Kid Fire Safety!

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, children under the age of five are twice as likely to die in a home fire than the rest of the population. Help keep your children safe by making these tips a habit!

• Keep matches, lighters and other ignitable substances in a secured location out of the reach of children, and only use lighters with child-resistant features.
• Practice your home fire escape plan with your children several times a year.
• Also practice stop, drop and roll and low crawling.
• Familiarize children with the sound of your smoke alarm and what to do when they hear it.
• Teach your children not to be scared of firefighters. Take them to your local fire department to meet them and learn about fire safety.
• Teach your children to tell you or a responsible adult when they find matches or lighters at home or school.

These fire facts are brought to you by Team Firestopper! We’re working to stop fires before they start in your community! For more information or fire tips, visit www.chicagoredcross.org/tfs or www.redcross.org/homefires!


Sources: American Red Cross, U.S. Fire Administration*, and the National Fire Protection Association

Still looking for the perfect Valentine's Day gift?

Valentine's Day is almost here and it's got me thinking about the people I love.

Sure, it's got me dreaming about pretty flowers, sweet cards, and fancy chocolates. I'm worrying about dinner reservations and getting just the right gift for that special someone. I'm remembering the valentines who have come before fondly.

But, as I think about all the people I love, I wonder if I've done enough to show them how important they are to me. Do the people I care most about know what to do in an emergency? Are they ready if disaster strikes? Have I done all I can to make sure they'll be safe?

The best Valentine's Day gift I can think of for all the people in my life is preparedness. As you look for that perfect gift, consider the items on this list:

• Water (at least one gallon per person, per day.)
• Food (at least a three-day supply of non-perishable, easy to prepare food)
• Flashlight
• Battery powered or hand cranked radio (with extra batteries)
• First Aid Kit
• A 7-day supply of medications
• Multi-purpose tool
• Sanitation and personal hygene items
• Copies of personal documents (like the deed to your home, insurance policies and birth certificates)
• Cell phones with chargers
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Tools/ supplies for securing your home

You know, nothing says romance like a flashlight and a first aid kit!

Red Cross Helps Family of Six after Fire

My name is Cassie Wilander, and I am a marketing and communications intern at the Red Cross of Greater Chicago. Every week I come to work, I learn something new either about marketing or about myself. Every day, our volunteers go out to local fires or other disasters and offer Red Cross assistance and aid. Last week I went out on one of these disaster calls to a fire on the Southside of Chicago with an AmeriCorps VISTA. This was my first time accompanying disaster services on a call, and my main objective was to sit back and observe. I had no idea that what I saw would impact me so profoundly.

It was easy to find the fire with all the neighbors standing outside and the lights of the police cars and fire trucks flashing. We pulled up in a large Red Cross van that was stocked with stuffed animals for kids and packs of the essentials like shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste etc. The house was a small two story and the front picture window was gone whether from the heat of the fire or the spray of the hoses. We found the woman who lived there and learned the fire took everything that was in her bedroom, while the rest of the house had various level of smoke damage. Nothing was left untouched. She and her five kids had no place to go.

After getting her information and assessing the damages, my partner explained to me the Red Cross gives funds enough to proved food, clothing and shelter for the first 24-48 hours after the fire. This is when it struck me how important our donors are. The donations the Red Cross receives were able to aid this family in their time of need. Instead of worrying about where they were sleeping that night, this mother could concentrate on more pressing matters like replacing her son’s medicine, finding a more permanent housing situation and washing their clothes that smelled of smoke.

I knew that donations drive a non profit like the Red Cross; I had just never experienced their impact on such personal level. This ride along has changed how I view my internship. It’s not just a resume booster, but a means to help support those that really need our help. I am extremely proud to work for such a great organization.

Get the Facts on Fire Safety!

According to the NFPA an estimated 890 lives could be saved each year if all homes had working smoke alarms. Help keep your family safe! Learn more about how to prevent fires in your community with Team Firestopper!

When do home fires happen?
Home fires can happen at any time, but they generally increase during the fall and winter, with December and January being the peak months. Home fires are also more common on Saturday and Sunday, and tend to peak between 6:00 and 7:00 PM.

Where are home fires most likely to start?
Home fires are more likely to start in the kitchen than any other room in the home. The second leading cause of home fires are heating sources like wood stoves, and fireplaces. Fires caused by smoking are the leading cause of deaths.

How can I prepare for a potential home fire?
Smoke alarms are a critical step in being prepared for a home fire. Smoke alarms should be installed outside each sleeping area and on each level of your home. If you and your family sleep with the doors closed, install smoke alarms inside sleeping areas, too.

My home has a smoke alarm, is that all I need to do?
No, to function properly, smoke alarms must be maintained. Once a month you should use the test button to check each smoke alarm. And at least once a year, all smoke alarm batteries should be replaced. In addition, smoke alarms can become less sensitive over time and should be replaced at least every 10 years.

How can I help victims of home fires?
The number of families that the American Red Cross supports in the aftermath of home fires has increased 10 percent since 2000. Your local Red Cross chapter depends on the generous support of community members like you to help our neighbors affected by home fires. You can help victims of home fires by ensuring your local Red Cross is ready to respond. Contact your local chapter to make a financial contribution today.

These fire facts are brought to you by Team Firestopper! We’re working to stop fires before they start in your community! For more information or fire tips, visit www.chicagoredcross.org/tfs or www.redcross.org/homefires!


