Rescue at Sea Inspires Movie, Honors Heroes

Posted on January 28, 2016 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

The timing couldn’t have been better.

Final (2)

Coinciding with the open nomination period for the Red Cross Greater Cleveland Hero Awards, was an advance screening of the full-length feature film THE FINEST HOURS, a story about real-life heroes. Allied Integrated Marketing, publicists for the movie, graciously invited us to promote the Hero Awards at the screening on January 26 at the Capitol Theatre, and we were delighted to accept the offer.

Tim O’Toole, Regional Disaster Officer for Northeast Ohio, spoke to a nearly full theater of guests to the advanced screen. Tim described the Hero Awards program, and the kind of people who have been honored in the past. Honorees like Cleveland Firefighter Jim Norman, who helped rescue two children from a burning home in 2013. Jim was in attendance, as were several members of the United States Coast Guard.

The movie, THE FINEST HOURS, depicts what many people believe was greatest small craft rescue at sea in the history of the Coast Guard.

Sara Shookman, news anchor at WKYC Channel 3 took part in the presentation as well, introducing Tim and gamely asking trivia questions prior to the start of the movie. Sara has agreed to host the Greater Cleveland Hero Awards on Friday, March 11 at the Cleveland Convention Center.

Cleveland Firefighter and Past Hero Award honoree Jim Norman, Sara Shookman of WKYC Channel 3 News, and Tim O’Toole, Red Cross Regional Disaster Officer

Three Red Cross volunteers: Toni-Kay Attanasio, Stephanie Naumovski Stevoff and David Schindler helped stage the event. As Tim O’Toole noted, our volunteers perform heroic deeds every day, by helping people who suffer home fires and other disasters.

Northeast Ohio Red Cross Volunteers Toni-Kay Attanasio, Stephanie Naumovski-Stevoff, and David Schindler

You can become a Red Cross volunteer by logging onto redcross.org/neo, and clicking on the “Volunteer” tab in the left margin.

And you can nominate a hero, through February 1, by visiting clevelandheroes.com.

Weather, Water and Home Fires: Our Weekend Update

Posted on January 25, 2016 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

As Red Cross chapters across the east coast began to ramp up a Winter Storm response for this past weekend’s weather, the Lake to River Chapter (covering the eastern edge of Ohio) began a response of a different kind.

In the shadow of the massive response to the water crisis in Flint, Mich., the Ohio Village of Sebring announced that testing had revealed elevated levels of lead in water from the Village of Sebring Public Water System. In response, the Mahoning County emergency management agency (EMA) has established a bottled water distribution at the local community center (305 W. Texas Ave.)

Lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women, infants and children.

The Red Cross has been supporting the volunteers who are distributing water. We have been attending to their needs – providing meals, coffee, drinks and snacks – as they see to the needs of the community.

According to our partners at the Mahoning EMA, the State of Ohio is working to meet the bottled water needs of the community. No donations are required at this time.

Additionally, we continued to respond – as we do every day – to home fires throughout the region. This weekend, alone, we responded to 13 home fires. Through the generosity of our community, we were able to provide financial assistance to these families for things like shelter, emergency clothing, warm coats, food and hope to help them through the next few nights.

If you are interested in learning more about volunteering in your community, visit our page www.redcross.org/neo and click on Volunteer in the left-side menu. You can also reach our Volunteer Services department at 216-431-3328 or by emailing, NEOvolunteer@redcross.org.

Who Bought the Hot Dogs?

Posted on January 20, 2016 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Red Cross Volunteers Treated to Lunch By Anonymous Diner

Responding to a call for action from the Red Cross to support the Martin Luther King Day of Service, more than a dozen volunteers joined Red Cross staff members from the Lake to River Chapter to offer residents of Warren, Niles and Girard fire safety tips and free smoke alarm installations.

Some of those volunteers were thanked in an unexpected, but welcome, way.

They began their day by receiving instructions from Disaster Program Manager, Scott Meeker and Disaster Program Specialist, Kristen Gallagher, and then headed out into the wintry Northeast Ohio weather, braving blowing snow and single-digit temperatures.

Several teams were formed, each visiting the homes of residents who registered with the Red Cross for free fire safety instruction and free smoke alarm installation.

Photo Credit: Cal Pusateri/American Red Cross Volunteer

During their lunch break, three volunteers ate at the Jib Jab Hot Dog Shoppe in Girard.

“They were all wearing Red Cross vests and were talking about the alarms they had installed that morning,” said Karen Conklin, Executive Director of the Red Cross Lake to River Chapter. “When they went to pay the bill, a good Samaritan had already paid it. How cool is that?”

The volunteers, from Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church and Christ Episcopal Church, were joined by Lt. Chuck Eggleston of the Warren Fire Department during the Day of Service in honor of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. They installed 95 smoke alarms in 40 homes, making each neighborhood they entered safer.

If you live in Northeast Ohio, and would like a free fire safety inspection and free smoke alarms installed in your home, visit redcross.org/neoosal.

2016 Hurricane Season Kicks Off Early

Posted on January 19, 2016 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

On January 17, 2016 the first hurricane of the season dissipated over the Labrador Sea.

