Red Cross

by Melissa LaScaleia As the Coronavirus vaccine becomes more readily available to everyone across the state, the American Red Cross is receiving many queries about blood donation eligibility.  “One of the most frequent questions we are getting from donors is: ‘Am I eligible to give blood if I’ve gotten the vaccine?’” says Ben Williamson, regional communications director for American Red Cross, Palmetto SC Region. “In most cases, there is no blood donation deferral time— meaning yes you can give.”  American Red Cross requests donors to know the manufacturer of the vaccination they received— be it Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, etc. Verbal knowledge is acceptable.   “We are asking that donors know the manufacturer because there were some people in the early vaccine tests who may have received a vaccine that was not FDA approved,” Ben says. “We simply need to make sure that when you give, you’ve gotten one of those FDA approved vaccines.”  If you do not know the vaccine that you got, were a part of an early test group, or received an alternate vaccine, American Red Cross will defer your donation for two weeks from the time that you show up at a Red Cross donation station.  “We can only collect blood from healthy individuals, and need to give anybody who doesn’t know what they received fourteen days to make sure that they are feeling healthy and well,” Ben explains. “Even if you do know the manufacturer of the vaccination you received, a lot of people have had side effects from the vaccine, like aches and pains. If you have those side effects, we need you to be feeling healthy and well for fourteen days before you can give blood.”  The second most common question they receive is, “If I give blood, does that impact the efficacy of the vaccine that I got? Does it weaken the vaccine?”  The answer is, no.  “Donating blood after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine does not reduce a donor’s protection from the virus,” says Ben.  The vaccine is designed to generate an immune response to help protect an individual from illness; and a donor’s immune response is in no way impacted by giving blood. Receiving a Covid vaccine is just like receiving one for measles, mumps, or the flu. The SC Department of Health and Environmental Safety, the organization in charge of vaccine rollouts in SC, has corroborated this information.  Since the beginning of March 2021, up until the publication of this article in mid-May, Red Cross has seen a 10-15% decrease in blood donations. They need more people to donate life-saving blood.  “We are certainly getting a lot of questions from donors regarding eligibility and efficacy of giving blood,” Ben says. “And we want people to know that they can give and we need them to give. There’s a lot of attention right now on making a vaccine appointment; we hope people will make an appointment to give blood too. We need blood; we will always need blood.  “Mothers are still giving birth, surgeries are still happening, children have diseases like cancer and require blood transfusions as part of their treatment.”  Red Cross wants to reassure the public that they are still following the CDC guidelines about masks, social distancing, and screening for Covid at all of their blood drives. Even if you have the vaccine, they are still required to follow these procedures.  “Blood remains an essential service in SC,” Ben adds. “And we can’t get it anywhere other than volunteer donors. If you can consider giving, it’s a huge help and makes a huge difference. It doesn’t take more than an hour of your time. There’s ample locations and appointment slots. It’s a simple thing that makes a really big difference. We had a lot of support last year, and we want to continue that momentum. It’s a unique way to give back, and most people are eligible.” American Red Cross Blood Donation Drive Globe Phone

by Melissa LaScaleia Most of the time, when people think about American Red Cross, they think blood donation drives for accident victims, and capable volunteers who offer disaster relief services. But American Red Cross offers a much broader scope of benefits for our community. “We help folks in the United States Armed Forces— both active duty members and families, as well as veterans,” says Ben Williamson, director of communications for American Red Cross, South Carolina.  “Our team and our volunteers provide home comforts and critical services both on armed forces bases and military hospitals around the world.”  There are several capacities in which American Red Cross offers assistance.  The first is that they help military families with emergency communications during deployments. The American Red Cross Hero Care Center, as it’s called, is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for emergency communication.  If you have an emergency and need to contact a deployed military member of your family, you can reach out to the Center, and they will get in touch with your loved-one overseas immediately.  And vice versa; if a deployed individual has an emergency, Red Cross is the means of communication that will reach out to the family at home.  