By Gordon Williams A crucial element of preparedness is having enough emergency supplies on hand to get you through a disaster. And while the risk of wildfires is waning, colder weather increases the risk of winter storms and home fires. But exactly what items should be in your emergency stockpile? What constitutes a disaster-proof home … Continue reading How to build a disaster-proof home survival kit
Learn earthquake survival skills from the Washington ShakeOut
By Gordon Williams The Great Washington ShakeOut for 2020 is set for 1015 on 1015 (10:15 a.m. on October 15). Goal of the ShakeOut is to get folks to practice the earthquake survival skills of dropping down, covering up and holding on. If you want a disaster prevention exercise totally appropriate for our times, this … Continue reading Learn earthquake survival skills from the Washington ShakeOut
Take Steps Now to Fireproof Your Home
By Gordon Williams Fire Prevention Week, as proclaimed by the National Fire Protection Association, runs from October 4-10 this year. The dates for this annual event coincide with the anniversary of the Great Chicago fire that began on October 8, 1871. Image by Pexels from Pixabay Observe the event this year by taking steps to … Continue reading Take Steps Now to Fireproof Your Home
Young Volunteers Bring their Skills to the Red Cross
By Emily Thornton In September 2020, LinkedIn ranked the American Red Cross as the organization with the highest number of monthly volunteers. This year, the Red Cross has seen an increase of 20 percent in new volunteer applications and almost 30% of Red Cross volunteers are ages 25 to 49. Red Cross volunteer Katelyn Hinkin … Continue reading Young Volunteers Bring their Skills to the Red Cross
Red Cross reunites father and daughter after wildfires
Enjoli Graham and a furry family member. September 2020 By Gordon Williams Enjoli Graham was safely housed in a Red Cross shelter in Wenatchee, WA after escaping the fast-moving Cold Creek wildfire. Now she anxiously awaited word about the well-being of her father, Darrell. Darrell lived close to where wildfires were burning, and he was … Continue reading Red Cross reunites father and daughter after wildfires
Teaching Children How to Make Emergency Calls
By Gordon Williams September is National Preparedness Month and part of being prepared is making sure your children know how to call 9-1-1 when help is urgently needed. In an ideal situation, an adult will call 9-1-1 when police, fire or medical help is needed urgently; speak calmly; and stay on the line until all … Continue reading Teaching Children How to Make Emergency Calls
WHEN — AND HOW — TO CALL 9-1-1
Photo by Engin Akyurt, Unsplash. (A companion piece on training kids to use 9-1-1 will appear shortly.) By Gordon Williams September is National Preparedness Month, and one step in preparing for disaster is knowing when and how to call for help. It turns out there is a lot more to ringing up 9-1-1 than just … Continue reading WHEN — AND HOW — TO CALL 9-1-1
Regional Executive tours WA Wildfire Country
Ryan Rodin (left) and Alex Dieffenbach (right) deliver Disaster Emergency Supplies to Malden, WA By Gordon Williams Alex Dieffenbach, chief executive officer of the Red Cross Northwest Region, saw first-hand the severity and scale of damage in Malden WA — a tiny farming town near Spokane that lost everything to wildfire. The town hall, police … Continue reading Regional Executive tours WA Wildfire Country
In their darkest moments, they uplifted others
Flowers, candles and signs decorate the outside of La Milpa restaurant in Brewster, WA on September 12, 2020. By Patricia Friedman, NWWA Red Cross Volunteer The patriarch of La Milpa Restaurant and Grocery, Ernesto Santos, was a well-respected community man who always helped others, I was told. So it came as no surprise that on … Continue reading In their darkest moments, they uplifted others
Father and son watch flames engulf family orchard
Charred fruit still hangs from branches on the Lynn Family Farm after wildfire swept through the area. September 14, 2020 By Mark Walker Benjamin Lynn and son Ryder were forced off their family farm last week when wildfire flames jumped the Columbia River near Bridgeport, WA. The conflagration from the more than 270,000-acre Pearl Fire … Continue reading Father and son watch flames engulf family orchard
American Red Cross NW Region 