June 2009
Volume 1, Issue 10
American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis, 441 East 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202
Flood Remembrance Ceremony
Marks One Year Anniversary
By
Mike Riley
W
e will soon mark the first anniversary of
the June flood that hit our southern coun-
ties. This was preceded by and also accompanied
with tornados. We all remember DR816. In down-
town Franklin, Indiana, there will be a short re-
membrance ceremony on Sunday, June 7th at 1:00
PM at the Art Craft Theater on Main Street. A
color guard will escort attendees into the theater
and there will be a 45 minute program featuring a
keynote by Rafael Sanchez, whose home was
damaged, a specially written litany, a slide presen-
tation, and some helpful information. Following
the program, outside the theater will be ice cream,
the Johnson Mobile ECO, local fire and police
units, and a Red Cross ERV with two of our vol-
unteers, Mary Emlet and Elaine Smith. At 2:00
PM, area church bells will ring. We hope people
will reflect on the events of a year ago, encourage
those whose restoration is not complete, and be
thankful for the help that has been generously
given by so many people.
The Red Cross would also like to salute our many
volunteers who
put in countless
hours assisting
those affected by
the tornadoes and
floods.
Photo courtesy of the Red Cross.
www.redcross-indy.org 317-684-1441
The New Emergency Services Blog Is
Up and Running
By
Adam Ansari
www.arcgies.blogspot.com
The Emergency Services Department of the Greater Indianapo-
lis Chapter is proud to announce the Emergency Services
Blog! On the blog you will find up-to-date information on vol-
unteer opportunities, future and current events, and other excit-
ing Red Cross news. The blog will be your hub for everything
Emergency Services related.
The Blog will be updated daily so check back often to view the
latest disaster services news. The Blog also contains links to
the Emergency Services Newsletters, Volunteer Documents,
important Red Cross Websites and much more. So no matter
what area within Emergency Services that you volunteer, you
will be able to find information relating to you.
The creation of the ES Blog had been a side-note for the Disas-
ter Volunteer Management Team for a long time. However,
no one really knew where to go with it. To our surprise, it was
actually a new volunteer who presented us with the opportu-
nity. She had computer writing skills, had created several
websites, and had an extremely positive attitude about what
individuals like to see and read on a website.
We went from there and now we currently have seven con-
tributors: Chris Gilbert, Teresa Cummings, Kadi Best, Katie
Burkhardt, Kate Ayers, Jonathon Cook, and Adam Ansari.
(What's more, we gave everyone cool blog nicknames – like
Sgt. Major Blogger and Captain Blog). We also have around
30 postings and a number of user comments.
The ES Blog will not only be a place for information, but will
also be a place to ask questions and give comments. We will
try to make our posts as engaging as possible through honesty
and hopefully a good bit of humor (give us some time though –
we’re not funny yet).
The blog can be found at www.arcgies.blogspot.com which
stands for the American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis
Emergency Services (just one more acronym for you to re-
member as Red Cross Volunteers). We hope that you visit the
Blog regularly and stay active by giving us your feedback.
Emergency Services Newsletter 2
Greetings from the FBCI Corner…
By
Justin P. Gray

H ello from the FBCI! May has been a very exciting (and very busy)
month for the program; with two mock disasters, a newly-trained
partner, and a new shelter agreement, cooperation between the Red Cross
and the faith community has never been more vibrant!

We are excited to greet Brandywine Community Church to the FBCI fam-

ily! Located in Greenfield, Brandywine has a strong history of community
stewardship which has now expanded to include Red Cross sheltering. We
thank the 33 members of the congregation who attended training to join
their church’s Action Team, and look forward to our continuing partner-
ship! Special thanks goes to Debbie Bruce of Brandywine CC for making
this partnership happen!

We also would like to thank Greenwood Community Church this month

for officially becoming a disaster relief shelter for the Red Cross. An im-
portant part of the response to last summer’s floods, Greenwood CC
opened its doors to hundreds of their displaced Johnson County neighbors
as a Red Cross shelter. We are proud to have the church as our friend in
the Greenwood community!