Another service they provide is helping families to prepare for deployments. This can be something that is psychologically, emotionally, and logistically challenging for families. Consequently, Red Cross partners with the U.S. military to offer courses families can take together, to prepare for what a deployment will be like. Then, when the military members return home, Red Cross holds reconnection workshops for soldiers to help them reintegrate into society. “We conduct mock deployments for families so they can become familiar with the situation and know what to expect,” Ben says. “And upon their return, we provide practical support like referrals, networking, and training to help them find a job, or get job training, to help them readjust with greater ease. We also offer programs to help support them emotionally.” The programs cover common topics of concern like dealing with stress, anxiety, and emotions, as well as reconnecting with their spouse and kids. “Whatever it is that they are struggling with upon their return, whether it is therapy or counseling or anything else, we help them get reconnected and reintegrated,” Ben says. The American Red Cross also offers supportive programs for families of military members, and hosts family events around the country. “We’re able to provide services for them, like counseling, while their loved one is deployed,” Ben says. Last fiscal year 2019, Red Cross provided nearly 14,000 case services to military, veterans and their families in South Carolina, alone. They educated more than 41,000 military veterans and their families about the services that Red Cross provides in South Carolina, alone.  “The big priority for us is that we continue to serve our nation’s veterans even after their service ends,” Ben says. “There’s a couple ways we do that. We help them get connected with the state, national, and local resources that they need, and with any groups that can provide them with food, clothing, and shelter. We get them referrals to get them connected to the right people so that they can get the help that they need.”  Another large-scale service they provide is to help veterans prepare evidence to support their claim for veteran’s assistance benefits, which most of the time, are financial.  American Red Cross also does their best to provide comfort kits to as many homeless veterans as they can. The kits contains essentials like a blanket, hygiene products, and snacks.     If you or anybody you know is or was in the military and is in need of some assistance, then please visit www.redcross.org/about-us/our-work/military-families to see a list of available resources.  If you’re interested in helping American Red Cross fulfill their mission, then please visit www.redcross.org to donate or volunteer. 

Hurricane Dorian in Retrospect by Melissa LaScaleia When Hurricane Dorian hit our shores towards the end of last summer, The American Red Cross responded up and down the South Carolina coast.  During that storm, they opened thirty-two shelters across the state which safeguarded more than 4,300 people, mostly in the Low Country and coastal South Carolina, Williamsburg, and Myrtle Beach areas.  It’s a testament to their dedication to providing relief to all people, that when there’s a need in a specific, local community, this national organization is quick to respond.   With this disaster, there were nearly 650 local and national volunteers. Volunteers from forty-three states across the country traveled to South Carolina to help.  Hurricane Dorian happened in late August. Myrtle Beach was spared a lot of damage, but there were forty homes across the state that were severely damaged, and approximately seven were destroyed.  In Charleston, South Carolina, Deanna Brown’s home was destroyed when a tree fell through the back of her house. The single mother of eight children removed herself and her family to the safety of a Red Cross shelter. She was so grateful to have a place for herself and her children to rest and be fed— and grateful for the Red Cross volunteers who interacted with her children, giving her time to process the experience and plan her next steps.  “It was devastating for me,” Deanna said. “I have such a large family. And that home was most of what we had. Red Cross has been great— and that has helped make this a little bit easier for me while I process everything.”  The Red Cross was able to offer her some financial assistance as well as referral support after the storm passed.  “This is what we do and what we’re all about,” says Benjamin Williamson, communications director for the Horry County chapter of American Red Cross. “We help families get back to a sense of normal and so do the generous folks who help us and volunteer with us.”     Although the impact was not too bad in Myrtle Beach, the damage caused sometimes is more behind the scenes, with things like infrastructure. “Dorian caused a lot of blood drive cancellations, which is something that people don’t really think about when counting loss,” he adds. “As a result, hundreds of drives along the East Coast were cancelled, and because of that, we lost roughly 1100 units of blood; blood that is still needed.   “To put that in perspective, we were coming off of a summer when there is already usually a shortage because people go on vacation and don’t give as often as at other times of the year. Blood collection is already difficult during this time and Hurricane Dorian compounded it.”  