• Always check the kitchen before going to bed or leaving the home to make sure all the stoves, ovens and small appliances are turned off.

• Install a smoke alarm near your kitchen, on each level of your home, near sleeping areas inside and outside bedrooms if you sleep with doors closed.  Use the test button to check it each month.  Replace all batteries at least once per year.

The Red Cross responded to more than 62,960 home fires during the 2011 fiscal year. House fires are the worst disaster threat to families in the United States. To learn how to prevent a fire in your home and how to keep members of your household safe, you can download The Red Cross Fire Prevention and Safety Checklist.  Downloadable fact sheets are also available at
http://www.redcross.org/
on how to be fire safe over the holidays, how to avoid home heating fires, candle safety, proper use of smoke alarms and teaching your children what to do in the event of a fire. 

Greek Life raising money for the American Red Cross!

This past Saturday marked the first Powder Puff Flag Football Tournament, a fundraising event coordinated by University of Georgia’s Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. All proceeds from the tournament went to the American Red Cross, the fraternity’s national philanthropy.

During the tournament, fraternity members served as referees, provided lunch and set up a first aid station for team participants. Five sororities participated in the intramural-style tournament with a minimum of seven players on each team. Alpha Gamma Delta proved champions of the day and took home the trophy although everyone present had a great time.

“This year was really about establishing the event; it was nice that we were able to give the American Red Cross some money,” said Brandon Breslin, philanthropy chair of the fraternity.

In appreciation, the Red Cross honored the members of Delta Sigma Phi for their generous donation. The fraternity seeks to expand the tournament next year in hopes of raising more money and also has a pageant, Miss Sorority Row, lined up for the Spring which will also benefit the Red Cross.

pictures to come soon!

Staying Prepared for Fire Prevention

For many people, October is about fall festivals, changing leaves and crisp weather. What most people do not know, however, is that October is also Fire Prevention Month and the American Red Cross encourages individuals to take steps to lessen the risk of a fire in their home. Unfortunately, many people learn quickly just how devastating a fire can be. Red Cross volunteers have witnessed firsthand not only the physical damaging effects caused by fires, but also the emotional damage people experience as a result.


Disaster victim meets with Red Cross Disaster workers at the scene of an apartment fire.

During Fire Prevention Month, the Red Cross reminds everyone of the steps they should take if a fire breaks out in their own home.

The most important thing to remember if facing a fire is to:
GET OUT, STAY OUT and CALL 9-1-1 (or local emergency number).

Other important safety tips include:

To Prevent a Home Fire…
-Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.
         -Test them every month and replace the batteries at least once a year.
-Talk with all household members about a fire escape plan and practice the plan twice a year.
-Turn portable heaters off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
-Keep items that can catch on fire at least three feet away from anything that gets hot, such as space heaters.

In Case of a Fire…
-Crawl low under smoke.
-Go to your outside meeting place and then call for help.
-If closed doors or handles are warm, use your second way out. Never open doors that are warm to the touch.
-Use caution when using a portable fire extinguisher.

Remember the word PASS when using the extinguisher:

Pull the pin and hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you.

Aim low. Point the extinguisher at the base of the fire.

Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.

Sweep the nozzle from side to side.

A Red Cross volunteer offers assistance with a victim of a home fire.

For more information on disaster and emergency preparedness, please visit
http://eastgeorgia.redcross.org/
or call the chapter house at 706-353-1645.

(Photos courtesy of redcross.org)

Student Organization sets goals for blood drives

Yesterday, Students for the American Red Cross (SARC) kicked off their three-day blood drive, “Don’t be afraid of the dark, come donate with SARC.” The event, which continues through Wednesday, October 19, 2011 from 11 am to 5 pm, takes place in the Memorial Hall ballroom on the University of Georgia campus. It is one of four that the organization has planned for the year.

SARC is a student-run organization that represents the American Red Cross on the University of Georgia campus. Students are responsible for planning and volunteering at the drive, which includes registration, manning both the prize table and canteen stations.

The drive offers great incentives aside from the feeling of giving back. Participants will get door prizes like t-shirts, drawstring bags, and candy. Additionally, anyone who registers, whether or not they make it through the process, will be entered into a drawing for the chance to win two tickets to the football game between rivals University of Georgia and University of Florida.

SARC has some big goals for its Halloween blood drive. “Our goal is to collect 87 pints of blood the first day, 97 the second day and 116 the third day,” says volunteer coordinator and SARC member Norman Ton. “We’ll need 360 or so donors to make that goal.”

Each unit of blood collected can help save the lives of three people, and Blood Services director and American Red Cross employee Janet Jarrett stresses that much of the blood collected will be used to help children.

“When doctors are working on our smallest patients, they want to use blood [donated by] the youngest people possible,” she says. “Every single blood drive is important; every single day we have to collect the blood that we have on the books.”

Big Winnings!!