Moving from training to action, we congratulate Traders Point Christian

Church and Second Presbyterian Church for their successful mock disas-
ters in the month of May. Working with Red Cross staff, volunteers, and
the FBCI coordinators, these churches assembled their Action Teams and
other volunteers to simulate shelter openings at their facilities. The result
was a positive, informative learning experience―and a lot of fun! The
FBCI thanks both churches for their participation in this event. We look
forward to bringing the mock disaster to more partner sites in the coming
months!

As you can see, the FBCI just keeps growing! As we form new friendships
and expand old ones, the FBCI is working to constantly improve our sup-
port for our partners. This month we have posted many new materials on
our blog, www.rcfbci.blogspot.com. FBCI partners, scroll down the page
to the FBCI Documents panel for the new “Action Team Guidance” and
other great stuff to share with your team! We encourage everyone to visit
us online: find pictures of FBCI trainings and mock disasters, training and
promotional materials, and updates on the FBCI between newsletters, all
online! Thanks again to all of our partners and friends; with your support,
May has been the best month for the FBCI yet!

Storm Season Is Here!

By
Kadi Best

W hether it is severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in our

own area, or hurricanes along the Gulf and Atlantic
coasts, the time is now for us to be prepared. So far this year
several of our volunteers have already responded to disasters in
Illinois, Kentucky, and West Virginia!

Keeping your availability dates current in the DSHR system is

critical now as this is the main source for recruiting volunteers for national disaster response. Please go into the system and
make sure you have updated your availability. If you do not remember your DSHR logon and password, or how to enter your
dates, please contact Kadi Best at kbest@redcross-indy.org.
Emergency Services Newsletter 3

Volunteer Spotlight: Kevin White

by
Adam Ansari

H
tion for the food emergency that was going on. Little did I
is résumé boasts volunteer work in Asia, Africa, Latin
foresee that while I was there a Cholera outbreak would also
America, and North America. He has worked on hurri-
progress. I ended up working on several different emergencies
canes, tornadoes, floods, and tsunamis. He has even held the
during my time in Ethiopia.
position of Operations Manager at a Red Cross Chapter in Ver-
mont. Many of you probably know him as the Monday night
Soon after that, I moved to Indian-
DAT team leader in Marion County;
apolis working in Logistics. I have
others, may know him as the fun-
been able to continue volunteering
loving guy who enjoys adventure and
for the Red Cross, due to the com-
volunteer work. But, no matter how
pany I work for having a true appre-
you know Kevin White, it becomes
ciation for everything the Red Cross
vividly apparent to everyone, after
does.
maybe a minute of conversation that
one of his greatest passions in life is
ES: What do you like most about
volunteering with the Red Cross.
volunteering?
Upon sitting down with Kevin I was
completely unprepared for what tran- Kevin: I enjoy the ability to help
spired. His stories were absolutely others. I can’t really sit back and
watch television while I know there
amazing to hear and I hope, by read-
ing this article, you are encouraged are people out there suffering; it
in your own volunteer work. seems almost lazy to do nothing. It’s also really exciting.

ES: That is true. Okay, if you could be any person in fiction or

ES: How did you first get involved with the Red Cross?
Kevin: I first got involved in 2004 when the Great Sumatra
Earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean, resulting in one of
the most catastrophic tsunamis ever recorded. As part of my
Masters in Humanitarian Relief, I traveled to Indonesia to the
epicenter of the wave in Banda Aceh, where I led two dedi-
cated teams of volunteers to help out with the relief efforts.
history, who would it be and why?
Kevin: I think I would be Jack Bauer from 24. I watch that
show regularly and I always thought that CTU (Counter Ter-
rorist Unit) looks very similar to the EOC (Emergency Opera-
tions Center). While working in the EOC, I would sometimes
imagine that it was CTU.

