Halloween Safety Tips

First Annual Disaster Services - April 2009

First Annual Disaster Services “Hurricane Party”: This was an opportunity for those that attended to update or complete paperwork for the National and Local Disaster Services Human Resources System (DSHR). This is how we maintain the list of who is available and trained ready to deploy either locally, mutual aid in the state or for national disasters. For the first annual, it was a great turn out and many volunteers expressed an interest to do this again as it was informative and also an opportunity to socialize with fellow volunteers and hear about one another’s deployment experiences.

There were 12 new members’ applications and over 100 volunteers updated paperwork that evening and there were many that had dropped off their paperwork previously but popped in. There were 14 new Disaster Response sheets turned in that night which will help to grow the team of available responders locally. Many signed up for upcoming new training opportunities while enjoying the pictorial loop of volunteer’s disaster experiences that were shared by many.

It was a Potluck which was yummy and thank you to everyone for contributing. Ottavio’s Restaurant donated 4 trays of pasta and Albertson’s in Camarillo $50.00 in cooked chicken.

Fellow volunteers had a chance to give testimonials on their recent deployment experiences and share with their peers. Two having just returned within 24 hours from North Dakota from deployment were able to share the most recent disaster experiences. One was deployed in the capacity of Disaster Health Services Supervisor and acted as a Troubleshooter at the Headquarters and another was a Shelter Manager with an average of 35 shelter residents nightly. Kudos to them and thanks to all for sharing.

A presentation on Going on a Disaster was given to dispense of any fears of what to expect. The volunteers followed a Hurricane path to various stations and getting their paperwork stamped for completion and then submitted for an added value raffle prize opportunities. The group updated paperwork, had it reviewed by the Health Services Nurses, signed up for training, received a certificate of appreciation for the past years contribution of time, and had Chapter badge pictures taken and 2009 Hurricane Party Group pictures were taken. The volunteers were able to purchase disaster supplies and equipment needed to be prepared for deployment and any disaster that might hit our county, over $300.00 in retail sales. Remember to all purchase your gifts from the Red Cross and give the gift of safety while helping your chapter at the same time. Each member was given a Deployment information card and collectors pins.

The Committee and helpers put on a fine event. Great job Team!

Take away notes: For those that could not attend, you will be receiving your packets to be completed signed and updated and returned ASAP. Please call Disaster Staffing with any questions that you may have 805-987-1514 ext 329 and set an appointment to review your records or sign you up if not currently in the system.

Plan ahead for the Second Annual “Hurricane Party” May 2010. When you deploy take your pictures and bring them back to share on the loop, as this will be the Disaster event of the year and you will be recognized for your disaster contributions. New from National Headquarters – 2 weeks National assignments reduced from 3!!!!!! Yeah.

Our chapter’s website is now on its way to the 21st Century. We have added the following powerful tools: Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Youtube, Blogger and Imeem. We would like to invite you to utilize these tools and to share them with your friends. Below is a description and link to each. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Alex Elliott at elliotta@usa.redcross.org.

Facebook is a free-access social networking website that is operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school and region to connect and interact with other people. People can also add friends and send them messages and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. We can also start fundraising campaigns.

American Red Cross of Ventura County Facebook Page

MySpace is a social networking website with an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music, and videos for teenagers and adults internationally.

American Red Cross of Ventura County Myspace Page

Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length. Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them.

American Red Cross of Ventura County Twitter Page

Blogger: is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (artblog), photographs (photoblog), sketches (sketchblog), videos (vblog), music (MP3 blog), audio (podcasting), which are part of a wider network of social media.

American Red Cross of Ventura County Blog

Flickr is an image and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community platform. In addition to being a popular Web site for users to share personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers as a photo repository.

American Red Cross of Ventura County Flickr Page

YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips.

American Red Cross of Ventura County YouTube Page

Imeem is a music sharing website where users can upload, view and share audio clips.

American Red Cross of Ventura County Imeem Page

Pizza Night Family Fundraiser!

UPCOMING SAFE KIDS DAYS in MARCH

-March 21st from 10:00am-1:00pm – Safe Kids Day presentations at the Open House of the Boys and Girls Club of Conejo and Las Virgenes. Over 200 families have been invited to attend this event.
Location: Los Cerritos Middle School Club
1980 E. Avenida de las Flores
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362

- March 27th from 3:30-6:00pm- Safe Kids Day at the Boys and Girls Club of Ventura. Between 100-150 youth expected to attend.
Location: Robert Addison Center (Westside)
1440 Olive Street
Ventura, CA 93001

High school club members with the American Red Cross of Ventura County have embraced this program as they undergo Basic Aid Training (BAT) and learn to educate children ages 7-12 in basic safety skills. Youth volunteer teams are assigned to safety stations and conduct fun and interactive demonstrations in: basic first aid, choking prevention and response, water safety, fire safety, street safety, and lost and found. Descriptions for each unit are below:

Basic First Aid – students learn the first rule for every emergency; understand the four-step Emergency Action Plan; know some things they should do in an emergency, when to get help, how to get help, and what to do until help arrives. They are also presented with some first aid tips for small wounds and nosebleeds.

Choking Prevention and Response – students learn some ways to prevent choking in addition to first aid procedure for choking infants.

Water Safety – students learn some ways to prevent drowning; safety precautions and rescue procedures for swimming and boating.

