In Case You Missed It - Aug 27

Red Cross Fire Safety Teams in Brooklyn educating residents about fire safety after a major fire.

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 200 adults and 64 children following 52 disaster responses. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below).

Last Week in Review

• Over the weekend, our teams were in Staten Island installing free smoke alarms, making the community safer and helping to #EndHomeFires.
• Long Island volunteers worked into the night to help dozens of residents after a senior apartment building fire in Hempstead. We provided a safe shelter to stay with snacks, blankets, information, and health assistance. 
• Renown broadcast journalist Ashleigh Banfield joins the American Red Cross Greater New York Board of Directors. 
• As part of our "Three Questions With..." blog series, we caught up with NYC-based IT Specialist Andy Li who recently joined the International Disaster Response Delegate team. 
• As the NY Daily News reported, early Wednesday morning the Red Cross helped four families left homeless by a multiple-alarm fire on Coney Island Ave. in Brooklyn. Later that day, our fire safety team visited the affected neighborhood to educate residents and sign people up for free smoke alarm installations. 
• This week’s #MyRedCrossLife Instagram post is about long-time volunteer Celia Vollmer and what her first disaster response was like. 
• Celia also taught Red Cross Babysitting skills to an amazing group of teens from Wyandanch on Long Island. 
• Over the course of two days, the Red Cross supported the search and rescue operation in Orange County.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• The American Red Cross is partnering with KIND Snacks to encourage New Yorkers to donate blood. Blood donations are needed year-round—one pint can save up to three lives! We’re holding drives at our NYC Headquarters (520 W 49th Street) on Sat 8/25 from 9am-2pm; Mon 8/27, Tues 8/28, and Fri 8/31 from 2pm-7pm. Donors will receive a #KindAwesome card for their kind act, which is good for 2 complimentary KIND bars, while supplies last. Schedule an appointment to donate today. 
• Oct 10: Join us for the annual American Red Cross: Heroes Among Us gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom to celebrate the civic leaders and heroic individuals who embody our humanitarian mission. 
• Nov 4: The American Red Cross Greater New York Region is proud to Run for the Red in November at the TCS New York City Marathon. Come be a part of Team Red Cross and sign up by Thursday, September 13! Space is limited, so secure your spot today! For more information, contact Bob Estremera at NYCmarathon@redcross.org or 212-875-2091.

"Three Questions With"… IT Specialist/International Disaster Response Delegate Andy Li

“3 Questions With…” is an American Red Cross in Greater New York blog series featuring staff, volunteers, and partners who help carry out our humanitarian mission. Through these short interviews, we hope to shine a light on our different programs and get to know those who make this work possible.

Andy Li has been with the Red Cross for nine years working as an IT Specialist at the Greater New York HQ. He recently joined the international roster as an International Disaster Response Delegate following a competitive application process and two intense trainings. In his new role, he will have the opportunity to deploy internationally while specifically serving in an IT capacity.

What is an International Disaster Response (IDR) Delegate?

IDR roster members with the American Red Cross deploy in support of Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement disaster response operations in very distinct roles. I’m part of the ITT (Information Technology and Telecom) group which is one of the areas that the American Red Cross specializes in. [Other areas include Relief, Cash Transfer and GIS/Info Management.] As ITT we’d be going out to support the Federation or host National Society with technology solutions such as communications network setup or internet connectivity. American Red Cross is one of five countries that specializes in ITT, along with Finland, Denmark, New Zealand, and Spain.

I first heard about the International Disaster Response roster and the IT specialization in 2010 on my first deployment in Tennessee. While there, I worked with the DST [Disaster Services Technology] manager, who happened to be on the international roster. That’s when it originally piqued my interest because I found out I could deploy and do disaster relief with a technology element to it.

You took part in two trainings, what were they like?

The first was a week-long training held in Maryland in April and was facilitated by the Federation [IFRC], ICRC and American Red Cross. Our instructors were from Canada, Australia and the US and we also had participants from all over the American Red Cross and from Haiti, Panama, Bangladesh and Nepal. It prepared us for international deployments and familiarized us with the whole Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement and their roles in disasters or conflicts. It was an awesome training because I hadn’t been exposed to the Movement or the type of work and programs other National Societies do.

The second was a technical ITT training at a ranch in Arizona and it was kind of in the middle of nowhere, about ten miles from the Mexican border. It was great to have the entire American Red Cross ITT group get together in the same place at the same time, so it was awesome to meet my new teammates and spend the week learning and bonding with them.

We learned to work with a variety of different technologies including VSATs. A VSAT is piece of equipment that can provide telecommunications connectivity via a satellite connection in a remote location. We also worked with network equipment such as routers and switches, as well as radio and communications equipment.

How does the thought of being deployed internationally make you feel?