This New Year, if you’re looking for a way to make a difference by giving back, please consider donating blood. Blood donations are always needed and appreciated by Red Cross.  “Often, in the months after a disaster, because the media coverage dies down, people don’t know that the victims of a storm are still struggling, or that The Red Cross needs help to replenish their resources,” Benjamin says.  “This New Year, if people would like to help support our community or the victims of Hurricane Dorian, but not necessarily with a financial donation, then donating blood is the best way to help others and make a positive impact in the community.”     “The Red Cross prepared for the worst, and we got lucky that it stayed mostly off the coast,” he continues.  “Now we need help preparing for the next disaster so we can be ready. When you have to mobilize 600 plus volunteers and prepare for the worst, that uses resources. We are always preparing and replenishing so we can be at the ready to help others at a moment’s notice.” The Red Cross recommends that people also spend some time checking on and replenishing their own emergency kits.  “Spend some time with your family to talk about what worked and what didn’t from your hurricane plan,” Benjamin  says. 

by Melissa LaScaleia Most people know that American Red Cross relies on donations from the public to run their services and programs, but did you know how vital this financial support truly is, or how the funds are allocated?  Red Cross prides themselves on being transparent with their financial information. People can visit www.charitynavigator.com to see a full disclosure of Red Cross’s as well as other non-profit organizations’ finances. When there is a big disaster, like Hurricane Florence, ninety-one cents of every dollar that is raised for Red Cross is spent directly on disaster relief.     “That financial allocation is something we are proud of,” says Amy Brauner, the executive director of the Eastern SC Chapter of the American Red Cross. “We have volunteers who help us keep our costs low, because disasters are expensive. “To run a shelter for one night, it costs an average of $5,000. During Hurricane Florence, we had shelters open for weeks.” Those staying in the shelters receive cots, blankets, comfort kits, and three meals a day. Volunteers make sure that the environment is as comfortable as possible for those staying there. “During a big disaster, we need to get shelters open quickly and supplies ready to go,” Amy says. “The donations that people give us every day are what enable us to be prepared for any type of disaster. A lot of people think, ‘I’ll give when there’s a big disaster.’ But the reason why we’re able to amp up very quickly is because the funds are there in advance— whether it’s money to support a fire victim, or cots and meals for a shelter on short notice. In this state where there are house fires daily, we are giving aid daily.”  After a fire, financial assistance helps families with their immediate needs. On average, the Red Cross and its volunteers respond to six home fires a day in South Carolina— so the need for donations is constant. The Red Cross will also provide lodging assistance to families who need a place to stay after a fire. Red Cross honors donor intent, which means if you donate in South Carolina, your money will stay in SC. And every few months, they release information to the public to show how much they raised and where it is going.  Red Cross is still helping with recovery assistance for victims of Hurricane Florence— a disaster which struck in September 2018. In addition to giving immediate aid, they also grant money to people whose homes suffered major damage to help them begin to rebuild.  “There’s a lot of attention on funding a disaster when you’re right in the middle of it,” Amy says. “But the aftermath requires a lot of funding too.”     The long-term recovery process for Hurricane Florence includes providing recovery grants. Red Cross partners with several organizations in South Carolina. The Coastal Community Foundation is one such group.  Whether it’s handing out a specific dollar amount to individuals, or whether the donations are city or county based, Red Cross will work with other organizations to see what people’s needs are and help.    “There is a woman who, after Florence, needed to replace her roof; she received funding from Red Cross to begin the repair, but she is still rebuilding her house and we are assisting her to secure further funding,” Amy says. FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is one of Red Cross’s federal partners that conducts damage assessment. If people don’t qualify for a grant through FEMA and still need help, Red Cross will connect them with the Salvation Army or The United Way. The groups that the Red Cross partners with are specific for each disaster. “We’re there to help figure out what their problem is and who can help,” Amy says. “It really does take a village to get people through disasters like this.” To donate to American Red Cross please visit www.redcross.org/donate. You can also text the word “red cross” to 90999 which will give a $10 donation.  Your money will go to help prevent and alleviate human suffering.

