Volunteer today to Help the Red Cross to Sound the Alarm this Fall!

by Stan Frank

This fall, the American Red Cross will initiate the most ambitious national Home Fire Campaign ever held! Called "Sound the Alarm", the event will be held from September 23 to October 15, 2017 when the Red Cross will install, free of charge, more than 100,000 smoke alarms – including our 1 millionth alarm – in high-risk neighborhoods throughout the country.

In addition to alarm installation, Red Cross volunteers will join with local fire departments and other partners to replace batteries in existing alarms, and provide families with fire prevention and safety education. Working smoke alarms in a home are known to cut the risk of death by half and having an escape plan further improves the odds of survival.

In the Greater New York Region, Joe Spaccarelli, Program Director, and his Home Fire Preparedness Team including Jane Hwang and Ailid Ramos, are organizing volunteer recruitment for high risk neighborhoods in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Mount Vernon, Hempstead and Brentwood. Getting involved is easy: If you are an existing volunteer, visit Volunteer Connection and look for home fire campaign or sound the alarm opportunities in your chapter. If you are new to volunteering with the Red Cross, visit SoundtheAlarm.org and type in your zip code to find the event closest to you.

Here are some of the volunteer opportunities available with the Sound the Alarm campaign:

• Volunteer Canvasser: Canvas neighborhoods to obtain requests for the installation of free smoke alarms
• Volunteer Smoke Alarm Installer: Install smoke alarms and replace batteries as needed in homes and apartments
• Volunteer Safety Educator: Deliver fire prevention information in high-risk neighborhoods and assist residents in completing home fire escape plans
• Volunteer Documenter: Document resident information and the services provided
• Volunteer Driver: Serve as a driver and transport volunteer teams to installation sites
• Volunteer Logistics: Maintain program inventory; pick, pack and transport equipment, supplies and team members to installation sites
• Volunteer Mass Care: Obtain and serve meals at events; setup and cleanup before and after events; coordinate with Logistics and monitor the inventory of mass care supplies and equipment, as needed
• Volunteer Information Management: Using our web-based online system, keep track of the progress of our installation teams during events
• Volunteer Call Center: Retrieve voicemails and resident requests for education and installation of smoke alarms; call residents to confirm or reschedule fire appointments
• Volunteer Data Entry: Using Excel, enter data into online forms; ensure that clients receive timely installation appointments; track, analyze and report data accurately 
• Volunteer Mapping/Planning Appointments: Using online Geographic Information System (GIS), help plan the routes and map the confirmed appointments that field teams use to navigate through the five boroughs
• Volunteer Training: Provide on-site training for Home Fire Educators, Documenters and/or Installers
• Volunteer Staffing: Using phone calls and emails in the days leading up to events, ensure each event is staffed with an adequate number of volunteers

Join us this fall to Sound the Alarm and save lives from home fires.

Visit SoundTheAlarm.org or Volunteer Connection (existing Red Cross volunteers) to learn more and sign up today!

Red Cross summer interns helped install smoke alarms and provide fire safety education this summer in Sheepshead Bay, NY.

In Case You Missed It - August 21

World Humanitarian Day 2017 paid tribute to
aid workers who risk their lives to help others.

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 139 adults and 64 children following 52 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below). 

Last Week in Review

• On Sunday, the Weather Channel’s weekly Red Cross segment, the Weather Red Report, featured tips for safe eclipse viewing. 
• World Humanitarian Day was celebrated across the globe last Saturday. The annual tribute recognized aid workers who risk their lives to help others. One of the photos the United Nations used to mark the occasion was taken a few years ago by Greater NY Red Crosser Marko Kokic. 
• This weekend Metro NY North Red Cross volunteers took part in some summer fun at the Grahamsville Little World's Fair in Sullivan County. 
• Earlier in the week, our External Affairs team met with US Representative Yvette Clarke and Assembly member Rodneyse Bichotte, respectively, to discuss next month’s Sound the Alarm, Save a Life initiative. Rep. Clarke and Assembly member Bichotte are two of many Champions of this campaign. 
• More eclipse safety! Our friends at Good Morning America stopped by our office on Tuesday to chat with Greater NY CEO Josh Lockwood about staying safe while traveling to and viewing the eclipse. 
• Throughout the week, several Red Cross Sound the Alarm Champions, including NY State Senator Hon. Gustavo Rivera and Mt. Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas, urged NYers to join our fire safety efforts.
• On Monday, Univision visited our Greater NY HQ to talk about the importance of learning CPR.
  

