Red Cross Opening or Supporting Additional Storm Shelters Across WNY

The American Red Cross is opening or supporting partner shelters across Western New York in response to the ongoing lake effect snow event. Volunteers will have food, water, blankets, cots and additional support available at the following locations:

·         Alexander Fireman’s Recreation Hall
10708 Alexander Road, Alexander

·         Cheektowaga Senior Center (providing blankets only)
3349 Broadway, Cheektowaga

·         Depew Senior Center
85 Manitou Street, Depew

·         Fredonia High School
425 East Main Road, Fredonia

·         Lackawanna Senior Center
234 Martin Road, Lackawanna

·         Lancaster Fire Department (providing food only)
525 Pavement Road, Lancaster

·         Orchard Park Fire District
30 School Street, Orchard Park

·         Ripley Fire Hall
11 South State Street, Ripley

As this lake event snow event continues, Red Cross staff and volunteers remain in contact with emergency officials from across Western New York and are ready to respond as needed. 

The Red Cross urges everyone to heed travel warnings and stay off the roads if possible. Additional winter storm safety tips are available at www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/winter-storm. 

Volunteers also responded to two separate fires in Monroe County on Monday, November 17, providing immediate emergency assistance to four people. Our Disaster Action Team volunteers provided lodging for one survivor after a fire on Creekview Drive in Chili. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy, the 30^th fire-related death in the 17-county Western New York/Finger Lakes Region in 2014. Our volunteers also provided food and lodging for two adults and a child after a fire on Boughton Hill Road in Mendon.

The American Red Cross, Western New York Chapter provides an average of just over $1,000 in direct financial assistance when responding to a single family house fire affecting a family of four. Anyone wishing to help people affected by fires, winter storms or other disasters is asked to consider donating to the Disaster Relief Fund by calling 1-800-REDCROSS, visiting www.redcross.org, or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to charge a $10 donation to their cell phone bill.

It's baack!!

So this is the view outside my office window right now:

I know what you're thinking. It's Western New York, in a few months we'll be longing to see that much green. That may be true, but the reality is, this is the first we've seen of the white stuff this season, with lake snow advisories in effect for parts of the area. So while the amount of snow you see on the ground today isn't enough to even slow down a true Western New Yorker, it's time to brush up on your winter safety tips, since we know this is only the beginning.

And while, of course, the best advice is to stay off the roads during blizzard conditions, that's not always possible. So here's a few winter driving tips to get you ready for the coming months:

• Make sure your vehicle is ready for winter with safe tires filled to proper pressure, a window scraper, kitty litter or sand in case you get stuck, extra clothes and a Disaster Supplies Kit in your trunk. Pack high-protein snacks, water, first aid kit, flashlight, small battery-operated radio, an emergency contact card with names and phone numbers, extra prescription medications, blankets and important documents or information you may need.

• Fill the vehicle’s gas tank and clean the lights and windows to help you see.

• Find out what disasters may occur where you are traveling and pay attention to the weather forecast. Before you leave, let someone know where you are going, the route you plan to take, and when you expect to get there. If your car gets stuck, help can be sent along your predetermined route.

• If you can, avoid driving in sleet, freezing rain, snow or dense fog. If you have to drive, make sure everyone has their seat belts on and give your full attention to the road. Avoid distractions such as cell phones.

• Don’t follow other vehicles too closely. Sudden stops are difficult on snowy roadways.

• Don’t use cruise control when driving in winter weather.

Accentuate the Positive

You may have seen and heard some negative stories surrounding the two-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy's landfall. The American Red Cross has responded to the reporting done by ProPublica and NPR (some of those responses can be found here, here and here), but it is still very difficult for those of us who were there not to take these stories personally. As my friend and volunteer Pete Swales, who spent 39 days working on the Sandy response, told me, "What ProPublica and NPR claim hurts terribly, and brings back all the ruination we witnessed and the amazing gratitude of the New Yorkers, even those that were not affected!"

What was left Michael O'Hanlon's Breezy Point home
after Superstorm Sandy

The last part of that sentence is what I want to focus on, the incredible work that I personally witnessed during my two weeks in NYC in November 2012. I think back to Miss Cynthia in the Rockaways, who was so grateful for the efforts of the nearly 17,000 volunteers who worked on the Sandy response that she told my colleague Katie and I, "You shouldn't be called the Red Cross. You should all be called angels." Or being interrupted while speaking to a union meeting by Michael O'Hanlon, who said, "The Red Cross is awesome!" He later showed my colleague Julie and I the pictures of what remained of his Breezy Point home, explaining that we had provided the only hot meals his family had eaten since swimming out of their home three weeks earlier. I am so proud to have been just one of the hundreds of Western and Central New Yorkers who have their own stories of traveling to help our downstate neighbors in need, and each of those incredible volunteers should remember the millions of people who were so grateful they were there to help them.

You may have also heard that the Red Cross is currently undergoing a transition in order to meet the growing demand for our services. While this will allow us to help even more people because we are operating more efficiently, changes such as these are never easy. But thanks to our amazing volunteers and supporters, the great work of the Red Cross continues in our communities each and every day. Last Tuesday, for example, two hours after arriving on the scene of an early-morning apartment fire in Niagara Falls, our volunteers had opened a shelter for the dozens of displaced families, without ever having stepped foot in the Niagara Falls office.

An Emergency Response Vehicle distributes supplies and
information to areas around Penn Yan hard-hit by flooding
in May

We know this new structure can work because it has already. In September 2013, the Yates County Chapter in Penn Yan was closed. Less than a year later, that area was affected by massive flooding. "We weren't happy when the office closed," Yates County Deputy EMO Diane Cabes told me. "But you were there when you needed to be, providing very beneficial services that were very appreciated." Those services included opening a shelter at the Penn Yan Academy in the initial hours after the storm's impact, then providing a total of 34 overnight shelter stays, serving serving over 600 meals and snacks, distributing 238 clean-up kits and providing emotional support and referrals to help the community get back on its feet in the weeks that followed.

"Disasters don't always happen where offices and staff are," said volunteer Donna Davis, who was among the first to respond in Penn Yan while water was still running through the streets. "Staff and volunteers know what to do. Regardless of where a disaster happens, if there's a need, the volunteers will be there."

That's the message that I hope everyone remembers moving forward. The Red Cross has the most incredible volunteers and supporters, and thanks to them, each of our communities will be able to count on us to provide these vital services tomorrow and for years to come.

Binghamton Family's Story on Today Show Highlights Importance of Fire Prevention Week

This week marks Fire Prevention Week in the United States. Many organizations, including the American Red Cross, use this week to remind people of what they should be doing every day of the year.  One such story that highlights this is out of Binghamton. The Aissa family shared their heartbreaking story on the Today Show Tuesday. It highlights the importance of being prepared in case of a fire so you know what to do if one does happen in your home. 

Research shows fire departments respond to about 366,600 home fires a year across the United States. In those fires, more than 2,500 people die every year and about 13,000 others are hurt. The most common cause of these home fires is cooking.  

In our region, we have had a number of fires during the past few weeks. Some of these fires could have been prevented, while others may have not been. Accidents do happen, but you can take steps to drastically reduce the chance of a fire in your home.  Included in these steps is having a working smoke detector. Smoke detectors save lives and are available through the Red Cross and/or local fire departments as well as retail stores.   You can find more safety tips here:  http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/home-fire

Now that you have read the safety tips, just how fire safety savvy are you? Take the quiz to find out!