Smoke Alarms Save Lorain Family, Including Several Children

Posted on February 26, 2016 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

The home of Nicole King and family

Smoke alarm installed near furnace on December 12, 2015

Second smoke alarm installed on December 12, 2015

Basement furnace in proximity to smoke alarm

Photo credit: Jim McIntyre/American Red Cross

Operation Save-A-Life Lives Up To Its Name x 12

10 young children and two adults escaped a home fire in Lorain, Ohio on December 26, 2015, fleeing from the home on West 17th Street after family members heard the shrill sound of smoke alarms.

The alarms had been installed just two-weeks earlier by Red Cross volunteers and members of the Lorain Fire Department during a Fire Safety Walk. Residents in the targeted neighborhood were offered valuable fire safety information along with free smoke alarms. It’s part of the Red Cross initiative to reduce the number of deaths from home fires by 25%.

The smoke alarms in the W. 17th Street home sounded close to 11:00 PM. Although most of the children were still awake, no one noticed the smoke coming from the heating ducts until they heard the alarms. Nicole King, mother of the children, credited the alarms for alerting her family, and recalled the discussion about having an escape plan. So did nine-year old Nigeria, who helped get his younger siblings out of the house and away from the danger, remembering to “get low and go.” Nicole’s mother was also able to escape unharmed.

Once all family members were accounted for outside the house, Nicole called 9-1-1, and firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire, which had started in the basement furnace. While damage to the home was minimal, the furnace was out of commission, and the Red Cross Disaster Team responded by providing the family with funding to pay for hotel rooms.

The 12 lives saved in Lorain are among the 69 lives credited to the Red Cross national Home Fire Campaign, launched in 2014 and modeled after Operation Save-A-Life, an initiative between the Greater Cleveland Chapter of the Red Cross and the city of Cleveland Division of Fire. Since its inception in 1992, more than 160,000 smoke alarms have been installed in homes in the city of Cleveland.

The 2 smoke alarms installed in the home on West 17th Street in Lorain last December are among more than 8,400 alarms that have been installed by the Red Cross and its community partners in the Northeast Ohio Region since July 1st, 2015.

There were no working smoke alarms in the home prior to that.

If you would like a home fire safety inspection, valuable fire safety information and free smoke alarms installed in your home, visit the Northeast Ohio Region Operation Save-A-Life website, and find the link to your county. Or click here for more information on how to volunteer, to help make your community safer.

Two Hands, One Heart

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

Thirty-eight members of the Cleveland Sight Center’s Winners Club attended a Citizen Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) course taught by Red Cross volunteers and staff members on Tuesday, February 9. The club is comprised of Sight Center clients who meet monthly for an activity or speaker.

Photo credit: Mary Williams/American Red Cross Staff Member

Photo credit: Mary Williams/American Red Cross Staff Member

The Red Cross has a goal of having at least one person per household that can perform CPR, should an emergency situation arise. Statistics show that nearly 85% of cardiac arrest cases happen at home. Most people who survive a cardiac emergency are helped by someone performing CPR.

Most bystanders to a cardiac arrest will site one of two reasons why they didn’t help: they didn’t know how to perform CPR, or they were concerned about performing mouth-to-mouth.

The Citizen CPR course taught by the Red Cross is hands only CPR. Because it can help save lives, many health organizations advocate performing chest compression even without breathing assistance.

Hands only CPR is very easy to learn. If you have 2 minutes and 13 seconds, right now, you can learn by watching the video below or clicking on this link to view the YouTube video:

To see a list of first aid and CPR courses in your area, visit www.redcross.org/take-a-class.

Give from the Heart

Posted on February 9, 2016 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

There is still time left on this snowy day to head out to the 18^th Annual “Give From the Heart Blood Drive” at Executive Caterers at Landerhaven! Doors will close at 7 p.m.

Photo credit: Mary Williams/American Red Cross Staff Member

Photo credit: Mary Williams/American Red Cross Staff Member

This blood drive is the largest in Northeast Ohio. Over the past 18 years, the ‘Give From the Heart Blood Drive’ has potentially helped to touch the lives of over 30,000 patients in need. Across the country, many regions are experiencing inclement winter weather and seasonal flu epidemics, which impact the ability of blood and platelet donors to give.

The need for blood is constant. Every two seconds, someone in America needs blood and more than 41,000 blood donations are needed every day.

To schedule your appointment to donate, or to view the closest blood drive to you, visit redcrossblood.org.

Your Thoughtfulness is Appreciated

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

No one who willingly gets out of bed in the middle of the night to go out and meet a person in the midst one of their worst experiences, does it expecting to reap glory and praise.

For most of our volunteers, it is simply in the quiet moments when they are offering hope and a sense of guidance through a dark time that a rewarding feeling can be found.

But, from time to time, those we have assisted reach back out to confirm just how important the services of the Red Cross were in the moment and the days following a home fire or other disaster, to share with us the story of their recovery.

Here is one such Thank You card:

Your Thoughtfulness is Appreciated

A special thanks to all the people at the Red Cross. It made this bad time a good time when I took the kids to the store to buy school clothes and they walked right to the pajama rack to get their mother back her favorite pajamas she got for Christmas. You should have seen the smiles on their faces when they found the pajamas. It is a moment I will never forget. Without your help I wouldn’t have this special moment I will remember forever. – Grandma

If you are interested in volunteering in the middle of the night – or anytime – visit www.redcross.org/neo and click on VOLUNTEER along the left.

Make a Difference Monday Helps the Red Cross Meet its Mission

Posted on February 1, 2016 by American Red Cross of Northern Ohio

5 local Quaker Steak and Lube locations have pledged to donate 10% of all the proceeds from food purchases made on Monday, February 1st to the American Red Cross Northeast Ohio Region.

The restaurant chain practices “giving back to local organizations” like the Red Cross on the first Monday of every month.

The Vermilion restaurant has a waterfront location

The Quaker Steak and Lube in Sheffield Village

Red Cross volunteers Joyce Fate and Caroline Grant

A customer receives Red Cross information

Photo credit: Cal Pusateri/American Red Cross Volunteer

“The American Red Cross is grateful to have corporate sponsors like Quaker Steak to help us provide people with assistance when they suffer a disaster like a home fire,” said Mike Parks, CEO of the Northeast Ohio Region. “And the food is delicious. What better way is there to give back than by eating a tasty meal at Quaker Steak and Lube?”

Restaurants in Lakewood, Valley View, Vermilion, Sheffield Village and Medina took part in the Make a Difference Monday promotion.

If you missed the chance to contribute to the Red Cross at Quaker Steak, you can donate $10 by texting RED CROSS to 90999. Or log onto redcross.org to donate, and for information on volunteer opportunities.

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.

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

Tag Archives: Volunteers