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• 7x a day, someone in the U.S. dies in a home fire. Help #EndHomeFires by joining Sound the Alarm. Save a Life, a series of home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events. In addition to installing smoke alarms, there’s also a new way to help: peer-to-peer fundraising on CrowdRise! To join the team, click on your Red Cross chapter: Greater NY, Long Island, Metro NY North
• Aug 21-22, 24, and 26: Red Cross weekday blood drives will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. (weekends 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) at the Greater NY Red Cross building located at 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Schedule an appointment to donate today.
• Aug 22-27: Do you like to volunteer? Do you like golf? If so, have we got an opportunity for you! Sign up today to volunteer at THE NORTHERN TRUST at Glen Oaks Club in Old Westbury, NY. For $75, you gain daily access to the tournament for you and a guest, a logoed polo shirt and baseball cap, and much more. Plus, your efforts will support the mission of the American Red Cross. Learn more here.
• Nov 5: There are still limited amount of spots available on Team Red Cross to run the TCS NYC Marathon. Not only do you get to cross running the marathon off your bucket list, but you also get to run for an organization that's devoted to helping people who need help the most. You can register now at redcross.org/2017NYCMarathon. 

In Case You Missed It - Aug 14

The Red Cross and elected officials held a press conference in support of Briana's Law.

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 47 adults and 17 children following 23 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below).

Last Week in Review

• This News12 Brooklyn report did a fantastic job of highlighting the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign installing free smoke alarms out in Bed-Stuy on Saturday.
• On Friday, The Advocate, a Louisiana newspaper, published an article on the anniversary of last year’s historic floods. A photo of our very own Maria Milan, who deployed to the Gulf last summer, can be seen in the article. 
• On Thursday, the Red Cross joined Senator Jesse Hamilton and Assembly Member Felix Ortiz at a press conference in support of Briana’s Law, to honor the memory of Briana Ojeda. 
• On Wednesday, we held a held a Facebook Live Q&A with our outgoing summer interns to discuss their experience and advice for future interns. Thanks to our interns for all their hard work this summer! 
• We also debuted our Sound the Alarm PSA featuring beloved volunteers encouraging others to join the cause! 
• Ogilvy CEO and Red Cross Board Member Lou Aversano hosted a Young Patrons Missing Maps “mapathon” with IVY connect to help map vulnerable communities in Myanmar. 
• Special thanks to renowned photographer Erin Patrice O’Brien partnering with us to “take over” #MyRedCrossLife on Instagram! Check out all her amazing photographs here.
• Throughout the week, Council Member Vanessa Gibson, Senator Jesse Hamilton and Senator Kevin Parker all recorded PSAs to be shown at a later date to support our upcoming Sound the Alarm Save a Life program.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• 7x a day, someone in the U.S. dies in a home fire. Help #EndHomeFires by joining Sound the Alarm. Save a Life., a series of home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events. In addition to installing smoke alarms, there’s also a new way to help: peer-to-peer fundraising on CrowdRise! To join the team, click on your Red Cross chapter: Greater NY, Long Island, Metro NY North 
• Aug 15, 18, 20, 21: Red Cross blood drives will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Greater NY Red Cross building located at 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Schedule an appointment to donate today. 
• Aug 22-27: Do you like to volunteer? Do you like golf? If so, have we got an opportunity for you! Sign up today to volunteer at THE NORTHERN TRUST at Glen Oaks Club in Old Westbury, NY. For $75, you gain daily access to the tournament for you and a guest, a logoed polo shirt and baseball cap, and much more. Plus, your efforts will support the mission of the American Red Cross. Learn more here.
• Nov 5: There's still limited amount of spots available on Team Red Cross to run the TCS NYC Marathon. Not only do you get to cross running the marathon off your bucket list, but you also get to run for an organization that's devoted to helping people who need help the most. You can register now at redcross.org/2017NYCMarathon. 

In Case You Missed It - August 7

Mayor Richard Thomas of Mount Vernon recorded a PSA on Tuesday in support of the Sound the Alarm. Save a Life. program.

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 73 adults and 53 children following 42 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below).