Fire Safety – students learn ways to prevent fires; understand the importance of controlling air flow to fire; develop a fire escape plan that includes family meeting place and escape routes; know what to do if there is a fire in their home; know some ways to prevent burns; know how to classify burns and how to give first aid for burns.

Street Safety – students learn some ways to prevent motor vehicle injuries; know the importance of using safety belts, cycling helmets, and knee pads; know the rules for school bus safety and identify the danger zone; know some ways to prevent bicycle injuries and know bicycle safety rules.

Lost and Found – students learn some ways to prevent getting lost; know how to make a preparation plan for the wilderness; know appropriate safety and rescue measures if lost.

This event is hosted by the American Red Cross of Ventura County Youth Services Program. Please direct any questions to (805) 987-1514 ext. 304 or youthvc@usa.redcross.org. Space is limited so don’t miss out!

American Red Cross of Ventura County Celebrates Red Cross Month . . .

Camarillo, Calif. – March is Red Cross Month and the American Red Cross of Ventura County is celebrating with a series of special events taking place throughout the County.

Several area businesses are participating in the month-long celebration creating opportunities for the local chapter to receive donations to help serve Ventura County residents throughout the year. Element Coffee in Camarillo participated in the celebration on March 7, donating 20% of the proceeds received that day to the American Red Cross of Ventura County.

Topper’s Pizza at 2100 Saviers Road in Oxnard will contribute 20% of its profits to the Red Cross on March 18 during the hours of 5-9 p.m. Angelo’s Chicken Shack at 1775 E. Daily Drive in Camarillo is also stepping up on March 24 and will donate 20% of the proceeds received from 5 to 8 p.m.

The Camarillo Young Professionals Group is hosting a Casino Night on Friday, March 27 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ventura. A percentage of the proceeds will be donated directly to the local chapter.

In addition, the American Red Cross of Ventura County is running a campaign during March, “Casual Attire Day.” To participate, companies and organizations can work with their employees to set up a casual wear day in exchange for a $5 donation to the Red Cross.

Last year, the American Red Cross of Ventura County responded to 55 single family home/apartment fires and trained over 24,000 individuals in lifesaving skills such as CPR and First Aid. Over 5,000 people were trained in disaster preparedness. The local chapter supported nearly 6,000 military personnel and their families upon deployment and return from active duty.

“With the current economic conditions, we especially rely on donations to meet the needs of the community in times of disaster,” stated Chris Johnson, CEO of the American Red Cross of Ventura County. “Every donation counts to help ensure that we can continue to effectively train, respond and prepare for disasters in our County,” he added.

Residents are invited to partake in the many events taking place throughout Ventura County in March. Donations can also be made through the website at www.arcventura.org. To participate in the Casual Attire Day, contact the American Red Cross of Ventura County at 805-987-1514. In addition, the American Red Cross of Ventura County continues its Quilt of Caring program through June 30^th and individuals can also donate to the chapter by purchasing a square for the quilt, which will be completed this summer.

Since 1917, the American Red Cross of Ventura County has been meeting needs throughout the communities it serves. Each year, more than 1,200 local volunteers respond to more than 50 local disasters, teach tens of thousands of individual’s vital lifesaving skills, and support the men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces. The American Red Cross is not a government agency.

Busy Holiday Weekend for Your Ventura Red Cross

Fires, Shelters and Military Assistance all in One Weekend

Ventura County, CA – The American Red Cross of Ventura County spent the Holiday Weekend supporting those who lost everything to fire and those returning home from serving our country overseas.

Three fires caused a lot of tragedy for the families involved with Red Cross offering financial assistance to the family in Fillmore so they could purchase much needed supplies, bedding and linens prior to occupying the home generously made available by one of their neighbors. Thirty-five people were affected by a fire that tore through their six apartments in Oxnard and a shelter has been set up to provide them with food and housing for this long weekend. 17 persons were still utilizing this support last night with the population expected to stay consistent, at least through the rest of the holidays. A family from Miners Oaks was impacted also by fire and Red Cross was on scene to provide immediate assistance.

And while the fires and the rain continued to impact the county nothing could dampen the spirits of the over 500 military men and women returning home through Point Magu this weekend. Six different “Welcome Home” celebrations were held to greet the fine sailors and reunite them with their families and loved ones. In some cases these welcome homes required the volunteers to start preparing for the event at 2 a.m. to ensure the coffee and pastries were fresh and ready to go. A great Valentines present made possible by volunteers giving up their time in support of others.

2009 is starting out at a pace far exceeding previous years disaster activities. Last year the chapter assisted in 53 disasters throughout the year and already in these short six weeks of 2009 your local Red Cross has assisted in seven disasters – a pace that will see over 80 disasters needing the chapters’ help. With the economy causing challenges it’s not unusual for propane heaters and cooking devises to be utilized in an attempt to save money. But sometimes that can lead to tragic consequences.

All of these disasters come at a time when Red Cross is seeing a decline in donations because of those same economic conditions. The Red Cross hopes that during these tough time people will continue to be there for the Red Cross so they can be there for the community. Go to www.arcventura.org for more information on how you can help.

Since 1917, the American Red Cross of Ventura County has been meeting needs throughout the communities it serves. Each year, more than 1,200 local volunteers respond to more than 50 local disasters, teach tens of thousands of individuals vital lifesaving skills, and support the men and women in the US Armed Forces. The American Red Cross is not a government agency.