Conrad Sauvé of the Canadian Red Cross Visits Greater NY

Conrad Sauvé (left) and Josh Lockwood

Greater New York Red Cross Regional CEO Josh Lockwood met with Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Red Cross, Conrad Sauvé, on Monday, Sept. 22. Mr. Sauvé visited Greater New York headquarters to learn more about how the chapter plans for and responds to local disasters as well as large-scale disasters. Among the topics discussed was the response to flooding in Alberta last year, on-going recovery operations in Haiti and how the Red Cross is helping with the Ebola outbreak in Africa. Both also discussed an “exchange program” where teams from Greater New York and the Canadian Red Cross would visit one another periodically to share information and best practices.

Ready Red Hook Day

Brooklyn Disaster Action Team (DAT) Captain, Nancy Soto; Brooklyn DAT member Les Levinowitz; members of the Red Hook Coalition

 On Saturday, September 13, Brooklyn Disaster Action Team (DAT) Captain Nancy Soto and DAT member Les Levinowitz supported “Ready Red Hook Day” by meeting with residents of the Red Hook community to discuss emergency preparedness and distribute home and family disaster preparedness materials.    

In the first hours and days after Hurricane Sandy, the community of Red Hook organically came together and managed the initial response. Out of that response came the Community Disaster Readiness Plan, which was developed by the community of Red Hook for the community of Red Hook. The plan provides residents with a single guide for the critical 72 hours prior to and after a disaster, before formal government assistance is in place. “Ready Red Hook Day” was an opportunity for community members to practice their own emergency plan. 

Organized by the Red Hook Coalition, “Ready Red Hook Day” afforded the Red Cross Brooklyn DAT an opportunity engage the local community, collaborate with partners and integrate disaster response plans.     

The Importance of Being Prepared in College

By Caroline Hroncich

As a senior in college, I’ve come to think of this time in my life as a stepping-stone between childhood and adulthood. You are given freedom, but are not yet required to be completely independent. We often don’t realize how much we rely on our universities to provide us with essentials. Personally, I did not realize how much I relied on my school until Superstorm Sandy hit.

Until Sandy, I had never thought about what I would do in the face of a disaster at college. I have distinct memories of my 19-year-old self, perched atop my bunk bed, listening to rain pound the window. The lights flickered frequently, threatening to die; all I had to eat was a bag of tortilla chips. I was completely unprepared. The school lost power, the dining hall could not be kept open, and my friends and I found ourselves confined to our dorm rooms while the storm raged around us. After talking to my friends who attend other universities, I realized this was not an uncommon experience.

While universities are equipped to deal with disasters, it is equally as important for students to prepare. During my junior year, a major snowstorm hit, leaving me (I was now living in an on-campus apartment) without power. Being without light meant there was a mad rush to purchase battery-powered lamps, leaving many students without alternative options to light their apartments. I lost most of my refrigerated food. The school urged everyone to go home, but since I did not live a convenient distance, that was not an option. A few of my friends considered going to a nearby hotel for the night.

As a freshman, I laughed at my parents when they insisted I keep things like a flashlight in my dorm room. Now I realize how truly important those things are. Keeping items like a flashlight, extra batteries and a small portable lamp in your dorm are essential when it comes to emergency preparedness. Even food is important to keep in your room, just in case the dining halls are unable to serve you. My experience has definitely taught me that as we go about our busy college lives it’s important to stop for a second and think about if we are truly prepared.

Caroline Hroncich recently completed an internship with the American Red Cross Greater NY Region.

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.

Greater NY Red Cross Honors Sandy Anniversary through Service: Oct. 26, 2013

In advance of next week’s one-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, the Red Cross Greater New York Region is honoring the anniversary through service. Red Cross volunteers are helping to rebuild and muck out homes and community centers, clean up parks, and teach emergency preparedness classes to hundreds of Greater New York residents.

Here’s a roundup of Red Cross Sandy anniversary activities for Sat., Oct. 26:

Teaching Chinatown Residents Emergency Preparedness

Photo: Brett Whysel

This morning, the American Red Cross teamed up with the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) and University Settlement to train more than 350 Chinatown residents in emergency preparedness at the New York Chinese Community Center, 62 Mott Street.

Yim Chan, English secretary for CCBA, said many in the Chinese community are particularly vulnerable during a disaster because of their age and language barriers.

“This community was hit hard during Superstorm Sandy,” Chan said. “We have a lot of senior citizens who live here. During the storm, many of them didn’t know what to do – a lot of them were stranded in high rises with no water, electricity or communication. It’s especially important for them to have an emergency kit.”

“Preparing New Yorkers for disaster – whether a fire or a cataclysmic event like Sandy – has never been more urgent or more relevant,” said Kathryn Soman, co-chair of the Centennial Circle, a group of women leaders whose goal is to make preparedness a part of every New Yorker’s life, and an event partner. “As we mark the first-year anniversary of that devastating storm, the Centennial Circle is proud to support the efforts of the Greater New York Red Cross and delighted to partner with the CCBA at this Community Preparedness Day.”

Soman presented the preparedness information in English; Eva Wong, from University Settlement, translated the presentation into Cantonese. The Red Cross thanks its partners: the CCBA, the Visiting Nurse Service of NY, Chinatown Neighborhood Naturally Occurring Retirement Community; University Settlement; and Council member Margaret Chin.



L-R: Denise Bloise, American Red Cross Greater NY Region; Eva Wong, University Settlement; Kathryn Soman, Red Cross volunteer; Zhongmin Yu, preparedness event participant; Paul Ng, CCBA president; and Stephanie Gootman, Red Cross volunteer. Photo: Brett Whysel. 

Rebuilding on Coney Island
From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Red Cross partnered with Rebuilding Together NYC in its home rebuilding and revitalization activities as part of a 24-hour rebuild.

Greater New York Red Cross volunteers, including regional CEO Josh Lockwood, worked side-by-side with Jack Brand, Deutschebank Bank North America CEO; Chelsea Muller from the governor's office of NY Storm Recovery; Councilman Dominic Reccia; Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasney; Felipe Lopez of NBA Cares, members of Team Rubicon and Shaumet Builds; and other partner organizations. Scores of volunteers came out in the cold to lend a helping hand.

L to R: Chelsea Muller, NYC regional lead, NY Office of Storm Recovery; Kimberly George, executive director, Rebuilding Together NYC; Jacques Brand, CEO of North America Deutsche Bank; Rocco Brescia, homeowner; Josh Lockwood, regional CEO, American Red Cross Greater NY 

Alec Brook-Krasney, assemblyman for Coney Island, Donna M. Morrissey, director of communication, American Red Cross, Northeast Division, Felipe Lopez, NBA Cares ambassador, Councilman Dominic Recchia, Josh Lockwood, regional CEO, American Red Cross Greater NY  

Teaching Emergency Preparedness on Long Island

More than 50 people attended a free Be Red Cross Ready preparedness event at St. Anne’s Church in Brentwood, N.Y., today. Jeff O'Neill, Red Cross community recovery specialist, and Nathan Ward, Red Cross AmeriCorps volunteer, taught the class.

An additional 14 Red Cross volunteers, all of whom assisted with the Sandy relief effort, also took the training. A Spanish interpreter from St. Anne’s, Margarita Espinosa, translated the information for the Spanish speakers in attendance. On hand for the event were Deborah Kirnon, director of St. Anne’s Parish outreach; a representative from Senator Phillip Boyle’s office; and Long Island legislator Ricardo Montano. After the training, the volunteers went to Brentwood’s Ross Park to hand out Red Cross preparedness flyers.