“I’ll take giving blood for $1,000 Alex.” You may be an avid viewer or have only seen Jeopardy once or twice. Either way, the phrase should be familiar to you. On Tuesday night’s episode of Jeopardy, the American Red Cross was featured in a category about donating blood. If you were lucky enough to see the episode you would’ve seen the Jeopardy Clue Crew at the American Red Cross Blood Bank in Washington D.C. The Clue Crew gives Jeopardy contestants visual clues through real life experiences.


Kelly Miyahara about to give blood.

Clue Crew members Kelly Miyahara and Sarah Whitcomb presented clues by showing the audience and contestants the process of donating blood. Kelly posted on the crew’s Facebook page that she was unable to give blood on the day of the shoot due to clotting issues, but she definitely plans to try and donate again in the future. Her fellow Clue Crew member Sarah was successfully able to donate blood!

 

Sarah Whitcomb holding the blood she just donated

The Red Cross spotlight on Jeopardy was a wonderful way to spread knowledge throughout the nation about the facts, fictions, and purposes of blood donations. If you are interested in learning more about giving blood, visit http://www.redcrossblood.org or visit your local Red Cross Chapter.

To read more about the Clue Crew members’ experience in Washington D.C. visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/jeopardy. Remember, every minute of every day someone is in need of blood. The need is constant. The gratification is instant. Give blood!

pictures courtesy of:

http://www.facebook.com/notes/jeopardy/the-jeopardy-clue-crew/244818748902382?ref=nf



Using Social Media In Disaster Situations

Could a tweet save your life?

People use social media for a lot of things. They log in to see pictures of the new baby, tweet about their disappointment in a reality show competition, or watch a funny clip everyone at work has been talking about.

Social media is great for all of those things and, in general, can be a great tool for procrastination. However, people are now turning to social media for more important things, including emergency information. In times of crisis and emergency, social media has become a lifesaver.

The American Red Cross recently conducted a survey to explore this idea. They found that more than 60 percent of the general public relies on online news for emergency information. When it comes to communicating after an emergency, nearly one-fourth of the general public responded that they would definitely use social media to let others know that they are safe.

You can check out the survey findings here:

Along with this, the Red Cross has created a phone app, free-of-charge, that helps people during an emergency. “S.O.S. by the American Red Cross” provides real-time emergency care instructions and information to help a person stay safe. These instructions include step-by-step videos, maps, and an expansive resource guide.

Social media has long been viewed as a source of entertainment or a way to stay connected with others. Now sites like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and others are recognized as reliable sources for emergency news. They are essentially lifelines for people afflicted by disasters, no matter the size, scope, or location of the disaster.

                                   

 

Emergency Preparedness for your Pet!!!

photo courtesy of http://disaster-emergency-preparedness.com/

In the event of a disaster, many families have a plan in place; however, that plan may often overlook four-legged members of the family. The following is a list of helpful tips to ensure the safety of your pet during an emergency. Remember, if an area isn’t safe for you, it probably isn’t safe for your pet either!

1. Assemble a disaster kit for each animal in the house. It should include food and water, any medications, photos, veterinarian records, cleaning supplies, and animal care supplies such as carriers, collars (with up-to-date ID tags), and leashes. Keep the kits near an exit for easy access during an emergency.

2. Microchip your pets and keep the registration updated! They are the single most effective way to reunite lost pets and families.

3. In the event of a tornado, keep pets leashed and indoors. Bring them with you to a basement or windowless room.

4. Separate dogs and cats during an emergency; animals may act irrationally when under stress.

5. Identify evacuation locations that will accommodate your pets if you evacuate. Write the names down and keep them with your disaster kits.

6. Keep at least three-days worth of food and water in airtight and waterproof containers. Rotate the food every two months to avoid spoilage.

7. Always keep enough gallons of water on hand for both you and your pet in case of power outages. Feed pets canned food so they will need less water to drink.

8. If flood danger threatens, take your animals and move to higher ground without hesitation.

9. You may not be home when disaster is eminent. Find out if a trusted neighbor would be willing to take your pets and meet you at a prearranged location.

10. Never leave behind your pet unless it compromises your safety. If you must leave a pet behind, make sure they can escape, have food and water, and are not tied up.

Useful links for pet safety:
-In case of evacuation, here is a list of pet-friendly hotels:

http://www.officialpethotels.com/

-If during evacuation or vacation your pet needs medical treatment, the following contains a list of emergency veterinary clinics by location.

http://www.localvets.com/

-In case of a fire, it is imperative to alert firefighters of any pets. The following link from the ASPCA offers free window decals for your home.

http://www.aspca.org/about-us/free-aspca-stuff/free-pet-safety-pack.aspx

-Learn pet first aid!

http://www.redcrossstore.org/Shopper/Product.aspxUniqueItemId=95&utm_source=RCO&utm_medium=NewsArticle&utm_campaign=ProductPlacement