After that, I wanted to find a job in which I could permanently ES: Well as cool as Jack Bauer is, your jobs are quite different
use my expertise in disaster services. As a result, I took a posi- don’t you think?
tion at a Red Cross Chapter in Vermont as the Operations
Manager. Kevin: Well, we both try to save hundreds of people; we just
go about it in different ways. He is also really cool.
ES: Wow that is an incredible way to get started!
ES: Ha-ha, I guess your right. What is your favorite thing to
Kevin: Actually, I really got started in my first year of Opera- do besides volunteering?
tions Management when Hurricane Katrina hit the city of New
Orleans. Kevin: I love traveling and doing things outdoors. I enjoy
backpacking, hiking, canoeing and a whole sort of other out-
I wasn’t on the job for more than a couple of months when I door activities. I go down to Louisville a lot and explore some
was tasked with organizing and managing over 50 volunteers. of the various parks in that area.
I set up a Disaster Institute where we trained around 125 vol-
unteers in just three days to deploy to New Orleans. The Gov- ES: So, if you had a life motto what would it be?
ernor of Vermont even showed up to the trainings to show his
support. A lot of great friendships came out of that training. Kevin: Try to make the most of it. Whether it is volunteering
or something else in your life; try to make the most of it.
ES: So how did you end up in Indiana?
(cont. on page 4)
Kevin: Vermont is beautiful, but also very quiet. After I left
the Chapter in Vermont, I joined up with the Red Cross as a
relief delegate in Ethiopia doing flood relief and seed distribu-
Emergency Services Newsletter 4

(cont. from page 3)

the truck and holding onto the side mirror.

ES: If you could give one piece of advice to new volunteers, We get to the base and were greeted by the barrels of 5 rifles.
what would it be? My crazy American friend, who has continuously told me that
he knows high ranking individuals in the local army, assures us
Kevin: Own your development and training. Take as many that we can go through and at the defiance of the soldiers, we
classes as you can and don’t sit back and wait for people to ask drive onto the base anyway, extremely lucky for not getting
for your help. Always stay active and vocal with your Emer- shot.
gency Services Department, so that they know that you are
interested in volunteer work. If you do that, you are much After being on the base for a couple of minutes we encounter
more likely to be utilized as a volunteer. another confrontation with a number of soldiers. My friend
demands to speak to Four-Star General “So-and-So” and, at
ES: That is great advice. What is your most exciting memory that moment, I thought we were either going to jail or going to
during your volunteer work? get killed. But suddenly, the man my friend was asking for
appears and welcomes my crazy American friend as a brother.
Kevin: It is probably the time I broke onto a military base.
We were given every supply that we had asked for and were
ES: Excuse me? What was that? even offered supplies that we most definitely did not need. In
the end it all worked out. Ha-ha, I remember a few weeks later
Kevin: Yea, I was down in South America doing some work when a man from my relief organization asked what kind of
with a relief organization when a series of landslides started supplies I could get. I responded with, “What do you need:
leveling parts of the country. I had been watching the news helicopters, tanks, or trucks?”
and knew that something was going on, but didn’t really know
the extent of what had happened until I started talking to peo- ES: That may be the craziest story I have ever heard! Well, on
ple around town. that note, I think I am going to end this interview, because I
don’t think we could possibly top that story. Thanks Kevin for
After that, I went to the local university to see where I could coming in and answering a few of my questions.
help and that is when I met this crazy American, who was ex-
CIA or Special Ops or something like that. Anyway, I started Even though most of us can only imagine doing some of the
hanging out with this guy and we began helping out in as many volunteer work that Kevin has done, hopefully everyone can
ways we possibly could. Somehow, he had gotten word that embrace his life motto and “try to make the most of volunteer-
there was a military base a couple hours away that had all the ing.”
supplies we could possibly need. So we made the drive in a
huge cargo truck; driving 70 mph, me hanging off the side of

Who Doesn’t Love a Dog Rescue Story?

By
Adam Ansari

E very once in a while, you hear a story that makes you feel proud to be a Red Cross Volunteer, or Employee, and this
story is no exception. It is a story about how your Red Cross training can come into practice at any time and that every
volunteer should be prepared at the drop of a hat.