I’ve done local deployments in New York City, regional deployments in New York State and the Northeast, as well as National deployments. International seems like the next step. I feel like the stakes are higher internationally, so I am anxious but excited to be a part of the international community. I feel like you work at an organization like this for that type of opportunity.

Red Cross Nurse Helps Revive Unresponsive Passenger on LIRR

By Brianna Borghi, American Red Cross in Greater NY

Long-time Red Cross team member and critical care nurse Debbie Hayden recently put her Red Cross CPR training into action during a routine commute on the Long Island Railroad (LIRR).

Hayden was a passenger on the Hempstead line of the LIRR on her way to work at the Greater New York Red Cross HQ in Manhattan when the conductor announced a delay due to a medical emergency.

“The conductor asked if any health professionals who can provide assistance would please come to the rear car,” said Hayden. “I didn’t have to think twice.”

Coincidentally wearing her Red Cross shirt, Hayden quickly stepped off the train and walked down the platform to the rear car, joining two nurses who also stepped in to help. They found a man in his late 20s slumped in his seat and unresponsive.

Despite the tense situation, Hayden remained calm as she kneeled next to the man alongside the two other nurses.

“We checked for his pulse. He had none, he wasn’t breathing, and he was blue. I looked at the two other nurses and confirmed we should do hands-only CPR’” said Hayden. “They agreed and one nurse immediately started compressions.”

After about two minutes of hands-only CPR, they saw a slight movement and paused compressions.

“It was just a little bit of movement that gave us an indication and his color improved,” said Hayden. “At that point we found a pulse. It was so amazing.”

Hayden and her fellow responders moved the man into a recovery position and monitored his breathing and color until emergency medical services arrived on scene. Without immediate CPR, the man might not have survived.

“At a minimum, familiarize yourself with hands-only CPR because it’s easy to learn and it works,” said Hayden about the importance of knowing this lifesaving skill.

Debbie Hayden started as a volunteer nurse with the American Red Cross on Long Island eight years ago and has been serving as the Greater New York Red Cross Regional Health Services Manager since January 2017.

Resources:

• Watch a hands-only CPR demonstration from the American Red Cross here.
• To find a Red Cross CPR or First Aid class near you visit https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class.
• Download the free Red Cross First Aid App from iTunes, Google Play, or Amazon Marketplace.

My Early Morning Ride-Along with the Red Cross

By Brianna Borghi, American Red Cross in Greater NY

Since the beginning of my internship at the American Red Cross in Greater New York, I wanted to have the opportunity to go out in the field and see the work of the Red Cross firsthand. As a communications intern, I wrote about the people we help and the work we do and felt the need to see that work in action. Towards the end of my summer at the Red Cross, that opportunity came. Below I documented the experience.

On a recent Thursday morning I walked into the Red Cross at 5:45am – a bit early for my 6am ride-along call time. From 6am – 2pm I would be working with the Disaster Response team ready to dispatch for a fire, vacate, or other emergency. We wasted no time. As soon as my team lead arrived at 6am, we were dispatched to our first incident – a fire in Queens. We grabbed our gear and hopped in a minivan bearing the Red Cross name and logo. Lucky for us, we were on the road to Queens in the early morning hours before too much traffic could accumulate on the highway.

The fire we were responding to had been called in at 5:15am, so by the time we arrived around 6:45am there were no fire trucks or emergency vehicles remaining outside the residence. The residents of the home were sitting in their neighbor’s courtyard when we arrived, having had time to process what happened. One gentlemen allowed us to enter the home with him to do a damage assessment. Most of the fire damage was on the first floor where the fire started, which was vacant, and the man’s dwelling on the second floor was largely unaffected aside from the smell of smoke. We spotted one broken window, which had been intentionally broken to facilitate air circulation, and noted that in our assessment. The resident provided his and his family’s names but declined assistance. Nevertheless, we ensured that he had the Red Cross phone number in the event he had any questions or needed help.

And just like that, after about 25 minutes, we were back on the road to the headquarters. We knew our next assignment would be a vacate in the Bronx scheduled at 10:00am, and having no prior knowledge of what a vacate consisted of, I did not know what to expect. We arrived to a chaotic scene with about six residents standing outside an apartment building, visibly agitated and upset upon receiving news that they were being forced to leave their home. What I was told is normally a straightforward dispatch turned out to be a two-hour job.

Not only were there six residents out on the street, but there were also five officials from different agencies there to inspect the building, which added to the complexity of the situation. Understandably so, residents were vocal in expressing their anxiety. One woman expressed her frustration with the landlord and her living conditions to me as her voice escalated. But she stopped herself to say, “I’m sorry I shouldn’t be laying this all on you. I love the Red Cross. They’re all about comfort.” And that’s when I realized how important it was for us to be there during this difficult time for the residents because they were confused, helpless, and in need of someone to console them and provide assistance.

