Staten Island Middle School Students Learn to Be Red Cross Ready

The American Red Cross trained approximately 700 7th and 8th graders ages 12 to 14 to be Red Cross Ready May 8 at IS 75 in Staten Island.

The four, 40-minute-long, interactive sessions were sponsored by Staten Island Assembly Member Joseph Borelli. “With hurricane season making its approach, and with Superstorm Sandy still fresh in our minds, it is imperative to educate our youth about the importance of being prepared in the face of disaster,” Borelli said. “An individual who is well educated and well prepared will be better able to protect themselves, and their loved ones as well.”

The presenter had each group of children act out various hazards and what they would do in response. The audience guessed which hazard was being acted out, i.e., a tornado, a hurricane, a flood, a fire, extreme cold, etc. Each participant took home Red Cross preparedness pamphlets to share with their families.

Red Cross Helps Coney Islanders Prepare for Next Disaster

The American Red Cross responds to nearly 70,000 disasters across the U.S. each year, including about 2,300 in the Greater New York Region alone, and wants people to be prepared for an emergency.

On Jan. 8, Darius Alemzadeh, Red Cross community recovery specialist, helped some Brooklyn residents prepare for disaster with a Be Red Cross Ready presentation at the Brooklyn Public Library in Coney Island. Be Red Cross Ready is a 30–45 minute free presentation that allows participants to learn about steps they can take toward preparedness, including making a plan and building an emergency kit.

If your community organization is interested in Be Red Cross Ready, please email suzan.rosen@redcross.org.

Red Cross Helps Deaf and Hearing-Impaired Manhattan Residents Prepare for Disaster

More than 50 residents and staff of the Tanya Towers Treatment Apartments on Manhattan’s Lower East Side attended a “Be Red Cross Ready” emergency preparedness presentation by Damian Morales, American Red Cross community recovery specialist. This deaf-friendly residential setting is part of the New York Society for the Deaf.

Through an interpreter, the group, including deaf and/or hearing-impaired residents, learned how to get a kit, make a plan, and be informed before an emergency or disaster occurs.

"Having been impacted by Superstorm Sandy, they were active in discussions to learn how to prepare for the unexpected,” Morales said. “Their location now falls in Zone 1 of the NYC Hurricane Evacuation map so preparedness takes on a new meaning to the group."

Following the Red Cross presentation, representatives from Federation Employment Guidance Services and Project Hope spoke to the group about emotional resiliency.

The Red Cross offers emergency preparedness presentations free of charge as a service to the community. If you belong to a group or community interested in “Be Red Cross Ready,” please contact Suzan Rosen at suzan.rosen@redcross.org.