February 8, 2012

The International Services program is currently accepting Disaster Inquiries from family members concerned with the well being of family members that might have been affected by the earthquake that struck the Philippines on Monday (February 5^th). Disaster Inquiries submitted by individuals still looking for family members in the wake of Typhoon Washi can also access services.

Disaster Inquiries are a service provided by the American Red Cross’ International Services program which serves to locate family members that have lost contact with family living in the United States in the wake of an international disaster. The capacity to conduct an Inquiry is based on capacity in country and is based on the circumstance of an emergency. Residents of Los Angeles seeking information on missing family members abroad can contact the Restoring Family Links program by phone at (646) 407-4536 or send an email to IntlServices@arcla.org.

Competitors celebrate their participation in the Kiddie Run

The American Red Cross has adding its informational efforts to two events that spotlight the Chinese community in Los Angeles — the Annual Lunar New Year Parade, last Saturday, Feb. 4, and the 2012 Los Angeles Chinatown Firecracker Run/Walk Race, part of a weekend-long festival, coming up this Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 11 and 12.

Both events feature volunteer-manned booths for the Red Cross, distributing preparedness materials in Mandarin to participants in the fun.

Volunteers man the booth at Lunar New Year event

This weekend, festivities continue with the Los Angeles Chinatown Firecracker Run/Walk Race, a 5/10k event that is part of the two-day celebration centered in downtown Los Angeles on Broadway.  In addition to an informational booth offeirng preparedness materials, the Red Cross presents a Disaster Safety Puppet Show for children.  The event will also feature a bike ride and kiddie run.

Red Cross runners prepare for LA marathon

Runners, walkers, fitness fanatics and couch potatoes are all invited to bring their support to the American Red Cross, an official charity of the upcoming Los Angeles Marathon 2012, Sunday, March 18 (7:24 AM) or the pre-marathon 5K on Saturday, March 17 (8:00 AM).  The starting point for both events is Dodger Stadium.

The Red Cross is reaching out to staff, volunteers, family and friends who can all take part in one or both races or help all the runners by manning the official Red Cross water station at mile 20 of the marathon.

Come out to show your support and be sure to wear red, so all participants can know you’re flying the flag for the American Red Cross.

To Register for the Marathon or 5K:
Pre-registration is required for both events.  Just send your name and contact information to Wendy Moltrup at moltrupw@arcla.org and the Red Cross will register on your behalf. Or you can register at: www.lamarathon.com.

If you are already registered for the marathon and want to re-register as part of the Red Cross team, just send your name and contact information to Wendy Moltrup at moltrupw@arcla.org and we will make the change for you for free.

To help man the Red Cross Water station:
Go to http://www.lamarathon.com/

• Select: Volunteer
• Select: Join an existing volunteer group
• Select Group: American Red Cross Los Angeles Region
• Password: runner35
• Fill out the required information
• Submit the form

And, please join us in going the extra mile:
The LA Marathon is partnered with Crowdrise to make it easier for race participants and supporters to raise money for the Red Cross. You can donate or become a fundraiser for the Red Cross through our LA Marathon charity page at http://www.crowdrise.com/americanredcrosslosangeles.

Contact the Red Cross Los Angeles Region headquarters at 310-445-2685 with any questions about volunteering or fundraising.

One of the teams of a Red Cross youth group distribute fire safety informatio in a Van Nuys neighborhood on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

More than 150 Red Cross L.A. Region youth volunteers celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by distributing fire prevention and safety information to nine communities across the Southland.

In partnership with HOPE Worldwide,  Red Cross youth volunteers canvassed door-to-door from Hawthorne to Van Nuys encouraging community residents to familiarize themselves with fire prevention information, including tips on the benefits of smoke alarms, creating and practicing fire escape plans, and safe in-home cooking and heating procedures. Volunteers also distributed door hangars with fire safety tips and information. For those who were not at home, the door hangars were hung on their doors so residents would have the information when they returned.

Sandee Grossman, a Van Nuys resident who talked with one of the Red Cross youth said, “You never think it’s going be you. I came home one night to find the fire department in front of our house because, when my son was younger, one of our babysitters decided to build a large fire in the fireplace! Fortunately, no-one was hurt.”

Fire is the biggest disaster threat to American families – not floods, hurricanes or tornadoes. And most fires are preventable. Still, over 90 percent of all disasters the Red Cross responds to each year are related to fire. On average, the American Red Cross provides food, shelter, comfort and hope to people affected by approximately 63,000 fires every year, or about one fire every eight minutes. Click here for fire safety tips.