by Melissa LaScaleia The South Carolina region of the American Red Cross relies on their volunteers to carry out the work that they do every single day, with volunteers carrying out 90% of the humanitarian work accomplished across the board.   There are more than four hundred volunteers that assist with the Red Cross of Eastern SC chapter, which includes Horry County as well as Myrtle Beach. Throughout the state, volunteers number more than 2,800.  American Red Cross utilizes volunteers daily so they can focus on keeping costs low, and make providing relief to those in need, their paramount priority.  Volunteers assist with everything from ensuring that the Red Cross’s fleet of vehicles is up-to-date and maintained, to opening and running shelters and evacuation centers. But the thing they do the most often is respond to local home fires. For this job, they are on call 24 hours a day.  Volunteers are there right alongside the fire department, bringing hope, comfort and care to residents who may have lost everything. Throughout the entire state of South Carolina, the Red Cross responds to an average of six home fires daily.  Many people feel overwhelmed at the thought of volunteering to assist with a disaster, feeling that their lack of previous experience precludes them from being capable of helping. But prior training isn’t necessary or needed. Trainings sponsored by Red Cross are offered year-round on specific topics such as how to run a shelter or drive a response vehicle.  Often, if there is a large disaster, volunteers will fly to other states to help. Their touch can be felt throughout the state and the country, not just in their local place.  The best way for people to sign up to volunteer is to visit www.redcross.org/volunteer. Some high schools in the area have Red Cross clubs with student members who are willing to help out throughout the day.  Red Cross hosts blood drives daily throughout Horry County; volunteers are always there to assist, and also transport the blood donations to local hospitals. In the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, volunteers drove around with hot meals to distribute to those who didn’t have food, power, or access to food.  Volunteers have a presence in veterans hospitals throughout the state, working directly with veterans in therapy classes. Twenty-five percent of these volunteers are twenty-four years old or younger.  “The volunteers are the heroes of Red Cross,” says Amy Brauner, executive director of the Eastern South Carolina chapter of American Red Cross. “They are the ones who pause their personal lives and jump into the midst of whatever we ask them to do.”  The application process to become a volunteer is fairly simple to fill out and can be done online. Afterwards, Red Cross will reach out to the volunteer to figure out where that individual is most interested in assisting. The individual will attend training and be ready to go.     The Red Cross wants to remind people that they can volunteer with their family and friends on any type of project— or even initiate a project of their own. Schedules are flexible, with volunteers always setting their own.  “We always need volunteers,” says Amy. “We try to put money in the hands of the people who need it the most. Because our volunteers do so much, it allows us to do more work in South Carolina, and make the most out of the donation dollars we receive. “We know it’s a sacrifice, what our volunteers are doing, so we hold appreciation events for them throughout the year, and always thank them when we see them. We want to make sure  that they feel appreciated for what they do, because this work isn’t always easy. And we couldn’t do it without them.” American Red Cross Visit them on the web to volunteer today.

