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Greetings,
During National Fire Prevention Month, we've seen the
devastation that fires can wreak. We've also seen the
wide-ranging support that only the American Red
Cross can provide in the wake of that devastation.
All eyes have been focused on Southern California in
recent weeks, and 26 SEPA Chapter staff and
volunteers have been among the thousands of Red
Cross staff who have responded to the wildfires that
have ravaged the region.
We've responded to tragedies here at home as well:
two double fatal fires among the 51 disasters we've
responded to locally so far in October. All told, 63
different volunteers have helped us respond to
emergencies in the last month.
To help prevent the
next one, we have reached nearly 6,000 families with
life-saving materials through our fire safety
walkthroughs this month--more than 10,000 since
July--in partnership with the Philadelphia Fire
Department under the leadership of Fire
Commissioner Lloyd Ayers.
All this is made possible by the efforts of our
Emergency Services volunteers, and we thank you as
always for your dedication to the Red Cross mission.
Sincerely,
Chief Executive Officer
Senior Director Emergency Services
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California Wildfires
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SEPA Responds to the National Call
The American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania
(SEPA) Chapter has deployed 24 volunteers and two
staff to Southern California in response to the wildfires
that have left 14 dead and caused an estimated $1.2 -
1.6 billion in damage.
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National Fire Prevention Month
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Red Cross Reaches Thousands through Walk-throughs
The American Red Cross reached nearly 6,000
families in Southeastern Pennsylvania with life-saving
fire prevention information during National Fire
Prevention Month in October.
Disaster Action Team (DAT) members partnered with
local fire departments and volunteers from Red Cross
county boards and Voluntary Organizations Active in
Disaster (VOAD) to blanket the five-county region
through a series of fire safety walk-throughs.
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Note from Tom Foley
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SEPA Chapter Update
I thought to do something a bit different with this
month's update. Instead of my usual Kiplinger-letter
format, attached please find three items: the PDF
version of our Annual Report, the link to
our Year in
Review video, and some remarks I prepared for our Annual
Celebration of Volunteers. Perhaps, just a few words
on each of these.
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Shelter Medical Kits
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Disaster Health Services Team Prepares
The Disaster Health Services (DHS) Team has
increased its disaster response capability by adding
15 new shelter medical kits to ES vehicles and trailers
throughout the five-county region, bringing the total
number of kits to 22. Each medical kit contains
enough supplies to meet the needs of a 500-person
shelter.
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SEPA Welcomes New Vehicles to its Fleet
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New Vehicles Will Assist in Responding to Disasters
The Delaware County Disaster Action Team (DAT) is
excited to announce the arrival of its brand new
Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV). Another addition
to the Southeastern PA Red Cross vehicle fleet is a
Ford Super Duty F-250 pickup truck.
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Client Casework
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Electronic 901 Form Now Available
Sometimes it is difficult to find a fax machine to send
casework to the Red Cross House, especially in the
middle of the night. For those who like to work online,
there is an electronic version of the 901 intake form.
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Vehicle Maintenance and You
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Help Make Sure our Vehicles are Ready When Needed
Winter is coming and that means our response
vehicles will need some extra attention. As with every
aspect of the Red Cross, we need our volunteers to
help us make sure the fleet is ready when we need it.
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Armed Forces Program Changes Name
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Different Name, Same Support of the Troops
The Red Cross program that serves the needs of
armed forces serving throughout the world is
changing its name. Formerly known as Armed Forces
Emergency Services (AFES), it will now be called
Services for Armed Forces (SAF).
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Client Assistance Cards
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Keeping Red Cross Dollars Secure
Each County DAT is entrusted with Client Assistance
Cards (CACs) that are held by DAT responders to be
used to assist our clients in their recovery from a
disaster. It is extremely important that CACs out in the
field are accounted for at all times and the use of or
transfer of the CACs is documented. The SEPA
Chapter is responsible to ARC National
Headquarters, the issuing bank, and the donors of the
funds being used, for the proper accounting of the
CAC cards.
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Volunteer Viewpoint
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Saving the World, One Fire at a Time
I like to say that I have a superhero complex. This
comes from a pact that I made with my twin sister and
our best friend years ago. The pact went like this: I
would be a firefighter, my sister would be a nurse, he
would be a cop, and together we would save the world.
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Disaster Mental Health Services
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Team Hosts Philadelphia Society of Clinical Psychologists
On October 12, 2007 the American Red Cross
Disaster Mental Health Services (DMHS) Team
hosted the Philadelphia Society of Clinical
Psychologists (PSCP) workshop, Dr. Dracula: How
Would A Vampire Face Today's Professional and
Ethical Problems? Some 60 attendees associated
with PSCP came to the American Red Cross building
on 23rd and Chestnut Streets for a three-hour ethics
continuing education workshop.
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Red Cross House
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A Fresh Look for Some Rooms, Thanks to SAP
On October 20, 2007, the American Red Cross
Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter welcomed a
group of volunteers from SAP America Inc.
The volunteer team, led by SEPA Board Member and
SAP Senior Vice President Terry Laudal, spent the day
painting several areas of Red Cross House.
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Red Cross House
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Police Radio Emergency 9-1-1 Presentation
On Thursday October 11, 2007, the Red Cross House
(RCH) Team hosted a presentation on "Police Radio
Emergency System 9-1-1," conducted by Paul J.
Andris, President of the Police Radio Advisory Board,
Harry Cherney, Executive Board Member of the Police
Radio Advisory Board, and Thomas Cippo, Police
Representative on the Police Radio Advisory Board.
The purpose of the meeting was to start a dialogue
among staff members related to security and safety at
RCH.
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Interfaith Preparedness
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VOAD Recruits Religious Leaders
The Red Cross is partnering with Voluntary
Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and county
and local agencies to enlist the faith-based
community in disaster preparedness.
The VOAD faith-based initiative consists of Disaster
Preparedness Conferences focusing on interfaith
groups in each of the five counties in Southeastern
Pennsylvania.
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SEPA IDs
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Badges for ES Volunteers
If you are in need of a current Emergency Services ID
badge or have not had your picture taken for one,
please contact Sarah Rissinger.
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