Last Week in Review

• On Sunday night, Greater NY Red Cross live tweeted during the premiere of “Sharknado 5: Global Swarming.” Earlier in the week, in preparation for the “international disaster,” Greater NY Red Cross published a blogpost highlighting several Red Cross programs that could help the public survive the fifth ‘Sharknado.’
• On Saturday, Greater NY Red Cross held its annual youth summit, participated in by numerous Red Cross clubs from around NYC.
• Greater NY Red Cross hosted its All-Staff Summer BBQ on Thursday afternoon at Bowline Point Park, including volunteers from the Long Island and Metro NY North chapters.
• Erin Patrice O’Brien, a Brooklyn-based professional portrait photographer, has volunteered with the Red Cross for the past few months documenting the stories of Red Cross volunteers and employees. On Wednesday, her “take-over” of the Greater NY Red Cross Instagram page came to an end with her final contribution to the #MyRedCrossLife series.
• Metro NY North volunteers delivered help and hope to two families in Sullivan County after two local emergencies on Wednesday.
• LI Red Cross officials attended National Night Out in Wyandanch, NY on Tuesday. The program was well attended by parents, children, and residents of the Wyandanch community. Congressman Peter King dropped by to speak with our volunteers and Suffolk County Police Department's Disaster Response team and the 1st Precinct also participated in this community event. Metro NY North Red Cross participated as well in Orange County with their emergency partners.
• Numerous state officials have partnered with the Red Cross on the Sound the Alarm. Save a Life. program, helping to make New York communities safer from home fires by installing free smoke alarms. On Tuesday, Greater NY Red Cross continued to thank several officials for their partnership and support, including Mayor Richard Thomas of Mount Vernon, who recorded a PSA for the program.
• Metro NY North Red Cross volunteers assisted 28 adults and 25 children on Tuesday following an apartment building fire in Spring Valley, providing emergency housing, financial aid and referrals.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• 7x a day, someone in the U.S. dies in a home fire. Help #EndHomeFires by joining Sound the Alarm.Save a Life., a series of home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events. In addition to installing smoke alarms, there’s also a new way to help: peer-to-peer fundraising on CrowdRise! To join the team, click on your Red Cross chapter: Greater NY, Long Island, Metro NY North
• Aug 8-11, 14: Red Cross blood drives will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Greater NY Red Cross building located at 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Schedule an appointment to donate today.
• Aug 22-27: Do you like to volunteer? Do you like golf? If so, have we got an opportunity for you! Sign up today to volunteer at THE NORTHERN TRUST at Glen Oaks Club in Old Westbury, NY. For $75, you gain daily access to the tournament for you and a guest, a logoed polo shirt and baseball cap, and much more. Plus, your efforts will support the mission of the American Red Cross. Learn more here.

These Red Cross Programs Will Help You Survive Sharknado 5

Since 2013, one of the biggest concerns for the U.S. has become the Sharknado. These menacing tornadoes lift man-eating sharks from the water into the sky and toss them into the streets of various cities. After creating havoc in Los Angeles, New York, D.C., Florida, and Las Vegas, the upcoming Sharknado will have a global effect, beginning August 6. It is predicted that multiple Sharknadoes will strike in cities all around the world. Officials have stated that no country is safe from this ‘global swarming.’

The Red Cross is an organization largely known for the assistance they provide during and after large disasters, but the Red Cross also promotes and encourages disaster preparedness, so residents can be more physically and mentally equipped to handle these emergencies. Here are five Red Cross programs that will help you become a Sharknado hero like Fin Shepard and friends.

Home Fire Campaign
If you are a someone who has who has taken advantage of our Home Fire Campaign, you already have some training that can help you survive a Sharknado. The Home Fire Campaign was created in an effort to reduce injury and loss of life due to home fires through the installation of free smoke alarms and fire safety education provided by trained Red Cross volunteers.

As part of the fire safety education, it is suggested that residents create a fire escape plan. Similarly, in case of a Sharknado, a shark escape plan is necessary.

To learn more about creating fire escape plans, read this list of tips developed by the Red Cross.

The Pillowcase Project
Children are a critical component of disaster preparedness. With The Pillowcase Project, children learn how to prepare for natural disasters, like Sharknadoes, through an interactive presentation with trained Red Crossers. Afterward, they receive a pillowcase that they can decorate and use to create their own personal emergency supply kits.

Refer to last year’s Sharknado survival guide for a list of essentials you need to build your own emergency Sharknado kit.

Red Cross Training and Classes
Receiving Sharknado preparedness education has never been easier than with the Red Cross’s Citizen Preparedness Corps. This free course will provide basic information about common disasters and provide ways to prepare, respond, and recover from them. Register today to learn what to do when a Sharknado strikes in your neighborhood.

Taking a first aid class through the Red Cross might also be a good idea in case you or a loved one cannot seek immediate treatment for a shark bite or other Sharknado-related injuries. The information you learn in this class can be useful in everyday life long after the Sharknado leaves your neighborhood.

Blood Services
The American Red Cross strives to ensure that every person in need of blood has their needs met. For obvious reasons Sharknadoes can increase demand for blood.

However, the Red Cross is currently facing a critical blood shortage and is issuing an emergency call for eligible blood and platelet donors of all blood types to give now and help save lives. Before the Sharknado arrives, find a local blood drive to help the Red Cross maintain sufficient blood supply.

Emergency Services
If your home is destroyed or you have to evacuate your home during the upcoming Sharknado, you can find refuge at a local Red Cross shelter. The shelters will also provide food, water and physical and mental health services. In addition, Red Cross volunteers can help locate family members separated during the shark disaster.

To find a nearby Red Cross shelter, iPhone and Android owners can download the Red Cross Emergency app.

A large percentage of the programs and services provided by the Red Cross are led and conducted by volunteers. They are an important part of our mission and our disaster response. If you would like to get more involved and help those in need in your community during the Sharknado, you can apply to become a Red Cross volunteer.