Scouts Take Cue From Squirrel

 

Squiggy

Squiggy the Safety Squirrel (along with his human helpers) recently presented Red Cross information to Cub Scout Pack 999 in Harford County. The scouts learned about disaster preparedness and how to help their families during an emergency. Here is what the Cubmaster had to say about the presentation:  

“I am glad we had Squiggy come as that really helped keep the boys interested. Thanks again for providing the programs to groups such as ours. It is important information and it is a great way for the Scouts and kids to learn about what to do in an emergency. Hopefully it will even start a dialogue at home where the Scout will talk to their parents about it.” — Tony Nardi, Cubmaster Pack 999.

Learn more about the Red Cross Youth Network here.

Dozens Displaced After Baltimore Apartment Fire

Red Cross volunteers were called on Saturday to help Dickey Hill residents after fire damaged 10 apartments.

http://wjz.com/local/fire.firefighters.Baltimore.2.940472.html

Red Cross Assists Multiple Families Left Homeless During Freezing Weather

The Red Cross was on the scene to assist four families after a fire damaged row homes on the 3600 block of Belvedere Road in Baltimore yesterday. Video of the blaze is below courtesy of Michael Schwartzberg, Fire Photographer. 

Red Cross volunteers were also there on Monday for 10 families needing help after three fires damaged multiple homes in the area. This has been a particularly busy January for the Red Cross. We have helped 90 families this month as compared to 57 in January 2008 and only 53 in January 2007.  To support this work click here.

Tracing News

The latest issue of Tracing News is now on-line. Take a look, leave a comment and tell us what you think, then pass it on!

DAT Response

Central MD Red Crossers have been out in force over the last 3 weeks. If your family was affected by a home fire in Central MD and the Red Cross helped you, leave a comment and tell us about it.

Date of Incidents	Number of families assisted	Address	City	Zip	Area
12/14/2008	1	7400 block of Belclare Road	Dundalk	21222	Baltimore County
12/14/2008	1	2700 block of Hugo Avenue	Baltimore	21218	Baltimore City
12/12/2008	3	3700 block of Tenth Street	Baltimore	21225	Baltimore City
12/12/2008	1	100 block of North Post Road	Aberdeen	21001	Harford County
12/12/2008	2	900 block of Bennett Place	Baltimore	21217	Baltimore City
12/9/2008	1	200 block of South Bouldin Street	Baltimore	21224	Baltimore City
12/9/2008	1	100 block of Franklintowne Road	Baltimore	21223	Baltimore City
12/8/2008	6	3400 block of Shore Drive	Bay Ridge	21403	Anne Arundel County
12/8/2008	1	4800 block of Bayonne Avenue	Baltimore	21206	Baltimore City
12/8/2008	1	1100 block of North Luzerne Avenue	Baltimore	21213	Baltimore City
12/2/2008	2	800 block of 33rd Street	Baltimore	21218	Baltimore City
12/2/2008	1	2000 block of Saratoga Street	Baltimore	21223	Baltimore City
12/2/2008	6	1200 block of Madison	Annapolis	21403	Anne Arundel County
12/1/2008	1	3300 block of Carlisle	Baltimore	21216	Baltimore City
11/30/2008	1	5500 block of Willis Avenue	Arbutus	21227	Baltimore County
11/30/2008	1	3700 block of Court Leigh Drive	Randallstown	21133	Baltimore County
11/29/2008	7	W. Bend Court	Woodlawn	21244	Baltimore County
11/29/2008	1	2100 block of Pentland Drive	Parkville	21234	Baltimore County
11/26/2008	1	2100 block of Lorraine Avenue	Gwynn Oak	21207	Baltimore County
11/26/2008	1	3600 block of Old Milford Mill Road	Milford Mill	21244	Baltimore County
11/26/2008	1	1500 block of N. Luzerne Avenue	Baltimore	21213	Baltimore City
11/26/2008	1	4400 block of Mannasota Avenue	Baltimore	21206	Baltimore City
11/26/2008	1	700 block of Custus Street	Aberdeen	21001	Harford County
11/25/2008	1	700 block of Lancers Terrace	Crownsville	21032	Anne Arundel

SQUIQQY ON THE SCENE

Squiqqy: Ready for take off.

Squiqqy and a few other Red Crossers were at the Winfield Community Volunteer Fire Department on Sunday for their annual Fire Safety Open House. Read more and see the rest of the pictures here.

Maryland Red Crossers Help with Hurricanes

19 Central MD volunteers have been deployed to Texas and Louisiana to help with Hurricane relief efforts. Watch volunteer Rich Scanlan’s story here.

Get Ready for Hurricanes

With Hurricane Gustav and Hannah making headlines this week, now is a good time to check and make sure that your family is hurricane-ready. MD doesn’t often experience the full brunt of such storms, but it is not out of the realm of possibility, as Hurricane Isabel proved. Even after hurricanes are downgraded, the continuing rain can bring storm surges, flooding, tornadoes, and other dangers to our area.

First and foremost, have a plan (that means remembering it too; a plan is useless if you don’t know it when you need it the most). Review it periodically with your family members, and make sure that you include the following things:

• A First-Aid kit: hurricane or not, a First-Aid kit is always a paramount necessity.
• Means of contacting each other in case of an emergency: this can include emergency phone numbers, meeting places, etc.
• An evacuation plan: it is never safe to sit in the path of an incoming hurricane. Know in advance where you can evacuate to (include also out-of-town friends, family, etc., that you can stay with in the case of a larger and more destructive storm).
• Preparations for pets: many shelters may or may not accept family pets, so plan accordingly.
• Check your insurance policy: after a destructive hurricane, flood coverage and other insurance provisions are critical to the recovery process.
• And last but not least, pay close attention for weather forecasts in your area!

For more information on how you can protect you and your family from hurricanes, visit www.nhc.noaa.gov.

(Thanks to youth CDE member Hans Zhang for this information.)

LOCAL RED CROSS GEARS UP FOR GUSAV

A Red Cross ERV stands Ready to Roll.

Baltimore area Red Cross volunteer recruitment is beginning in the event that Hurricane Gustav comes ashore in the Gulf States. Emergency services volunteers experienced in sheltering, feeding, health and mental health services are on stand-by and tomorrow two teams of local volunteers will be driving a pair of emergency response vehicles (ERV’s) south to preposition for the storm.

Once they arrive at an Alabama staging area, they will stock the vehicles with food, water, clean up and comfort kits.

MORE LOCAL RED CROSS VOLUNTEERS DEPLOYED TO MIDWEST

Central Maryland has deployed four additional workers to assist the victims of the current flooding in Iowa and Wisconsin.

Some of the deployed include:

Kelly Formoso, also from Baltimore, MD, is working as a Client Casework Supervisor in Cedar Rapids.

James “Jim” Gourley, of Anne Arundel County, is working as an Emergency Response Vehicle Driver in Madison, WI.

Wen Pan, of Howard County, is also working as a Emergency Response Vehicle Driver in Cedar Rapids, IO. Doug Lent, of Baltimore City, is working as an Public Information Officer in Cedar Rapids. (See article below.)