by Melissa LaScaleia Along our coast, hurricane season starts June 1 and ends November 30. American Red Cross recommends creating an emergency kit in advance and storing it in your home, as storm development and travel can be notoriously unpredictable. And when the threat of a storm is imminent, store shelves are just as notoriously unpredictable in terms of the supplies that are available to purchase.  In building your kit, think in terms of three. You want to have enough non-perishable food items for every person in your home to subsist on for three days. In the event of a power outage, you need foods that don’t rely on electricity.  In addition, you should plan on one gallon of water per person per day. You’re also going to need a flashlight, and a battery-powered or hand-crank radio. Cell phones are our life-lines nowadays, but if a big storm comes through, you may not be able to rely on it. If your phone dies and your internet isn’t working, weather radios can keep you abreast of the storm’s status, as well as evacuation status and routes.  Learn what your evacuation zone is in advance so you can plan your strategy if you do need to leave. In some cases, the major interstates are changed to become one way roads to allow for more efficient evacuations.  Another essential part of preparedness is to know where all of your important personal documents are—like birth certificates, passports, and home insurance policies— those things that we all know are so difficult to replace and very important after a disaster strikes. Make sure they are grouped together, ready for a grab and go. If you have damage to your home, you’re going to need your insurance policy readily available, right away.  It’s very important that you have at least a seven-day supply of the medications you need, because pharmacies could close. Think about your pets needs with the same level of care, and same adherence to the rule of three.  The Red Cross Emergency app, (also available in Spanish), a free downloadable app in your App Store or Google Play, is an all-encompassing preparation and information resource for any sort of severe weather or disaster— and an especially great resource to help ensure that you’re prepared for a storm like a hurricane.  You can customize it to send push alerts to your phone notifying you if you’re under a hurricane watch or warning. It also has information about available shelters and proximity to your location— if and when they are opened. All Red Cross shelters are non-discriminatory safe spaces, open to all. If you need to go to a shelter, be sure to bring things with you like reading materials, blankets, pillows, and toys for your children— to make the shelter feel more like home during what can be a stressful time.  If an evacuation is ordered, Red Cross will open evacuation shelters as a refuge for those who have nowhere else to go. These are temporary abodes, typically open for 24-48 hours, and so may not have cots (be sure to bring air mattresses or pads). Red Cross will provide hot meals, water, snacks, and volunteer nurses for medical emergencies.   As hurricane season approaches, Red Cross is always looking for volunteers. There are 3000 volunteers throughout the state, and more than 400 active volunteers from Horry County over to Chesterfield County.  Volunteer opportunities encompass a variety of roles— from helping to run shelters; to the gathering and sorting supplies; to being part of the team that looks for damage after the storms; or delivering hot meals to people in the community.  Training is an integral part of Red Cross, and is conducted for volunteers regularly throughout the year so that people feel confident about stepping up in the event of a emergency situation.   Visit www.redcross.org/volunteer to get involved and learn more. 

by Melissa LaScaleia One of the functions the American Red Cross is most known for is their blood drives. And for good reason— they act as one of the main suppliers of blood for hospitals around the country. In South Carolina, the American Red Cross needs to collect 200 units (roughly one pint) of blood daily, to meet the blood demand of the state’s hospitals.  To put into perspective the importance of donating blood, here is some information provided by the American Red Cross: Every two seconds, somebody in this country needs to receive blood. An individual involved in a car accident could need as much as 100 units of blood to survive. When you donate blood, it is separated into three components: red blood cells, platelets, and plasma. One blood donation can save up to three lives, because one patient may need the plasma, another the red blood cells, and another the platelets.  Lifesaving blood is used for transfusions for trauma victims. Platelets are vital for cancer patients when they’re going through chemotherapy, as it helps to clot the blood. Plasma is needed to help burn victims and trauma patients recover. Red blood cells have to be used within 42 days or less; platelets have to be used within 5 days; plasma can be frozen, and has a shelf life of one year.  “We like to have a five-day supply of blood on the shelves because if there’s an accident, we don’t know how much blood we’ll need,” says Cuthbert Langley, director of communications for American Red Cross Palmetto South Carolina Region. “Blood is being used as quickly as it’s being put on the shelves.”  May is trauma awareness month. Trauma accounts for 41 million emergency room visits across the nation. Small businesses or companies looking for ways to give back to the community should think about hosting a blood drive. It’s a great way to bring employees together as a team, as well as save lives.  