Sources: American Red Cross, U.S. Fire Administration*, and the National Fire Protection Association

Who is your hero?

The deadline for nominating heroes for the eighth annual Heroes Breakfast is this Friday, January 29! Each year, the Greater Chicago Red Cross honors local people for acts of great bravery, dedication and service to the community at our Heroes Breakfast which will take place on April 14, 2010. To see clips from last year's breakfast visit http://www.youtube.com/chicagoredcross#p/u/14/C0PRS02JrsI

“We have many heroes among us. Their courage and good deeds solidify the mission of the Red Cross and help us carry it out,” said Fran Maher, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago. “The Heroes Breakfast is our way of honoring these exceptional individuals who, in addition to their courageous response efforts, inspire others to impart good will on their community.”

To learn more about how to nominate a hero or for a list of hero categories visit www.chicagoredcross.org/heroes.

Who is your hero?

Mary, a 7 year old from Hinsdale, IL raised over $700 this weekend at her Bake Sale for Haiti! Her family, friends and teachers all pitched in to bake treats that were sold on Saturday at the Community House in Hinsdale. She is truly an inspiration as are all of you who have donated!

Our call volume is still really high, so the final tally for the Chicago Helps Haiti Telethon won't be in until tomorrow morning. Which is a good thing :) We have definitely raised more than $2.6 million though! This was a huge success, and we want to thank everyone who helped or donated!!

15 minutes left to call and donate to the Red Cross through the Chicago Helps Haiti Telethon!! 1-877-565-5000!

We've reached $2.6 million in donations!!! Amazing effort by everyone involved!

Check out these links to stories from other Red Cross volunteers in Haiti. The work being done there by our volunteers is so important and the people of Haiti are so inspiring. Thank you all for your continued support!

http://redcrosschat.org/2010/01/18/still-open-for-business/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/americanredcross/4286746712/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/americanredcross/4278342879/

$2,555,133 is our current total! ONLY ONE HOUR LEFT! Call or tell your friends and family to call! 877-565-5000. HUGE thanks to our volunteers and our callers!

Chicago Red Cross volunteers waiting the second flight of Haitians to arrive at O'Hare!

We've reached $2.5 million!!! Amazing work Chicago. We are so grateful!

The total is now $2,393,126! And only 2 hours left- This is the final push! The number is 1-877-565-5000. Call to donate if you haven't, or spread the word to family and friends! We really appreciate the support!

Photo of the icecream branded especially for the Chicago Helps Haiti Telethon! Our volunteers are enjoying it right now in between calls :)

WOW! $2,312,571 in donations as of 6:30pm tonight! This is awesome. Keep spreading the word on your facebook and twitter pages. Make it your goal to tell 2 other people to call before 11pm! 1-877-565-5000

We are officially over $2 million in donations! Amazing! Let's keep up the momentum Chicago!

We are now at almost $1.8 million in donations to help Haiti! Great job Chicago! BIG thank you to all of our callers :) Keep it coming! Call 1-877-565-5000 and give whatever you can.

Chicago Helps Haiti Telethon is Today!

Give now at (877) 565-5000 or visit www.chicagoredcross.org/haiti

Leave us a comment! Did you give? What inspires you about the relief effort?

11:57 a.m. It's almost lunchtime! And we've reached $1,517,513!!! Keep up the great work Chicago.

11:41 a.m. Time's flying and the gifts are pouring in! We have a new matching gift parternship with CDW. They will match individual donations that are $1,000 or more, with a total committment of $100,000! Let's get there!

9:20 a.m. We just topped a million!! We're at $1,212,336!! Keep it up, Chicago

8:30 a.m. New total: $841,249!! The Red Cross has 400 workers on the ground in Haiti, in addition to thousands of local volunteers. Reports now that there may be 2 million left homeless.

8:13 a.m. Sorry we're a little late getting on the live blogging wagon, but we're here now! The Chicago media have been at Hewitt all morning broadcasting from our call center and we've raised $810,404 so far! That's amazing! The McCormick Foundation is matching gifts at 50 cents on the dollar, up to $500,000. The gift isn't yet reflected in the total, so let's hit $1 million and see it spike!!

Our Relief Workers with Haitians at O'Hare

UPDATE: We have beautiful, professional photos like the one above from O'Hare last night, taken by Gerry Holmes, available on our Flickr page here. Hooray! Captions coming soon. (WGN just announced it's National Hugging Day. How appropriate.)

Many of you have heard that the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago is part of the welcoming team at O'Hare tonight for a flight of people who've arrived from Haiti. We were ready with blankets, mittens, food, and our disaster mental health volunteers--people who are trained to help disaster victims cope with the immense stress they're facing.

Here are some pics from inside the airport tonight (Do you spot Gov. Quinn? He's moving fast!). You can read the press release with full details here and keep up all night with our awesome volunteer who's tweeting from the Red Cross response at O'Hare, @HanaYi. Here are some choice tweets from her earlier in the night:

@HanaYi: Interview of woman-explains the aftershocks, today is the first big meal since the quakes and raves about Chicago's provided care #chihelpsHaiti

@HanaYi: Just held a 2 month old baby boy named Resu. Looking to locate some baby formula.

@HanaYi: Creating a serving system-taking groups to get food from the kitchen after they wrap up in jackets/scarfs/hats/gloves..

(Then Hana lost her contact lens)

@HanaYi: Still blind as a bat-but seeing more than I have ever seen #Haiti





More to come...