The big question is: Did you even know there was a Hurricane raging over the Atlantic?

On January 14, Hurricane Alex became the first hurricane to form during the month of January since 1938. It originated seven days earlier as an extratropical cyclone near the Bahamas and moved north. It peaked as a Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale with winds of 85 mph. After weakening slightly, Alex made landfall on Terceira Island as a tropical storm a week later.

Luckily, this rare January hurricane did little damage.

But it does make you think about getting prepared, because you just never know when an emergency situation will creep up!

One really easy way to cover your bases when it comes to preparedness is to download the Red Cross Emergency App. Not only will the app alert you to any hurricanes in your area (based on your phone’s GPS coordinates), it can help you prepare for winter’s worst (which is definitely more pressing to northeast Ohio!)

Visit www.redcross.org/apps or search for RED CROSS in your device’s app store today.

Extraordinary things happen every day…

Posted on January 15, 2016 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Imagine waking up to a blaring smoke alarm.

Through the bleary haze of your sleep-filled eyes, you begin to realize what is going on.

Your first thoughts are of others who occupy your home – maybe your spouse, the children, a pet. You think about how to get them to safety. You trace the routes in your head.

But then an extraordinary thing happens. In the fog of fear and smoke, you hear a neighbor calling out to you.

“Are you all right? How can I help?”

In that single act of selflessness, a hero is born.

This March, during national Red Cross Month, the Red Cross of Northeast Ohio will honor the heroes – those ordinary members of our community who acted in extraordinary ways – in two communities.

The Summit, Portage, and Medina Counties Chapter will host the 20^th Annual Acts of Courage on Thursday, March 3 at the Akron/Fairlawn Hilton. All through 2015, people were asked to submit their heroes. We will feature the stories of the honorees on this blog following the event. Tickets are available by going to the website: www.redcross.org/acts16

The Greater Cleveland Heroes event will take place on March 11. For information or to order tickets, please visit www.ClevelandHeroes.com, email laurie.klingensmith@redcross.org, or call 216-912-4091.

The Fight Against Fire Fatalities Ongoing

Posted on January 12, 2016 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Icon Disaster

By Tim O’Toole
Regional Disaster Officer, Northeast Ohio

121 people lost their lives in Ohio last year due to accidental fires, according to information provided to the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Prevention Bureau.

Unfortunately, two counties within the Northeast Ohio Region top several lists.

Cuyahoga County in the Greater Cleveland Chapter led the state with 14 accidental fire fatalities. This is twice as high as the counties with the second highest number.
Jefferson County in the Lake to River Chapter led the state in per capita deaths, with 7 fatalities. Although these deaths occurred in just 3 events, it still is still an alarming number.

Fire deaths continue to impact the very young and the senior community. Nearly half of the fire victims were over 60 years of age.

Smoke alarms were present in only 25% of the fire locations. This number indicates only that they were present, and not whether they functioned correctly.

The takeaway is that the mission of the American Red Cross is an important one. And one that isn’t going away.

4 people lost their lives last night (1/11/16) in Summit County. Every Day, tragedy strikes our communities. But our Disaster Cycle Service processes of Prepare, Respond and Recover align perfectly with the problem these numbers dictate. Our education and prevention programs can reduce the number of future fires and prepare people to respond appropriately when they do occur. Daily, our response teams and caseworkers continue to provide support for those who do suffer the effects of hostile fires and help them recover from the impact. And finally, Operation Save-A-Life, our Home Fire Preparedness Campaign will continue to help prevent the fatalities that too often occur as a result of those fires.

These numbers indicate not only the importance of our mission, but also the fact that we must increase our efforts to insure we impact them positively in the future.

I thank all Disaster Service volunteers and staff for their dedicated and sincere support of the mission.

I am proud to be part of it.

Tim O’Toole
Regional Disaster Officer
Northeast Ohio Region

Learn more about Operation Save-A-Life, the Red Cross effort to reduce fire fatalities in Northeast Ohio by providing fire safety education and FREE smoke alarm installations, at redcross.org/neoosal.

Read more about volunteer opportunities with the Red Cross here.

Dozens Donate Blood at Drive Held in Honor of Norwalk Boy

Posted on January 7, 2016 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Turnout a Success Ahead of National Blood Donor Month

Have you made a resolution to donate blood in the New Year?

January is National Blood Donor Month, the perfect time to resolve to be a regular blood donor! Extreme winter weather and seasonal illnesses often make it difficult for the Red Cross to maintain a sufficient blood supply at this time of year. Healthy, eligible donors are urged to give blood this January!

To that end, nearly 100 people capped off 2015 by donating blood in honor of Evan Minor, who was diagnosed with Acute T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia last March. The amount exceeded the goal set for a special Red Cross blood drive, held on December 16^th at St. Alphonsus Church in Norwalk.

Dad – Dan Minor, Evan, Mom – Kristi and brother Ian

Evan has received more than 20 units of various blood products, according to his mother, Kristi Minor. Kristi says more than 90% of Evan’s bone marrow was cancerous at the time of his diagnosis. He has received support from many people in the community and on Facebook.