About 38% of the population is eligible to give blood, but only 3% does; American Red Cross is always looking for donors.  Blood drives held at high schools and colleges account for 20% of American Red Cross’s blood donations. Summer is a challenging time to collect blood with schools out of session and many regular donors traveling. The American Red Cross invites not only locals who are remaining in town, but also tourists, to stop by today and help support our community through a donation of life-saving blood. You don’t need to know your blood type in order to give; American Red Cross will test it for you. If you do know what it is, they are always looking for type O negative, because that type is the universal donor and very helpful in emergency situations when there’s no time to find the exact blood type match. But all blood types are needed. Making an appointment in advance, to save time is recommended, but walk-ins are always welcome. To inspire more people to give blood, American Red Cross has simplified the process with a downloadable app for your phone called the Rapid Pass, which enables donors to save time by filling out a health questionnaire in advance. You must be in good health, and share information about your lifestyle and recent travel experiences— factors which may impact your ability to donate.  Minors sixteen years of age or older can give with parental permission. You must weigh at least 110 pounds. Anybody eighteen years of age or younger may need to meet certain height requirements. To ensure that you’re strong enough to give blood, Red Cross volunteers will check your temperature and iron levels in person. And of course, they still give out cookies and juice to help you recharge after the blood donation.  If you have specific questions, or to check your eligibility visit www.redcrossblood.org.

by Melissa LaScaleia Swimming is a popular summer activity, and here in Myrtle Beach, swim season is underway. Many residents take to the beaches this month, as do visitors arriving to celebrate spring break. There’s a variety of things to consider before going for a swim in the pool or ocean to ensure that you, and your family and friends, maximize your fun while staying safe.         At the beach, it’s wise as a precautionary measure, to swim in a place supervised by a lifeguard. Additionally, always swim with or have a buddy watching close by, even if there’s a lifeguard present. Jellyfish and other stinging sea creatures live in our oceans. If you’ve been injured while swimming, you may need help getting back to the shore.  Rip currents, long, narrow, powerful currents, can form in any large open water area, near sandbars or structures like jetties or piers. If you are caught in one, it will pull you further out to sea, away from the shore, and can elicit a sense of panic.  If you believe you are caught in a rip current, remain calm, and swim parallel to the shore until you feel you are out of the current. You’ll know you are when you don’t feel a pull anymore; then turn and swim to the shore. Always swim at least 100 feet away from any jetties or piers, because permanent rip currents can exist around those structures. If you feel you can’t make it to the shore, then draw attention to yourself by waving and calling for help.  Teach your children not to swim out further than a designated point, and create a swim safety plan with your family in advance. Pay attention to the flags at the beach indicating the current ocean conditions. If you’re not confident and comfortable swimming, then you can wear a U.S. coastguard approved life jacket. There will be a symbol on the life jacket itself that shows it meets their standards for safety.  Learning how to swim is always a great skill to have at any stage in life. The Red Cross is renowned for their swim classes; they’ve been teaching them for decades. They offer age-appropriate swim lessons for everyone ages six months to adults, and are constantly improving their swim programs.  The Pepper Geddings recreation center in Myrtle Beach offers discounted swimming lessons. Or, call your local aquatic center to inquire if they offer Red Cross swim classes.  One of the tenets of swim safety, is if it looks like someone is struggling in the water— reach or throw, don’t go. Jumping into the water to offer assistance can result in having two victims, as you never know how a drowning, panicked person will respond. So the Red Cross teaches— reach out to someone if they’re close enough and you feel confident. Pools have shepherd hooks on the side to use as an extension aid, and if you have a life ring or a life jacket, you can throw it as well.  The Red Cross teaches a variety of swim and lifeguard classes for all ages. —Photo Connie Harvey/American Red Cross To stay safe at home, ensure that pool barriers are at least four feet high with gates that close automatically. Securing the area around the pool so your children can’t go in unattended is very important. And you want to ensure that you have the proper equipment like a life ring or a hook in case somebody is drowning. If you have inflatable pools or above ground pools, make sure that you remove ladders from the pool so that children cannot go in unattended.  Even when you’re at a public pool and lifeguards are present, it’s important to pay attention to your children. It takes little time for accidents to happen, and the more eyes that you have on your children, the better— especially when dealing with crowded pools.  The Red Cross has a free emergency app with information from swim safety to hurricane preparedness. It’s the one stop shop for making sure you and your families are safe, whether you’re heading to the pool to swim or preparing for a natural disaster.