With six residents being forced from their home, we had a lot of paperwork, coordination, and explanation on our hands. We were able to set five residents up with a hotel stay in the NYC area they requested and provided each with emergency funds. One gentleman, who was expecting to move into the building on the day of the vacate, opted to stay with a friend rather than accepting a hotel stay, but we provided him with referral information.

It was difficult trying to comfort those who were being vacated by no fault of their own – people who had lived in the building for years and had nowhere else to go. They were told they have thirty days to remove their belongings from the building and would not be able to spend the night there, so they were forced to pack up the things they would need for the next few days.

One elderly woman, who spoke little English and held back tears throughout the entirety of the vacate, was struggling to carry the items she had packed up in two grocery bags and a zipper bag while balancing her cane in her arms. To help her get to her hotel, we drove her to a nearby subway stop with an elevator. It was heartbreaking to watch her walk off after the home she had known for three years had been taken away from her, but I found comfort in knowing that a caseworker at the Red Cross would be able to help her develop a recovery plan and figure out next steps.

As we drove away back towards our headquarters, my team lead instructed me to call the Emergency Communications Center (ECC) to provide a final update on the services we provided. I notified them of the hotel stays, cash assistance cards, and referrals we provided, and the case was officially closed. With only one hour left in my shift by the time we returned to the office, I wasn’t expecting for us to be dispatched again. Volunteers on the 9am-5pm shift had already been sent out on another vacate and were prepared to respond to subsequent disasters. Instead, I sat in the responder area of the headquarters and reflected on the families and people we were able to help in a short seven-hour window, realizing just how vital Red Cross volunteers and services are to those who live in NYC.

In Case You Missed It - Aug 20

Red Cross Volunteers and Partners installing free smoke alarms in Flushing over the weekend.

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 81 adults and 30 children following 39 disaster responses. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below).

Last Week in Review

• As reported by AM New York: we had a great Saturday in Flushing, Queens installing free smoke alarms in area homes to help #EndHomeFires. THANK YOU to our Long Island board member Ming Chiang for bringing together volunteers from the Taiwanese American community to help educate all about fire safety.
• The day before, working with several different partners, our teams installed smoke alarms in Port Washington.
• On Friday, the Red Cross responded to a tragic fire in Brooklyn and assisted multiple families.
• Red Cross Volunteer Carlos Menendez talked about his most challenging experience after Hurricane Maria in our latest #MyRedCrossLife Instagram post.
• We sat down with ECC Dispatcher Karenine Leveque as part of our new blog series “Three Questions with…” to get an inside look on how the Red Cross responds to local disasters.
• Dressed as Captain America, our regional CEO Josh Lockwood "heroically" accepted an award at a National Red Cross conference for successfully engaging thousands of volunteers.
• Our Development Team did just that last week, working with CBS Cares to digitally map unmapped, vulnerable parts of the globe as part of the Missing Map Project.
• NYC Reporter Jill Nicolini recently stopped by our offices to tape a segment for the PIX11 Honors series highlighting all the great work we do for the community.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• Aug 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 27: 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 and other locations. Schedule an appointment to donate today. 
• Aug 26: We will partner with the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and FDNY Foundation to help "Sound the Alarm" by installing free smoke alarms in Staten Island. Learn more by clicking here.
• Oct 10: Join us for the annual American Red Cross: Heroes Among Us Gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom to celebrate the civic leaders and heroic individuals who embody our humanitarian mission.
• Nov 4: The American Red Cross Greater New York Region is proud to Run for the Red in November at the TCS New York City Marathon. Come be a part of Team Red Cross and sign up by Thursday, September 13! Space is limited, so secure your spot today! For more information, contact Bob Estremera at NYCmarathon@redcross.org or 212-875-2091.

Three Questions … with ECC Representative/Dispatcher Karenine Leveque

“3 Questions …” is an American Red Cross in Greater New York blog series featuring staff, volunteers, and partners who help carry out our humanitarian mission. Through these short interviews, we hope to shine a light on our unique programs and get to know those who make this work possible.

Karenine Leveque, a resident of Uptown Manhattan, joined the American Red Cross in Greater New York four years ago as a volunteer with the Emergency Communication Center (ECC) team and, soon enough, became a full-time employee working as an ECC Representative/Dispatcher on the 6 A.M. – 2 P.M. shift. She is responsible for fielding calls and coordinating response efforts across New York City, Long Island, the Lower Hudson Valley, New Jersey and parts of upstate New York.

What is it like working for a 24/7 operation responsible for ensuring the timely dispatch of Red Cross relief?

