Egg wrap up!

Although our egg laying troop was out bright and early getting ready to hide candy and preparedness filled eggs for those attending our Preparedness Education Egg Hunt this afternoon, the hail, snow and cold kept us from actually hiding any! However we didn't let that stop us.  Our brave egg hunters still came out to learn more about emergency preparedness and, of course, eat some candy

Candy, pictures of necessary preparedness items you should have in your emergency kits (I.e. water, a can opener, a radio), golden tickets that you redeem for some amazing giveaways (I.e. first aid kits, book bags, and water bottles) and of course, emergency whistles were stuffed inside over 900 eggs for our excited egg hunters!

And that's not all we sent them home with! They also got a Ready Rex preparedness activity books and a fun stress ball!

Thanks to the great participation between the American Red Cross and the BMHA Citizen Corps Council, BMHA Resident Services and Frederick Douglass Resident Council this event was a great success with over 70 people in attendance who all went away with a better understanding of how to be Red Cross Ready and how to get a kit, make a plan and stay informed… with the added excitement of an egg hunt and sweet reward of candy and preparedness themed prizes!!
Click here to see YNN's story on the Preparedness Egg Hunt!

If you are interested in learning more about how you can be Red Cross Ready, you can visit us online or contact Denise Herkey-Jarosch, Regional Coordinator, NYS Citizens Preparedness Program, at (716) 878-2231 or Louise Porter, Prepared and Ready Coordinator at (716) 878-2230 to schedule a Be Red Cross Ready presentation that addresses issues such as fire preparedness.

When disaster strikes

Lightning is believed to be the cause of a fire that broke out in an Orchard Park apartment complex last night, which just goes to show us that no matter how careful we are, disaster can still strike! So we need to be prepared! 

Photo courtesy of Channel 4 news, www.wivb.com/

How can you prepare?

Have working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors outside of every sleeping area and on each level of your home

Have trouble remembering when to change the batteries? If you can't remember the last time you did, it’s time to change them! We suggest making daylight-saving time your official time to change batteries and update your emergency preparedness kits.

                Make an emergency kit for everyone in your household… even your pets!

Don’t know what to include in yours? Check out our fun and interactive link that will help you your family make one!

                Make sure there is a whistle in each sleeping area

If a fire breaks out and you’re stuck in your room, the sound of a whistle will travel much further than your voice, and save you from inhaling a lot of smoke!

                Have an emergency meeting place

Make sure everyone in your household knows where to meet outside if there is an emergency.  Don’t make it the front porch or fire hydrant!

Make sure that everyone in your household knows two ways out of each room 

One way might be a door… is the other a window? Could you make the jump or do you need a rope ladder?

For more tips on how to be prepared, visit us online or call Denise Herkey-Jarosch, Regional Coordinator, NYS Citizens Preparedness Program, at (716) 878-2231 or Louise Porter, Prepared and Ready Coordinator at (716) 878-2230 to schedule a Be Red Cross Ready presentation that addresses issues such as fire preparedness. 

Egg hunting season!!



Photo courtesy of www.achildgrows.com

What’s better than an egg hunt? How about an egg hunt that also highlights the importance of emergency preparedness!? 

We thought so too!! That’s why we here at the American Red Cross and the BMHA Citizen Corps Council, BMHA Resident Services and Frederick Douglass Resident Council are helping to run the Preparedness Education Egg Hunt!!

This Thursday, April 21st from 12:00pm until 2:00pm at the Frederick Douglass Community Center, kids age 5-11 and their guardians are welcome to participate in our outdoor, weather permitting, egg hunt! While the kids search outdoors for their candy filled treats, preparedness items will be randomly raffled off… so everyone that attends has a chance to win! 

When: Thursday, April 21st from 12:00pm-2:00pm

What: Preparedness Education Egg Hunt

Where: The Frederick Douglass Community Center, 234 Jefferson Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14204

Who: Kids aged 5-11 and their guardians

For more information contact Erica Smith of the Frederick Douglass Resident Council at 716-605-7951. We hope to see you there!!

Spring vs. winter!



Photo courtesy of the St. Louis Area Chapter of the American Red Cross

Although it’s spring, we still haven’t been able to completely shake the grasp of winter, as we can see just by looking out windows across Western New York.  And if you’re like most of us here at the Chapter, we’ve been driving with our windows downs, shades on and tunes up and have long forgotten about the slick roads, white outs and all of the other dangerous situations that can arise from driving in the winter… or in this case, spring. That's why we thought it'd be the perfect time to brush up on some preparedness tips for winter driving!

Safety Tip # 1

Pay attention to the forecast: If the weather service is telling you to not travel unless necessary… don’t travel unless it’s necessary!

Safety Tip # 2

Always try to drive with a full tank of gas (One less thing to worry about if you get stuck in traffic)

Safety Tip #3

Make sure you have an emergency kit for your car with a variety of the following inside:

            -Battery operated radio

-Blankets

-Food

-Water

-Something brightly colored and reflective that can be used to call attention to your car if needed

-Flashlights

-Empty coffee cans or bottles (with lids!) for makeshift facilities

Safety Tip #4

Try to travel during the day

Safety Tip #5

If you’re driving and you think it’s too dangerous to continue, pull over! Turn on your hazard lights and hang a distress flag from your car’s radio antenna or window.

For more ideas on what to keep in your car’s emergency kit, visit us online!

For more winter driving tips, visit FEMA online. 

To purchase an emergency kit, visit our store online.

If you think that your school, company or other organization would benefit from a Be Red Cross Ready presentation that addresses issues such as winter preparedness, please contact Denise Herkey-Jarosch, Regional Coordinator, NYS Citizens Preparedness Program, at (716) 878-2231 or Louise Porter, Prepared and Ready Coordinator at (716) 878-2230 to set up a presentation