Sheila Conrad, our head Service to Armed Forces caseworker, was driving to work one morning when she encountered a
woman frantically yelling on the side of the street. Sheila, being the Good Samaritan she is, pulled over to assess the situa-
tion. Upon setting her car in park, Sheila realizes that the woman was panicking because a Basset Hound had just been hit by
another car. The dog was alive but was obviously in a dire situation.

Sheila’s Red Cross training immediately kicked in and she began visualizing the Pet First Aid book. She remembered that the
first thing you do in this situation is to check the dog’s gums. She found that the dog’s gums were white, which indicated the
dog was currently in a state of shock. Something had to be done immediately, so Sheila picked the dog up, put the dog in the
back of the other woman’s truck and the woman drove the dog to the nearest veterinarian.

If Sheila hadn’t remembered her Red Cross training this story probably would not have had a happy ending. But, as it is right
now, it does have a happy ending and the Basset Hound survived. I think everyone can learn from this story and remember to
stay calm and focused when they are presented with a disastrous situation.
Emergency Services Newsletter 5

DAT Class of 5/27/09

By Teresa Cummings

W e are very excited to welcome thirteen new volunteers to the Disaster Action Team (DAT)!

Seven new DAT responders in Marion County, three in Johnson County (one is shared between both Marion and
Johnson counties) and four new Disaster Mental Health professionals will respond for local house fires and other emergen-
cies.

Tom Amonette Nikki Dougan Linda Greiner Momoyo Kawase is tri- Deb Turley
lingual: English, Japanese,
and Spanish.

Martin Hill, DMH Catherine Lawhorne, DMH Sandy Berry, DMH Lindsay Gayle, DMH

Jon and Margie Conner are a hus- Don Ames and Cindy Schroeder are a
band/wife team for Johnson County husband/wife team.
Emergency Services Newsletter 6

Red Cross Links and Resources

American Red Cross Disaster Online Newsroom
http://newsroom.redcross.org/

Flu Preparedness
http://www.redcross.org/pandemicflu

Be Informed - Learn what to do in a cardiac emergency during CPR/AED Awareness

Week — June 1 - 7

http://www.redcross-indy.org/AboutUs/NewsArticle.aspx?ArticleID=309

DISASTER PUBLIC AFFAIRS – The PA Team

By
Ann A. Gregson

B ecause American Red Cross disaster response is focused on providing assistance to individuals and families, our relief
activities are frequently covered by the media. Positive, accurate news coverage about Red Cross disaster relief conveys
vital information to those affected and to the general public, as well as helps generate financial and volunteer support for the
organization. Therefore, an important part of our after hours and weekend disaster response is the Disaster Public Affairs (PA)
Team.

The PA Team is made up of communication, marketing, and other professionals who have been specially trained by the Red
Cross to work with the media during disasters. PA Team members collaborate with fellow PA Team members and PA staff,
Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteers, and supervisors, disaster clients, first responders, and other community partners to tell
the Red Cross story.

Current after-hours disaster response protocol is for PA to be called every time Red Cross assistance is requested in response to
a disaster or other emergency. PA Team members are to gather as much information about the incident as possible from the
Night Worker and on call DAT members. PA Team members will ask questions such as: What is the disaster? When did it oc-
cur? Is Red Cross on the scene? Are media on the scene? How many people are affected? Are there any special circumstances
that I need to know? Based on what they learn, PA Team members will determine whether or not to contact the media and/or go
to the scene.

When they do go to the scene, PA Team members will collaborate with DAT volunteers to inform the media about what the
Red Cross is doing. PA Team members will:

• Approach media on the scene, introduce themselves, find out and report back how the Red Cross is assisting, and offer to
help the media obtain additional Red Cross information, possibly through interviews with volunteers and clients.

• Assess the general feeling of volunteers, staff, or clients before promising interviews or other media coverage (i.e., verify
that they are available and are comfortable being interviewed, photographed, or filmed). Our top priority is the safety
and well-being of the victims and respecting their need for privacy. In many cases, clients are interested in speaking
with reporters. And the media often like to talk to volunteers providing Red Cross assistance—the Hoosiers helping Hoo-
siers perspective never gets old!