I think it takes a special person to work in the ECC. You need to be flexible because you get all sorts of calls: from clients [individuals affected by local disasters] and calls that aren’t all related to disasters.

It’s not for everyone. You need to be able to multitask. There’s a lot going on in there. However, you have downtime and you have times where it’s crazy. You can have, for instance, eight jobs open [local disaster responses going on] at the same time.

When you’re alone and you’re juggling multiple jobs and the calls are coming in, that’s a challenge. But I love it. I love it. I love the fact that what I’m doing is making a difference in someone’s life. I don’t even consider it going to work. That’s the way I look at it. I consider myself lucky because not a lot of people get to say, “I love my job.”

Can you walk me through the steps from when you find out about an incident to the end of the response?

For instance, I just had a fire come in. Once you have a fire, we visit this City website that keeps populating the information about the fire for us. It will tell you the size of the fire (which you need to have), the floor the fire is on, and what kind of dwelling it is. You need to know all of that. You need to know the battalion number of FDNY responding to that fire and you need to know at what time it started. All of that needs to be documented in our incident report and once we have all of that, then we can conclude that we have verified that fire and that we need to respond.

We assign the incident to our team members who will respond in person on scene. As they’re leaving the chapter, they let us know that they are en-route as a unit. On their way there, if there is traffic, they have to let us know and when they arrive on scene, they have to let us know, and within 15 minutes they need to give us a preliminary report. Every 15 minutes they’re supposed to communicate with us and let us know where they are, what they’re doing, and what’s happening.

They have to do a damage assessment to the affected units, and if somebody wants assistance, we have to know that. After all of that is done, they let us know that they are leaving the scene. If we have another incident for them, we assign them again. If not, we ask them to come back to the Chapter.

Throughout this process we are also sending internal updates, dispatching additional staff when needed, booking hotel rooms for clients, if needed, and ensuring the debit cards we give to clients are loaded with money.

Can you tell me about your interactions with clients? Does one interaction stick out as the most memorable?

There was a client who was from my home country of Haiti. I was actually off-shift and I got a call from a responder, we’re friends, to help translate into Creole and even though we have a line for people who can translate, she called me. I said, “Why are you calling me? Why don’t you call the translation line?” And she said, “You know, the way I’m seeing this lady, I just don’t know if that’s the best way to help her. Since I know you speak the language I think it will be more personable if you could speak with her.” It turns out that it was better than putting her through to the line because she had no understanding of what was happening to her. She was being vacated and she had a baby and the baby was sick. She was crying, hysterical and everything. So I was explaining to her why we were there, what we were going to do for her, and I was explaining to her how, come Monday, she would follow up in person. I even explained to her about the recovery process and it turns out everything went well for her. And she even called back to say thank you.

In Case You Missed It - August 6

Queens elected officials helped raise awareness of our Sound the Alarm program at the Taiwan Center NY

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 119 adults and 51 children following 41 disaster responses. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below).

Last Week in Review

• Thank you to the Taiwan Center NY 台灣會館, Congresswoman Grace Meng, Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky, Asm. Ron Kim NYC, and Councilmember Koo for joining on Friday to announce the August 18th Sound the Alarm installation event in Flushing, Queens, where Red Cross volunteers and partners will install FREE smoke alarms to help save lives and #EndHomeFires. 
• Thank you to American Express and Delta Air Lines for supporting us through the Perksicle Tour where they offered free ice pops to Delta Skymiles Card Members across nine cities in the U.S. and those who were not Card Members had the option to buy the pops and all proceeds were donated to the Red Cross. Delta and American Express also committed to matching a donation of the price of each ice pop sold to support Red Cross disaster relief efforts. 
• Check out the latest My Red Cross Life post on our Instagram and read about Madeline Liongsan’s story about becoming the youngest board member ever for the Metro NY North Red Cross! 
• Read the most recent “Three Questions With…” Lipica Shah who serves as a volunteer instructor and CPR/First Aid spokesperson while pursuing her acting career. She has even given live training demonstrations on The Dr. Oz Show, the TODAY Show, and The Martha Stewart Show! 
• Our amazing volunteers were out in Long Island cleaning up Conex boxes with the help of the FEMA Core group. 

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• August 6, 7, 10, 11, 13: 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 and other locations. Schedule an appointment to donate today.
• October 10: Join us for the annual American Red Cross: Heroes Among Us gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom to celebrate the civic leaders and heroic individuals who embody our humanitarian mission.  
• November 4: The American Red Cross Greater New York Region is proud to Run for the Red in November at the TCS New York City Marathon. Come be a part of Team Red Cross and sign up by Thursday, September 13! Space is limited, so secure your spot today! For more information, contact Bob Estremera at NYCmarathon@redcross.org or 212-875-2091.