Story by Priyanka Banerjee, Communications Volunteer

Video by Bob Carey and Deanna Morgan, Communications Volunteers

The Red Cross partnered with the Tzu Chi Foundation to assist the Mandarin-speaking residents at a shelter opened in San Gabriel. Pictured are (l to r) shelter client Chuo Lin Song, Red Cross volunteer Chun Chan, shelter client Wu Yu Qin and Tzu Chi translator Harriet Hsu.

Approximately 30 Mandarin-speaking residents of San Gabriel were provided with a place to stay, meals and other assistance at a Red Cross shelter on Jan. 12 and 13 after an apartment fire left the residents displaced.

The Red Cross shelter, located at  Jefferson Middle School in San Gabriel, provided approximately 40 overnight stays, meals, and other services to the residents of the damaged apartment building in the 100 block of W. Ramon Blvd.

The shelter, located at 1372 East Las Tunas Drive San Gabriel, was closed Jan. 14 after the Red Cross determined with the City and the apartment owners that alternate housing was available.

The Red Cross thanks the following partners that it worked closely with to provide services to the displaced residents: the Tzu Chi Foundation, which provided translators, some meals and transportation to its medical facility; the City of San Gabriel, the San Gabriel Fire Dept., and the San Gabriel Union School District, which provided the shelter space.

Photos by Roxanne Schorbach

Spurred by the terrible spate of arson in the West Hollywood, Hollywood and San Fernando Valley areas,  as well as non-arson-related fires — the Red Cross opened over a dozen separate cases helping people in need of housing, health services, food and comfort.  The Red Cross responded to a total of eight local fires over the long weekend.

Nearly 30 Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteers and eight duty officers attended to the immediate needs of families, individuals and pets whose lives were impacted by the fires over the long weekend.  

Two of the fires the Red Cross responded to — in Sunland and in Hollywood —were reported to be arson-caused.  Helen Lemich, a duty officer, helped direct a six-person DAT team to the Sunland fire on December 29, where five units housing 13 people were affected. 

Michael Hicks, a DAT Leader in the Los Angeles Region, was on site at the Hollywood arson-caused fire where two units of a ten-unit apartment building were damaged.  One of the residents suffered from smoke inhalation, and the Red Cross has followed up with health services as well and information about community resources. 

Red Cross duty officers and Disaster Action Teams are on call around the clock, ready to respond whenever needed in emergencies.

By Sue Reiner, Communications Volunteer

For the cook:  Never leave a pot unattended on the stove.  Stand by your pan!  Don’t leave boiling or frying pots alone to do their magic.  Stay involved in the cooking process.  Wear tight, fitted sleeves — nothing that can brush against a flame and catch fire.  Keep pot lids handy to smother an oil fire.

For the Decorator:  Make sure all festive lighting, both indoor and outdoor, satisfies safety standards and is appropriately wired to protect against weather and wet. Be sure all outdoor lighting is secure against wind amd be sure to plug into ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) safe for outdoor use.  

If you have a recently cut Christmas tree, make sure it is appropriately mounted in a tree stand.  You’ll need to replenish the water at the base of the tree every day.  Place ornaments high enough on the tree to keep out of reach of curious toddlers who could cut themelves or swallow something dangerous. 

Candles are a lovely addition to the holiday mood.  Be sure that your lit candles have a one-foot, non-flammable area around them, a circle of safety.  Never leave candles lit overnight or leave a room with burning candles.  Keep lighted candles out of the reach of small children and pets. 

The Red Cross Los Angeles Region offers the following additional tips on how to prevent fires:

• Keep all potential sources of fuel like paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs at least three feet away from space heaters, stoves, or fireplaces.
• If you must use a space heater, place it on a level, hard and nonflammable surface (such as ceramic tile floor), not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes.
• Keep children and pets away from space heaters.  When buying a space heater, look for models that shut off automatically if the heater falls over as another safety measure.
• Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.
• Keep fire in your fireplace by using a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
• Have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, and furnaces professionally inspected and cleaned once a year.

“Planning for fire emergencies is important,” said Paul Schulz, CEO, American Red Cross Los Angeles Region. “Make sure all household members know two ways to escape from every room of your home, and set up a meeting place outside in case of fire. Practice escaping from your home at least twice a year and at different times of the day. Teach household members to stop, drop and roll if their clothing should catch on fire.”

The Red Cross wishes you and yours a safe holiday season.  These tips will help guarantee a great end of year and a good start to 2012.