The need for blood donations is ongoing. You can make an appointment to donate blood by logging onto redcrossblood.org. And you can speed up the process by visiting the Red Cross Rapid Pass website. Donors can answer questions online on the day of their appointment, before heading to the donation center. Visit redcrossblood.org/rapidpass to learn more.

Blood donors with the most recent version of the Red Cross Blood Donor App can now view their health history information, including blood pressure, hemoglobin levels and pulse rate, on their digital donor ID card within the app. The donor card in the app can also be used as a donor’s official form of identification when donating. Download the app by texting “BLOODAPP” to 90999 or searching “American Red Cross” in app stores.

THIS IS NOT A DRILL: Northeast Ohio Weather Turns Frightful

Posted on January 5, 2016 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

Since Northeast Ohio has been experience a nice (for some) respite from the polar vortex winters of the past few years, it is quite possible that we’ve all forgotten how to react to cold, normal-Ohio weather.

With frigid temperatures sticking around for the next 10 or so days, it’s time to review!

Freezing Pipes

Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.
For more freezing pipe tips and tricks, visit our page on redcross.org!

Fire Safety

Keep items that can catch on fire at least three feet away from anything that gets hot, such as space heaters.
Never smoke in bed.
Talk to your children regularly about the dangers of fire, matches and lighters and keep them out of reach.
Turn portable heaters off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.
- No smoke alarms in your home? Learn more about Operation Save-A-Life, a program that provides free smoke alarm installation and education throughout Northeast Ohio.
Teach your children what smoke alarms sound like and what to do when they hear one.
Test smoke alarms once a month, if they’re not working, change the batteries.
For more information about fire safety, visit the Home Fire tab on redcross.org/prepare.

Personal Safety

Avoid unnecessary exposure to the cold. Be aware of both the temperature and the wind chill when planning outdoor activities.
Most of your body heat is lost through your head so wear a hat, preferably one that covers your ears.
Dressing in layers helps you retain heat. You can remove layers as needed if you become too warm.
Mittens provide more warmth to your hands than gloves.
Wear waterproof, insulated boots to help avoid hypothermia or frostbite by keeping your feet warm and dry and to maintain your footing in ice and snow.
Get out of wet clothes immediately and warm the core body temperature with a blanket or warm fluids like hot cider or soup. Avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol if you expect you or someone you are trying to help has hypothermia or frostbite.
Recognize the symptoms of hypothermia that can be a serious medical condition: confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering. Seek medical attention immediately if you have these symptoms.
Recognize frostbite warning signs: gray, white or yellow skin discoloration, numbness, waxy feeling skin. Seek medical attention immediately if you have these symptoms.
Download the Red Cross First Aid app for more information about how to respond during a personal safety emergency.

Our Story: 2015 in Review

Posted on December 31, 2015 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

A word of thanks to everyone who visited us here in 2015, to read about the good work being done by volunteers and staff of the American Red Cross, Northeast Ohio Region.

Operation Save-A-Life, Lorain, Ohio, October 2015

The concert hall at Severance holds 1,844 people. This blog was viewed about 9,900 times in 2015. If it were a Cleveland Orchestra concert at Severance Hall, it would take more than 5 sold-out performances for that many people to see it!

Click here to see the complete report.

Volunteer With the Red Cross-The Perfect New Year’s Resolution!

Posted on December 28, 2015 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

by Pat Buckhold, Regional Volunteer Services Officer, Northeast Ohio

As 2015 winds down and 2016 looms on the horizon, I can’t help but think of over 2,000 Red Cross volunteers in northeast Ohio who continue to make a difference every day in the lives of those who live in our community. The Red Cross has many faces- Disaster Services Team Member, Blood Donor Ambassador, CPR/First Aid Instructor, Services to the Armed Forces Community Outreach Worker, Operation Save-A-Life Smoke Alarm Installer and yet all have one thing in common- the desire to save lives and alleviate human suffering in the face of disaster. I am humbled by the genuine caring and compassion of our volunteers and their selfless giving to others. While many of us will be enjoying holiday gatherings and New Year’s celebrations over the next week, somewhere in northeast Ohio disaster volunteers will be giving up their time to respond to a fire or other disaster and help someone in need.

So when the last of the bowl games is over and the last of the holiday treats are gone, don’t let those New Year’s resolutions end too! The New Year offers opportunities to make new choices and take new chances in life. Things that were on your back burner, such as volunteering, can take on new meaning so why not consider joining the Red Cross as a volunteer. And if you didn’t know, volunteerism has countless benefits. Volunteering has been linked with increased levels of happiness and decreased depression. People who volunteer report physical, mental, and emotional health benefits. Volunteers help create and support healthy communities. I can’t think of any better reasons to volunteer (and spoken like a true volunteer services officer)!

For more information on volunteering, please contact NEOvolunteer@redcross.org , call 216-431-3328 or begin your on-line volunteer application here.

NOHredcross

American Red Cross of Northern Ohio Region