• Coach DAT volunteers on key messages and possible media questions, and stay with them during interviews to provide
support.

So, when PA Team Members are on the scene, they will handle or coordinate media interviews. It is important to note, how-
ever, that the media perceives anyone from the Red Cross as a potential “Red Cross spokesperson…”

Coming next month: What to do when the media are on the scene and the PA Team is not
Emergency Services Newsletter 7

Madison County DAT News

By
Kate Ayers

O n May 19, Madison County DAT volunteers participated in the second

meeting of the year. Fifteen Madison County volunteers attended and we
welcomed two Henry County DATs.

At the meeting, volunteers shared DAT experience testimonies and reviewed

casework that involves infants and cases of lost medication. Ann Gregson shared
tips on working with the media during DAT calls.

Front row, left to right: Tom Ayers, Casey Grant, Mary

Swinford, Cheryl Carter, Bev Graddy, Diana Ockomon,
Sue Houseton (Messer), Kate Ayers, Mike Burton, Gary
Benefiel, Jerry Johnson.

Back row, left to right: Don Billey, Vera Davis, Bryan

Thomas, Shaun Wilson

Red Cross Night at Victory Field

Thursday, June 18th

J oin the Greater Indianapolis Red Cross on Thursday, June 18th as we celebrate the 13th Annual Red Cross Night at Victory
Field. Come out and cheer on your home team as the Indianapolis Indians take on the Gwinnett Braves at 7:00 p.m.

Buy One, Get One Free coupons are available at these locations:

Greater Indianapolis Red Cross offices (Click HERE for a list of offices)
All Indianapolis Fire Department Fire Stations (Click HERE for a list of stations)

Join us for a fun evening with the Indianapolis Indians!

For more information, contact Carol Greeley at 684-4351 or

cgreeley@redcross-indy.org
Emergency Services Newsletter 8

The Emergency Services Department in Indianapolis is looking for applicants to join the Indiana RAP Corps (AmeriCorps) and
to accept an assignment in the Emergency Service Department beginning in September 2009 and ending July 2010.

The mission of the Indiana Response and Preparedness (RAP) Corps is to provide vital emergency assistance to victims and
communities affected by disaster and increase community preparedness by recruiting new volunteers and providing educational
outreach so that individuals and families are better prepared for disaster.

Members will engage in one or a combination of the following activities:

1. Recruit and mentor new disaster response volunteers
2. Conduct disaster readiness classes such as Be Red Cross Ready
3. Assist the Red Cross on local disaster relief operations (national deployment is optional)
4. Work with community organizations to ensure the Red Cross can provide sheltering and food to those affected by disaster.
5. Assist in obtaining or renewing shelter agreements

Indiana RAP Corps Benefits:

- A modest living allowance
- An education award upon successful completion of the program
- Training in First Aid, CPR, Community Disaster Education, and Disaster Response
- Invaluable experience in community preparedness, disaster response, and public speaking

Ideal candidates will demonstrate:

* Strong organizational and public speaking skills
* Ability to serve as part of a team and individually
* Initiative, responsibility, and a willingness to learn
* Interest in disaster preparedness and response
* Background in education, communication, recruiting, or disaster response (is a plus)

Qualifications for Membership:

* Age 18 or older
* A US citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident
* Must possess a high school diploma or GED equivalency

The application process begins now for placement in September. If you or someone you know is interested, an application can
be obtained by contacting:

Debra Taylor

Program Manager, Readiness

American Red Cross, Greater Indianapolis

dtaylor@redcross-indy.org

(317) 684-4324

The Indiana Response and Preparedness Corps is available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, disability, age,
gender, sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation, or other non-merit factors.
Emergency Services Newsletter 9

ARCGI Emergency Have a Submission for

Services Newsletter
the Newsletter?
Published by our Emergency Services
Volunteer Newsletter Team Send to
Jenny Davidson and ES Staff esnewsletter@redcross-indy.org