Volunteer Voice October 2013

October 2013

The Volunteer Voice Did you know that October is Fire Prevention Month?

See page 2 for more details on how to be prepared!

September Volunteer of the Month: Tonya Brogan

Disaster Team Informational Session and Training Monday, 7 October, 10am Welcome to our newest Vicenza Health Center volunteers!

Interested in becoming part of the Red Cross Disaster Assistance Team? Interested in learning more about the types of disasters that may affect Vicenza and how to be prepared? Come to 300A on Monday, 7 October at 10am to learn more! Email us at vicenza@redcross.org or call 0444-71-7089 let us know you will be coming.

NEW: Blended Learning CPR/First Aid/AED Class Friday, 17 October from 0900-1200 This course is perfect for the busy person who doesn’t have a full day to commit to the typical CPR/First Aid/AED class. It is comprised of 2 parts: 1) An online class done at your own pace class to be completed before the skills portion and 2) classroom skills session for hands-on training and proficiency assessment on 17 October. Pre-registration is required and can be done at the American Red Cross office in building 333.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! CONTACT THE RED CROSS OFFICE IF YOU ARE WILLING TO HELP

BBQ Lunch Fundraiser 21 October from 11am-1pm At the Red Cross office Volunteers needed for set-up, clean-up, cooking (must have food handler’s certification), selling merchandise, and handling money

Howl-O Ween 30 October from 4-6pm at the Villaggio Dog Park Pet costume contest, sign up for Pet First Aid, raffles, learn how to make a disaster kit for your pet, and more!

Volunteers needed for set-up, clean-up, signing in participants, judging, and more

October 2013

Fire Prevention Month The Red Cross responds to a disaster every eight minutes and nearly all of these are home fires. House fires are the worst disaster threat to families in the United States.

They can happen quickly, devastating lives and property.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), there are as many as 365,000 residential fires reported in the U.S. every year. These fires cause more than $6 billion in property loss.

Make a Plan The Red Cross recommends that households develop a

Fire Facts  Only 26% of families have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan.  The number of home fires the American Red Cross has responded to has risen 10% since 2000.  Every two and a half hours someone is killed in a home fire.

In a typical year, 20,000 people are injured in home fires.  Having a working smoke alarm reduces one’s chances of dying in a fire by nearly half.  Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home fire injuries.  About 300 people per year are killed and $280 million in property is destroyed in fires attributed to children playing with fire.  Just over half of child-playing fires in the home start in a bedroom, and bedding material is most often the first item ignited.

Kids at Risk Your children are most at risk during a home fire. Many fires in the home are started by kids playing with dangerous items such as matches and lighters. Keep these and other items which can ignite in a secure location out of your children’s reach. Use the flameless candles which contain a light bulb rather than an open flame. This eliminates the danger of your child knocking the candle over.

Teach your child how to escape from a fire, what smoke alarms sound like and what they should do if they hear one go off. Draw up a family escape plan and make sure everyone in your home, especially the children, knows two ways to escape from every room in the house and where to meet outside. Teach your kids to stop, drop to the ground, and roll if their clothes catch on fire. Teach your kids to never open doors that are warm to touch. Make sure kids know how to dial 1-1-2.

fire escape plan and practice it at least twice a year with everyone who lives in the home. People should know two ways to escape from every room and designate a safe place to meet outside the home in case of a fire.

Other safety steps include:  Follow the escape plan in case of fire. Get out, stay out, and call 112  Install smoke alarms on every level of the house and inside bedrooms.  Replace batteries in smoke yearly. Test each alarm monthly by pushing the test button.  Download the Red Cross First Aid App to get access to life-saving information on what to do for common, everyday first aid emergencies including burns. The app is available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play for Android.  Consider escape ladders for sleeping areas on the second or third floor. Make sure everyone in your home learns how to use them ahead of time by reading the manufacturer’s instructions and understanding the steps. Store them near the window where they will be used.  If smoke, heat, or flames block your exit routes, stay in the room with the door closed. If possible, place a towel under the door and call the fire department to alert them to your location in the home. Go to the window and signal for help waving a bright-colored cloth or a flashlight. Do not break the window, but open it from the top and bottom.

Smoke Alarms Save Lives Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside each sleeping area. Put a smoke alarm inside every bedroom. Because smoke rises, put the alarms on the ceiling or high on the wall. Test the smoke alarms regularly by pushing the test button. If you don’t hear a noise, install a new battery. Install new batteries every year. Get new smoke alarms every ten years.

October 2013

Red Cross Club The Vicenza High School Red Cross Club has kicked off the school year by signing its first constitution and increasing its membership to 29 students with more coming. The club has already been actively involved in helping the Vicenza military community by assisting with Octobertest and the Vicenza Community Club’s 80’s Night. On 27 September, ten of the club members were selected to take the CPR/First Aid/AED class (as depicted right). The club has set the goal of certifying all of its members.

Don’t Forget to Submit your Volunteer Hours!

Volunteer Connection is the place to record volunteer your hours. Instead of logging them on paper, just sign into volunteer connection, go to “My Profile,” select “Shifts/Hours” and log them there.

We will review them every week and approve them so that they will show in your record.

Log in at https://volunteerconnection.redcross.org.

Safety Tip of the Month COSTUME SAFETY: There are steps parents can take to keep their little ghosts and goblins safe in their disguises during Halloween:   

Add reflective tape to costumes and trick-ortreat bags.

Use flame-resistant costumes.

Use face makeup instead of masks, which can cover their eyes and make it hard to see.

October Calendar 1 – Volunteer Orientation

21 – BBQ Lunch Fundraiser

5 – CPR/First Aid/AED Course

29-31 – VHC Facilitated InProcessing

7 – Disaster Team Informational Session and Training 17 – Blended Learning CPR/First Aid/AED Course

30 – Howl-O-Ween 31 – October volunteer hours due

Questions, comments, concerns?

American Red Cross Building 333 Caserma Ederle Vicenza, Italy Phone: 0444-71-7089 Vicenza@redcross.org www.facebook.com/ARCVicenza