Local Red Cross Disaster Action Team Always Prepared To Help
Oct 19, 2011
BARTLESVILLE, Okla. September 28, 2011-
While the American Red Cross is on call for seemingly any type of disaster – always ready to lend a helping hand – the most common is the single-family house fire.
Nationally, the Red Cross responds to around 75,000 disasters on an annual basis, and around 80 percent of those are single-family house fires. The percentage holds true for the Washington County Chapter of the American Red Cross, which serves Bartlesville and the immediate surrounding areas.
On Christmas night of 2010, and having served as the director of the Washington County Chapter of the American Red Cross for less than a month, Gregg Foresman let members of the organization’s Disaster Action Team know that he wanted to be contacted if there was any kind of incident that evening. Being relatively new to the chapter, he wanted to get a first-hand view of the team and how it responded to area disasters.
Unfortunately, a house fire occurred that night. A member of the chapter’s Disaster Action Team, David Swindel called Foresman to advise him of the situation.
“I decided to meet up at the chapter house and go along to watch these great volunteers in action,” recalls Foresman. “When we arrived on the scene, sadly the house was still burning.”
A DAT volunteer, Dot Mohr immediately located the family – who was unharmed in the disaster – and began the process to help them get back on their feet. She set them up with lodging at a local motel and later gave them clothing, storage containers, beddings and linens, and funds for food – all at no cost to the family.
Foresman did indeed receive a first-hand view of the Red Cross in action and the positive impact it can make in a community.
“Dot was such a comfort for that family as they were watching everything they owned burn to the ground,” recalls Foresman. “The family has since stayed in touch and constantly calls asking how they can help pay back what they received from the Red Cross. As always, we tell them this is a service your community desires, and because of that commitment, the Red Cross will be there in the future when others need it as well.”
“There is no charge.”
One of 15 non-profit agencies in the area supported by the Bartlesville Regional United Way, the Washington County Chapter of the American Red Cross typically responds to around 40 single-family house fires in a given year. The chapter responds to disasters in Washington and Nowata counties, and it spends around $30,000 to help victims recover from single-family house fires. DAT is a program that receives funding from BRUW, which is currently conducting their annual fundraising campaign.
Like other chapters of the American Red Cross throughout the country, the local office helps to teach citizens vital life-saving skills in areas such as CPR and other first aid measures.
The American Red Cross holds regular blood drives throughout the country and supplies about half of the nation’s blood. At the local level, the Washington County Chapter of the American Red Cross supplies all of the blood to the hospitals located within Washington and Nowata counties. The local chapter holds a blood drive every eight weeks at its Bartlesville-based office – which is located at 601 S. Jennings Ave. – and organizes them at other areas such as the ConocoPhillips campus, the Jane Phillips Medical Center and local churches.
Founded in 1881 by Clara Barton, the American Red Cross is the nation’s premier emergency response organization. It proves that fact every day, by utilizing teams of dedicated volunteers such as those found in the Bartlesville area.
The Washington County Chapter of the American Red Cross utilizes around 100 active volunteers, including those on its Disaster Action Team.
“The Red Cross is an organization that touches a lot of lives,” notes Foresman. “When disaster strikes, and victims see representatives with the Red Cross come in, I think they have a feeling of hope and relief.”
“They know someone is there to help.”
Those who wish to learn more about the Washington County Chapter of the American Red Cross can call its main number at (918) 336-2216 or go online to www.redcrosswcmd.org.
The Bartlesville Regional United Way’s Annual Campaign is underway. To find out how you can contribute to the Washington County Chapter of the American Red Cross or other member agencies, contact the BRUW office at 918-336-1044, 501 S. Johnston Ste. 550, Bartlesville, OK 74003 or visit www.bartlesvilleuw.org.
{Written by David Austin. Originally featured in the Examiner-Enterprise}
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