|
Are you
Red Cross Ready?
The Iowa Great Lakes Chapter has detailed information on how
to make a Disaster Plan for your home, school, workplace and
community.
Stop by our office Monday-Friday
from 8am to 5pm to pick up these valuable and life-saving
brochures.
Click Here to view the "Red Cross Ready" online Educational
Presentation .
Severe Weather
Awareness When a Storm Approaches...
- Find shelter in a building or car. Keep car windows
closed and avoid convertibles.
- Telephone lines and metal pipes can conduct electricity.
Unplug appliances. Avoid using the telephone or any
electrical appliances. (Leaving electric lights on, however,
does not increase the chances of your home being struck by
lightning.)
- Avoid taking a bath or shower, or running water for any
other purpose.
- Turn off the air conditioner. Power surges from
lightning can overload the compressor, resulting in a costly
repair job!
- Draw blinds and shades over windows. If windows break
due to objects blown by the wind, the shades will prevent
glass from shattering into your home.
If Caught Outside...
- If you are in the woods, take shelter under the shorter
trees.
- If you are boating or swimming, get to land and find
shelter immediately!
Protecting Yourself Outside...
- Go to a low-lying, open place away from trees, poles, or
metal objects. Make sure the place you pick is not subject
to flooding.
- Be a very small target! Squat low to the ground. Place
your hands on your knees with your head between them. Make
yourself the smallest target possible.
- Do not lie flat on the ground--this will make you a
larger target!
If Someone is Struck by Lightning...
- People struck by lightning carry no electrical charge
and can be handled safely.
- Call for help. Get someone to dial 9-1-1 or your local
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) number.
- The injured person has received an electrical shock and
may be burned, both where they were struck and where the
electricity left their body. Check for burns in both places.
Being struck by lightning can also cause nervous system
damage, broken bones, and loss of hearing or eyesight.
- Give first aid. If breathing has stopped, begin rescue
breathing. If the heart has stopped beating, a trained
person should give CPR. If the person has a pulse and is
breathing, look and care for other possible injuries. Learn
first aid and CPR by taking a Red Cross first aid and CPR
course.
Tornado Safety
Click Here for your Tornado Safety Checklist
Power Outages
Click Here for your Power Outage Checklist
|
 |
![]() |
|
Volunteer
with the
Iowa Great Lakes
Chapter
Volunteers
constitute 96 percent of the American Red Cross
total work force to carry on our humanitarian
work:
- Every year the Red Cross responds to
more than 70,000 disasters—including
approximately 150 home fires every day.
- About 11 million Americans turn to us to
learn first aid, CPR, swimming, and other
health and safety skills. Last year, more
than 158,000 people volunteered to teach
those courses.
- Half the nation's blood supply—
six million pints annually—is
collected by more than 155,000 Red Cross
volunteers .
- Among our emergency services for the men
and women of the armed forces is the
delivery of urgent family messages—around
the clock and around the globe.
- More than 30,900 volunteers serve as
chairs, members of boards of directors, or
on advisory boards for local Red Cross units
- chapters, Blood Services regions, and
military stations.
- As part of the International Red Cross
and Red Crescent Movement, Red Cross
reconnects more than 8,000 families
separated by conflicts and disasters around
the world through international tracking
services and Red Cross messages.
Current Volunteer Opportunities with
the
Iowa Great Lakes Chapter
- Emmetsburg Office
This position is for staffing of the
Emmetsburg branch office on Wednesdays from
9am to Noon. Duties include answering
phone questions, inquiries from the public
and instructors and some letter writing.
Call the chapter for details at
712-262-1574.
- Disaster Coordinator
We are looking for that unique
individual who can give of their time and
talent to coordinate our volunteer effort.
Duties would include recruitment of Disaster
Volunteers, entering volunteer information
into a computer database, coordination
and deployment of disaster volunteers
locally and nationally.
This position requires some Red Cross
Disaster training which would be provided by
the Iowa Great Lakes and Siouxland Area
Chapters.
For more information, contact the chapter
office at:
712-262-1574 or
888-292-1574
| |
|