Opioid Overdose Awareness by Melissa LaScaleia Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, with opioids being the number one cause of those deaths.  In South Carolina, the number of opioid overdoses has increased three consecutive years in a row. According to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, 57 people died in 2014 of a heroin-involved overdose. 616 people died from an opioid overdose in 2016, and in 2017, that number rose to 748.  In response, the American Red Cross launched a First Aid for Opioid Overdose course in November 2018. This information is particularly important for those in Horry County, as drug overdoses in South Carolina continue to increase.  “The statistics emphasize the importance of the Red Cross to be in those communities to offer this education and show people what to do in the event that they are around someone experiencing this overdose,” says Cuthbert Langley, director of communications for the Palmetto, SC region.  The 45-minute online course is a combination of audio and video components that helps people to identify the signs of opioid overdose, so they can spot what the problem is, and secondly, how to care for the person who has overdosed.  It shows how to administer Narcan, a nasal spray that temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose and brings the person to consciousness. It’s available from a pharmacist directly without a prescription.  Because an opioid overdose can lead to cardiac arrest, the Red Cross encourages people to take a CPR and AED course (also available through Red Cross).  In North Carolina, during hurricane Florence, an individual in one of the shelters was going through an opioid overdose, and a Red Cross volunteer was able to save their life because of this training.  “It’s important for people to know that we’re working to support the military, to prevent home fires, and to collect blood, but it’s also important for people to know that the Red Cross is there to empower communities with lifesaving information,” says Cuthbert.  On a national level, the Red Cross is working with the White House to address the mounting opioid epidemic. The president of the training services division was invited along with twenty-one other organizations like pharmaceutical and insurance companies, to an opioids event at the White House late last year to brainstorm ideas and solutions to help. The American Red Cross spoke about their course and what they have planned, to try to address what has become, a public health crisis.  Amazon was present, showing how they programmed Alexa to answer questions about opioids and opioid overdose. Google is working with Walgreens to show on maps where people can safely dispose of unused prescription medications thereby preventing them from falling into the hands of recreational drug users.  “We want to be at the table and part of the conversation to help alleviate human suffering and the opioid overdose is part of that,” says Cuthbert.  Visit www.redcross.org to take the Opioid Overdose Course, sign up for CPR, AED, and visit the many other courses the Red Cross teaches as part of their well-rounded training platform.

by Melissa LaScaleia Statistically, American Red Cross sees the highest number of home fires during the winter months, especially January, than at any other time of the year.  “It’s cold, and people are trying to build warmth, and many of their techniques pose safety risks,” says Amy Brauner, executive director for American Red Cross, Southeast Division.   The Red Cross responds to every home fire in our community to offer comfort in times of crisis, but wants the community to know that home fires are preventable.     Here are some things you can do to keep home fires at bay: If you use a space heater, only use it when you’re present in the room, and make sure it’s plugged directly into a wall, and not a power strip or extension cord. A space heater uses more energy and electricity than the power strip was meant to hold. When it’s overstressed, it will explode— it’s just a matter of time. Don’t ever fall asleep with a space heater running, as a fire could ignite long before you awaken and notice.  If you put something in between the heater and the wall, like an extension cord, it’s going to act like a third party generator. It interferes with the direct transfer of energy between the energy source and what’s being powered, and there’s more room for error, increasing the risk of a fire starting.  Don’t heat your home with your stove.  A gas operated stove will emit carbon monoxide when lit. When you open the stove door to act as a heater, the oven has to keep working to generate heat, emitting more of the gas than you otherwise would.  This gas depletes the oxygen in the air. People often warm themselves in front of their stove, and as the oxygen levels are depleted their brain begins to shut down. Add to this an increase in the temperature, and they fall into a coma from carbon monoxide; it causes serious injury and sometimes death, especially in the young and elderly. Additionally, a nearby dishtowel, or remnants in the stove can catch on fire from the heat.  Avoid running extension cords under your carpet, rugs, or other furniture.  Extension cords can become overloaded, or the wires can get frayed under the weight of furniture or a rug, or the friction caused from walking over it, causing a fire.  Never smoke in bed.  It takes less than two minutes for an entire house to fill with smoke and for people to become so obfuscated that they can’t exit. Most newer homes have an open layout as opposed to individual rooms. There’s nothing that’s stopping a flame, so fires are able to move much faster.  Double check to ensure you have a fire extinguisher in your kitchen. The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.

