Red Cross On the Scene At the Biltmore Avenue Blaze

We were on the scene of the Biltmore Ave. fire on Thursday to help out with keeping everyone hydrated and fed. Big thanks to Salvation Army and Hearts with Hands for also providing food and drink.










We'd like to offer our most sincere condolences to the family of Capt. Jeff Bowen, once of the first firefighters on the scene at 445 Biltmore Center medical office blaze. His brave efforts will not be forgotten or lost on the Asheville community. A true hero.

Eat Dust, Give Blood: NASCAR Driver Shows Support for Red Cross

This weekend Vancouver, Washington NASCAR driver Greg Biffle will not only be telling people to "eat dust" but to also "give blood." He'll be on the track for the Indianapolis Brickyard 400 and he will be racing in style.


To show support for the ongoing Type O Alert, the 3M/American Red Cross No. 16 car has been repainted with a new 'Type O' car. You can check out the new look with a 3D viewer on the Red Cross Racing homepage.

Want to show your support? If you use Twitter, let people know there is a shortage and use the hashtag #RefuelOurTank. You can sign up for an appointment at www.redcrossblood.org. If you present to donate, you can report it to the Red Cross Racing website to gain points for stylish racing themed rewards.

Firefighter To Do List: Prevent Fires Now, Robot Dance Later.

The Red Cross can teach you how to prevent fires in your home. But we can't teach you how to do the Robot Dance. Somethings you just need a firefighter for.

Weekly Worldwide Wrap-Up!

Welcome to the Weekly Worldwide 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…

SOUTH SUDAN: Volunteers for the newly formed South Sudan Red Cross went out on their very first operation – monitoring and assisting people attending the celebrations to mark the birth of the Republic of Southern Sudan.

PAKISTAN: Volunteers are helping families prepare to face the oncoming monsoon season.

YEMEN: Since mid-June, the ICRC and the Yemen Red Crescent Society have provided aid for more than 17,500 people who have escaped the fighting in Abyan and settled in Lahj.

ZIMBABWE: Medical equipment donated by the ICRC is helping bring newborn babies back to life.

GLOSSARY:

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

Attack of the Middle-Aged Gym Rats!!!

We go to great efforts to prepare and educate the public about what to do in the event of an emergency. Earthquake? We've got you covered (heh). Floods? We know what to do. Tornadoes? We've got an ERV for that. But... 17 middle-aged gym rats? Ummm... *scratches head*

"Korean scientists think they have determined what caused a 39-story Seoul skyscraper to shake violently for 10 minutes, causing the building to be evacuated for two days.

Earthquake? Nope.

Gale-force winds? Sorry.

Volcanic activity? Unh-uh.

No, the culprit, they say, was 17-middle-aged gym rats working off the midriff bulge in a Tae Bo class.

Apparently, while dancing and boxing to 'The Power' by Snap on July 5, the exercisers not only shook their booties, they shook the building."

Confused? Us too. Read more about how this happened here.

You've got the power... to be prepared.

Summer Safety: Preparation Now = More Play Later

What's summer without a dip in the pool or a trip to the beach? Summer's a blast! Lemonade poolside, flip flops in the sand, family outings by boat.

Now for that bad news: Every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning. Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger. Drowning is the sixth leading cause of unintentional injury death for people of all ages, and the second leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 14 years (via Center for Disease Control).

This is why we strongly urge everyone to read up on the following materials. Share them with your families and loved ones, particularly your children.

• Home Pool Safety (also available in Spanish)
• Choosing a Safe Place to Swim (also available in Spanish)
• How to Respond to a Water Emergency
• Watching Children Around Water
• Water Safety in the Home
• Choosing a Life Jacket

Weekly Worldwide Wrap-Up!

Welcome to the Weekly Worldwide 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...

SOMALIA: Levels of malnutrition have reached a new peak and are currently the highest in the world. The ICRC and the Somali Red Crescent plan to open ten new feeding centers while mobile teams made up of nurses and nutritional specialists will visit people in the areas worst affected.

SUDAN: Since fighting first erupted in Kadugli in early June, the ICRC has been providing support for the humanitarian activities of the Sudanese Red Crescent Society - delivering clothes, shelter materials, hygiene items and household essentials for 18,000 people.

SOUTH SUDAN: A new national Red Cross society for a new nation - The South Sudan Red Cross is formed of staff and volunteers who have until recently worked for the Sudanese Red Crescent Society, which continues to operate in Sudan.

TURKEY: More than 10,000 Syrians, fleeing domestic unrest, have been living in six ‘tent cities’ near the border for over a month. The camps are run by the Turkish government, while relief supplies and personnel are being supplied by the Turkish Red Crescent Society.

