National Preparedness Month, Day 2!

Nancy Blaschak excepting  the proclamation from
Mayor Byron Brown declaring September Preparedness Month

Its preparedness month! And we’re celebrating with 30 days full of tips on our favorite topic… preparedness!! If you’ve missed out on any of them, click here to take a trip through the month of September and catch up!!

Erie County Executive Chris Collins, Mayor Byron Brown,
Niagara Legislative Chairman, the Boy Scouts of America,
and Volunteer Bonnie Klein and her dog.

As a kickoff for the event, we hosted a Preparedness Month Press Conference here at the Buffalo Chapter and invited some of the people that help make the work we do in the community possible.  At the event, we got to hear from Nancy Blaschak, Regional Executive Director of the American Red Cross Serving Erie & Niagara, Chris Collins, Erie County Executive, Mayor Byron Brown, Mayor of the City of Buffalo, William Ross, Legislative Chairman of Niagara County, the Boy Scouts of America, Bonnie Klein, American Red Cross volunteer, and her dog Sophie.  
Our presenters discussed the importance of being prepared and the American Red Cross was also given a proclamation by the Mayor declaring September Preparedness Month.  To see some of the coverage from the event, be sure to tune into channel 2, channel 7, and YNN and check back here for more tips throughout the month!

Photo courtesy of do2learn.com

Preparedness Tip #2
Pick a place to meet after a disaster.  Designate two meeting places.  Choose one right outside your home, in case of a sudden household emergency, such as a fire. The second place you choose needs to be outside your neighborhood, in the event that it is not safe to stay near or return to your home.

To learn more about picking places for you and your household to meet, click here!

Red Cross... for kids!

Most people know that we go out into the community to present preparedness information to adults in the community… but did you know we also give presentations to children?! We have three presentations that we offer to children and young adults, including:

Scrubby Bear- in the Scrubby Bear presentation, our presenter and Scrubby Bear talk to students about what germs are, where germs can be, what we can do to prevent germs from getting us sick, how we can prevent our germs from getting others sick and the proper way to wash our hands. Presenters use “Germ Juice” which is a non-toxic germ simulator which will glow when children’s hands are put underneath a black light, students are then told to wash their hands singing the song that they just learned and then we put their hands under the black light again to see how thorough of a job they did washing their hands.   For ages 4-6, a variation of the program is also available for ages 7-8.

Sesame Street- In the Sesame Street presentation, our presenters, Grover and Rosita, talk to students about what an emergency is, how to prepare for an emergency, where we can go in an emergency and the types of information we should know in an emergency.  This presentation has a movie that accompanies it where Grover and Rosita’s friends learn how to be prepared.  Children receive a preparedness coloring book that reinforces all of the information that is presented, and that will help get their families prepared. For ages 4-7.

Ready Set Prepare- In the Ready Set Prepare presentation, students learn about what an emergency is, types of emergencies, how to get a kit, make a plan and stay informed during an emergency.  Presenters go in depth about the information that we need to know before an emergency, types of things that our emergency kits should have and ways to stay informed during an emergency.  Students receive a preparedness book and information that will help get their families prepared.
For ages 6-11.

If you would like to learn more about one of these presentations, or you would like to schedule a presentation for your school, day-care or club, please contact Denise-Herkey Jarosch at 716-878-2231, HerkeyJaroschD@usa.redcross.org or Louise Porter at 716-878-2230, PorterL@usa.redcross.org.