Preventing Home Fires by Melissa LaScaleia According to statistics, more people die every year in home fires than in any other natural disaster combined across the United States, including California wildfires, tornados, and earthquakes.  In the Horry and Georgetown areas, the American Red Cross responds to a home fire approximately three times per week. Volunteers provide care and support for the family displaced from the event.   “We want to make sure they have a safe place to stay, a warm blanket, and financial assistance to cover their immediate needs, to bridge the gap to the next day,” says Amy Brauner, the executive director for the American Red Cross Southeast division. “It could be as simple as a toothbrush or a pair of socks.”   Several months ago, an apartment fire in Barefoot Landing, North Myrtle Beach, spread throughout the attic of eighteen units, destroying most. Eleven adults and one child were affected. Red Cross volunteer Roger Keally was one of the first volunteer responders. He was at home when he heard fire engines, and ran the two blocks to the scene to offer assistance, beating the second fire engine there.  The Red Cross wants to assist our community in staying safe this winter. In addition to responding to home fires when they happen, they also work to help prevent them.   In October 2914, they implemented the Home Fire Campaign, in which volunteers conduct a home visit to check smoke alarms. If the alarms are not working properly, they will replace them free of charge.  They help you build an evacuation plan to escape your home in two minutes, the time it takes for your house to burn down, so that no matter where you are in your house, the second floor, up higher, or in the back, you know how to escape.  They also provide home fire safety checks, assessing what in your home is a potential fire hazard and how to fix it, as well as a checklist on how to stay safe.   “We call home fires the everyday disaster because it can happen to anyone anytime,” says Amy.   In the past year, a total of 184 homes in Horry and Georgetown counties were made safer; 318 smoke alarms were installed; 176 escape plans were made; and 514 people were served.   Since the inception of the Home Fire Campaign through September of 2018, the Red Cross and their volunteers have been directly responsible for saving fifty-four lives in South Carolina— seven in Horry and Georgetown counties.  (The statistic comes from verifying that the Red Cross installed the fire alarm or built an evacuation plan and the family escaped safely afterwards.)     To learn more about their program, and request a Red Cross home safety inspection visit:  www.soundthealarm.org.   Join Us at Our January Events: CPR/AED/First Aid at 3531 Pampas Drive – Myrtle Beach January 12: 1:30pm – Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED January 19: 900am  – Adult First Aid/CPR/AED January 26: 9:00am Adult CPR/AED January 30 – Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED – 1:30pm Blood Drives: January 10 – Trinity United Methodist Church – North Myrtle Beach – 9:00am – 2:00pm January 13 – St Andrews Catholic Church – Myrtle Beach – 8:30am – 1:30pm January 17 – WBTW Blood Drive – Coastal Grand Mall – 11:00am – 7:00pm January 19 – Palmetto Point Church of God – Myrtle Beach – 9:00am- 2:00pm January 23 – Coastal Carolina University- 10:00am – 4:00pm Become a Volunteer: Register now at RedCross.org/sc