CYPRUS: More than 100 Cyprus Red Cross volunteers were mobilized in the wake of a massive explosion that ripped through a naval base in the south of the country.

VIETNAM: A Vietnam Red Cross team has provided relief and financial assistance to more than 400 families affected by flash flooding in Nghe An Province.

GLOSSARY:

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

Handle the Heat!

'Tis the season to be... sweaty? Don't get us wrong, we're as excited about snow cones, leisurely strolls in the night, sprinkler fun, poolside reading and dancing in the street as anyone else.

It's just that. Well, we're worriers. And in recent years, excessive heat has caused more deaths than all other weather events, including floods. As temperatures and humidity levels soar in many parts of the country, protecting yourself and others from overheating is critical to avoid a potential heat-related illness. Here are some easy tips for staying safe during heat waves, courtesy of Dr. David Markenson, chair, American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council.

· Never leave a child or pet in a parked car – even for a few minutes. The inside temperature of a car can quickly reach 120 degrees.

· Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day – even if you don’t feel thirsty. Avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol that dehydrate the body.

· Dress for the heat. Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing in layers. Avoid dark colors that absorb the sun’s rays.

· If you must work outdoors, take frequent breaks to hydrate and cool yourself. Avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day.

· Protect your self from sun exposure even on cloudy or hazy days. In addition to dressing for heat, apply a broad-spectrum (protection against both UVA and UVB rays) sunscreen and reapply as indicated, wear eye protection (wraparound sunglasses that provide 100 percent UV ray protection) and wear a wide-brimmed hat.

· Be a good neighbor. Check in on the elderly, young children and pets to make sure they are not suffering from the heat.

Print out our Heat Safety Checklist. Put it on your fridge! Share it with the fam!

Saving Lives... One Vending Machine Beverage at a Time?

Let's talk drinking and donating for a minute. Here's a simple chart:

Water + Donating Blood = Good

Alcohol + Donating Blood = Bad

Soda + Donating Change = Awesome

As proof of the latter, I give you these cool new vending machines straight outta Japan. As mentioned on the Wall Street Journal blog, "Rather than collect the change from a canned coffee or sweet soda, customers can elect to donate it to the March 11 earthquake and tsunami relief fund set up by the Japanese Red Cross. Donations can be made in ¥10 or ¥100 increments. After making a donation, a voice pipes up thanking customers for their good deed of the day."

Sure, one could argue that sodas aren't good for you, but better to save a life than die of thirst, no?

Reblogged from CrossBlog

It's an ERV Parade!

What are these Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) doing? They actually aren’t in a parade, but are delivering much needed items to residents in Minot, ND who are cleaning up their homes after the historic flooding that occurred recently in their town. As of Sunday night, 258 people were still staying in Red Cross shelters in the area. Red Cross workers have been working nonstop since the flooding began and will continue to be there for the long haul. They are handing out clean up kits, conducting case work, and more. Get a glimpse of what they are doing:

A New Era of Fire Safety?

What ever happened to stop, drop and roll?


Found on Twitter via @nycbergs.

Weekly Worldwide Wrap-Up!

Welcome to the Weekly Worldwide 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...

SUDAN: The recent violence in the Sudanese state of South Kordofan has left almost 58,000 people displaced. 600 Sudanese Red Crescent volunteers are working long shifts to provide first aid, psychosocial support, and distribution of food and shelter items.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: 18 detainees who had been detained after recent clashes in the Kaga-Bandoro area were released under ICRC auspices.

KUWAIT: The remains of 32 Iraqi soldiers killed during the 1990-1991 Gulf War were repatriated under the auspices of the ICRC.

IRAQ: Three decades of conflict have left hundreds of thousands of families struggling to find out what happened to their missing loved ones. Since 1980, the ICRC has spared no effort to put an end to their anguish.

BRAZIL: Together with the Brazilian Red Cross, the ICRC teaches a course in basic first aid to community members in an effort to mitigate the humanitarian consequences of armed violence. The skills they acquire enable residents to respond to emergencies.

NIGERIA: The IFRC and Nigerian Red Cross Society are using cell phones to combat malaria.

GEORGIA: Following floods and mudslides, volunteers from the Red Cross have joined the local population in the region of Mtskheta-Mtianeti to help clean the main roads and support the most vulnerable people.

VIETNAM: The Red Cross helping to prevent the spread of waterborne illnesses with a new hygiene education program that uses puppets, games, exercises and role-playing to encourage primary school children to understand the importance of personal cleanliness and hygiene, and discuss it with their friends and family.

GLOSSARY:

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

Thank you, Blood Donors!