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Emergency Services:Disaster Services - Trained volunteers are ready to take immediate action in response to a wide range of disasters locally and nationally. Disaster response services provided by the Red Cross include emergency mass sheltering and feeding and disaster recovery support, by providing immediate basic needs as appropriate. Disaster preparedness and education presentations are available to schools, communities, and service groups. These programs assist in preparing people for disasters to mitigate loss of property and personal injury. Blood Services - Blood Products and Tissue Services - One of the most visible programs of the American Red Cross is blood services. Almost half of the nation's blood supply is provided by Red Cross donors. Sophisticated quality control and testing ensures blood safety. Every year, the Hampshire County Chapter collects on an average 4,000 units of blood at blood drives held throughout the county. Thanks to a group of dedicated blood drive volunteers and hundreds of donors, the local Chapter of the Red Cross helps maintain an adequate blood supply for the area. Armed Forces Emergency Services (AFES) - Red Cross paid and volunteer staff provide emergency-related services to members of the U.S. armed forces, veterans, their families, and civilians. Some of the services include making our Red Cross around-the-clock, around-the-world emergency communication network available to the men and women of our armed forces and their families during time of personal emergencies. This service operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year and transmits or receives messages at no cost to the service personnel or their families. AFES provides support to military personnel to access military aid societies and humanitarian reassignment requests. Red Cross assists veterans with discharge reviews and upgrades, in addition to providing counseling and referrals to local support services. Military outreach staff deliver presentations to National Guard units and recruiters providing important instruction for families in case of deployments. International Social Services - The Red Cross local chapters are able to offer a number of unique international services, including responding with personnel, financial aid, and gifts in-kind appeals for assistance in international disasters; tracing/location services for people separated from their relatives because of war, civil disturbance, or natural disaster. The Holocaust and War Victims Tracing and Information Center, a specialized unit of the American Red Cross International Services administers the processing of inquiries regarding the fate of persons missing since the Holocaust through more than 900 American Red Cross chapters across the U.S. Initiating an inquiry is as close as your local chapter. Staff is available to provide presentations on International Humanitarian Law (IFIL) and the Geneva Conventions. Health and Safety Services:First Aid Programs - The American Red Cross has provided training in first aid since 1909. At the turn of the century, the program trained civilians to use first aid skills during disasters, conflicts, and epidemics. Today, Red Cross chapters offer a variety of programs to communities, schools, workplaces, civic groups and organizations. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Programs - Each year, cardiovascular disease causes nearly 1 million deaths. More than half of these result from heart attacks. Death from heart attacks have been significantly reduced by increased awareness of measures to prevent heart attacks and by the training of everyday citizens in lifesaving skills, such as CPR. Red Cross CPR courses reflect the cutting edge of emergency cardiac care. Anyone can take CPR courses, and everyone can benefit. Aquatics Programs - The American Red Cross has led aquatics education since 1914. Aquatics programs are offered for all ages, skill levels, and physical abilities, and they include courses and skills that meet job-related needs. Courses include Infant and Preschool Aquatics, Learn to Swim (Levels I to VII), Lifeguard Training, Water Safety Instructor Training, and Safety Training for Swim Coaches. Workplace Training - Emergencies can happen anywhere at any time. The American Red Cross offers training customized for workplace settings, including Chokesaver, Adult CPR/AED, Preventing Disease Transmission, and Back Injury Prevention. Examples of workplace training clients include restaurants, manufacturing plants, schools, retail businesses, and athletic centers. Other Health and Safety Programs - In keeping with current national health care needs, the American Red Cross also offers health promotions and injury prevention programs such as Babysitter's Training; HIV/AIDS Prevention Education; and a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Program. Red Cross Health and Safety workers in the community may offer blood pressure screening, referral, and follow-up, as well as Red Cross first aid stations at public events. Automated External Defibrillator (AED) - Every Minute of every day sudden cardiac arrest claims another victim. Sadly, almost a third of these deaths could have been prevented if an AED had been used. An AED is a devise that can restart a heart that has stopped. The chapter han now integrated trining for the use of AED's in its CPR courses. Community ProgramsYouth ProgramsA multidimensional program for Hampshire County Youth Members of the Hampshire County Red Cross youth programs take health and safety courses, become trained in community disaster education and in making presentations in their communities, and become engaged in peer leadership training. Youth Red Cross programs for the younger set include creating "friendship boxes" for local and overseas disaster victims; summer safety sessions at the Chapter House and around the county; and school information sessions centered on such subjects as fire and other natural disasters. In schools, Red Crosser youth engage in disaster fund-raising and other extensions of community disaster education. Many groups complete friendship boxes of personal care items for the local COT program. Two major programs of the Junior Red Cross, created in 1997, span the areas of Health Services and Disaster Response. They are (1) the Summer Safety Sessions administered by Health Services, in which students gain a comprehensive understanding and hands-on application of first aid and CPR, water safety, and health education; and (2) Community Disaster Education (CDE) for middle school students, administered by Emergency Services, in which students learn peer teaching and teach younger children how to prepare for and prevent the potentially devastating effects of natural disasters such as fires and floods. Juvenile Fire Prevention ProgramThe chapter has formed a partnership with local community and law enforcement agencies to provide direct, individualized fire safety education for youth. The program is educationally oriented with a curriculum designed to respond to the developmental stages of children and youth between the ages of 3 and 17. The community collaborator's objectives are to reduce fire incidents and fire setting activity among youth and provide a safer environment for the residents of Hampshire County. For more information, call Mary Snyders at 584-8887. Communicable Disease Prevention Program In conjunction with the Department of Corrections of Northampton and Greenfield, the chapter provides communicable disease prevention training for those placed on parol or probation. The critical training for this high-risk group also includes HIV/AIDS testing. Key to this program is a peer education component drawn from graduates of the program. Special instructor training is provided for these peer educators. Juvenile Fire Prevention Program The Red Cross Homeless Transition program provides essential funding (primarily through a HUD grant) to support the process of taking the chronic homeless off the streets and out of shelters. Through careful casework, counseling and training, the program provides the foundation for the homeless to successfully transition to permanent housing. The Continuum of Care is comprised of multiple service agencies working together to provide services to homeless clients. Community Disaster Education (CDE) For Families & EldersA program of Emergency ServicesCommunity Disaster Education (CDE) for families and for elderly citizens. The program is for those who would otherwise not receive potentially life-saving information and instruction in how to prepare for and prevent the possibly devastating effects of natural emergencies. Verbal presentations and information packets to elders and families target winter storms, spring flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, and home or community fires. Special outreach targets the elderly and information is provided to homebound seniors. |
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2005 American Red Cross Hampshire - Franklin County, Massachusetts Last Update: 09/ 18/ 2007 by EMH |
| For Site suggestions/comments e-mail us at info@redcrosshampshirecounty.org |