RedCrossPhillyBlog

Category: Disaster Response

  • Coatesville 4 Alarm Fire Response

    Coatesville Fire Damage

    A small stove fire turned raging inferno had Red Cross volunteers rushing to the scene of a four-alarm blaze in Coatesville yesterday. The Chester County Disaster Action Team received a call in the late afternoon on Wednesday June 6th. A fire in one row home on the 600 block of Coats street had spread to eight more and several families had been forced to flee with only the clothes on their backs.

    Volunteers were witness to a dramatic scene. Firefighters from all over Chester County converged on the scene to fight intense flames that infiltrated the attic spaces of several homes and was helped by the apparent lack of firewalls. What was initially a three alarm fire required a forth alarm to call in more manpower as fire fighters became exhausted fighting the blaze.

    The fire displaced eight families, 18 people in all. Among them were 13 adults and five children. Red Cross disaster volunteers acted quickly to find a public space that was suitable for gathering the victims together and meeting their immediate needs. We opened a comfort center in the Coatesville Community Center. Here, volunteers provided the displaced with water and food. Once they were ready, our volunteers helped them fill out paperwork to get them the financial assistance they need to buy emergency food, clothing, and shelter.

    Chapter Communicator Dave Schrader relays information to the media after getting an update on the response from volunteer Denise Graf.

    Chester County Red Cross volunteers were on hand to coordinate our efforts. Their attention was focused on the needs of the victims. According to news reports, one family was planning for a summer vacation. They had made purchases for the trip and were looking forward to their imminent departure. Our volunteers will help them to regroup and develop a new plan – one that manages their loss and still looks forward to a joyful family vacation.

    Volunteers help two of the 18 people displaced by large fire in Coatesville


    There is no more rewarding work than helping others. Red Cross volunteers know this. They are profoundly grateful for the opportunity to provide for the basic needs of those who have lost everything. The presence of the Red Cross at the scene comforted the displaced, the firefighters, the city of Coatesville and all those who were exposed to this horrible fire through media outlets. Our work is essential. Thank you to those who support and help us.

  • Some of Your Best Friends Wear Red Vests

    Image

    On Saturday June 2, 2012 I participated in a shelter drill in Chester County at the Avon Grove High School.  In addition to representatives from various partner agencies, I was surrounded by friends in red vests.  They were American Red Cross volunteers from the surrounding counties, all there to participate in a complex drill involving opening a shelter for theoretical tornado victims in Chester county.  They gave up a Saturday to start early in the day, preparing the high school, loading in supplies, establishing assignments and chains of command, and in theory, preparing for the worst.  They might have been preparing to welcome friends and neighbors, but most likely they were there to help people they had never even met.  Things got into gear once the pretend clients started arriving, lining up to be registered, triaged, assisted, and in many cases hugged and welcomed.

    That’s the way it’s done.  People you have never met and don’t know become your temporary responsibility while they sort out their lives and take the next small steps towards recovery.  The volunteers were there to learn, practice and keep their skills sharpened for the unwelcome day when reality will turn the drill into a disaster with an official American Red Cross DR number.  Interestingly enough, Friday evening saw inclement weather blanket the area, there were tornado watches and warnings, and enough possible uncertainty to make some of us wonder if we might be called out a little earlier than the original 8:00AM start time.  But thankfully, it remained a drill, and I personally had the opportunity to both learn and teach, meet some old friends and acquaintances, and make some new ones.  Some of my best friends wear red vests.  Some of yours do too.

    Submission by: Joseph Luczkowski

  • Drilling for Tornadoes in Chester County

    The Southeastern Pennsylvania Red Cross is holding a Tornado Readiness Drill in Chester County this weekend.

    Wow. . . . really?!

    When I was a kid growing up in the Philadelphia region we didn’t talk much about tornadoes. These strange, powerful, spiraling storms were something that happened to other people in some distant part of our land, or better yet, a magical force that dropped a house on a Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz.

    I maintained this state of blissful ignorance until 2005, when a Microburst (an extreme weather event similar to a tornado), dropped about 35 ancient trees in our town in northern New Jersey. Trees came down on several houses, on almost every main road and on power lines. It took only five minutes of extreme summer weather to make an idyllic suburban landscape treacherous for everyone and impenetrable for emergency responders.

    Tornadoes popped up in some unusual places in the summer of 2011. One roared down the main street of Springfield, Massachusetts in the first few days of June. You read that right, my friends – Massachusetts. It was one of 19 tornadoes in New England that day. Four people were killed in those storms. On May 19th, 2011, in Northeast Philadelphia, a tornado touched down in the mid-afternoon with 75 mile per hour winds and a 100 by 300 ft. path of destruction.

    The Southeastern Pennsylvania Red Cross takes the increased threat of tornadoes in our region very seriously. We strive to prevent disasters, prepare for their aftermath and alleviate the suffering of victims. In order to succeed, we must practice. We do so by conducting Readiness Drills at locations in our vicinity that may need assistance in the event of a weather related emergency. To this end, we will conduct a Tornado Readiness Drill on Saturday, June 2 at Avon Grove High School in West Grove, Pa. between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. The Chester County Department of Emergency Services, Chester County Animal Response Team, Medical Reserve Corps, and Chester County Food Bank, will take part in training volunteers to respond to a hypothetical severe tornado where homes and businesses are destroyed and hundreds of people need a safe place to go.

    Last year, a hurricane readiness drill (pictures above) proved invaluable when Hurricane Irene hit our region in August. Participants who practiced critical disaster relief skills like sheltering, food distribution, providing basic medical and childcare needs, caring for pets, and overall disaster response decision making were better able to anticipate problems and meet the needs of those affected. Although these are weather based drills, they help us practice our response to any large scale disaster.

    If you are one of our generous donors, you not only support our response to disasters, your donation also helps us prepare for events we don’t know about yet. We could not hold these practice drills without your contributions and we are so grateful for your support of our efforts to be better prepared in the event of an emergency.

    If last year, and indeed the last 10 years are any indication, tornadoes are no longer something that Philadelphia area children wonder about in ignorance. They are now part of our world. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Red Cross will be there, and with the knowledge we gain from preparedness drills like the one in Chester County this weekend, we will be ready.

  • Joplin: One Year Later

    ImageImage

    “Imagine a path of destruction a mile wide along City Avenue from  the Schuylkill Expressway to West Chester Pike.” (about a seven mile stretch)

    That’s how I often characterized to Philadelphians what Joplin was like a day after an EF 5 tornado tore through the town. Even that though doesn’t truly do the destruction justice. If your home or business was in the path of the tornado, it got destroyed. Not just damaged, but destroyed. The tornado spared nothing. I wrote about my experience one year ago in a series of blog posts.

    So today being the one year anniversary of that tornado, I wanted to share a few thoughts.

    First, I am struck by the immense progress that has been made in such a short amount of time in Joplin. I’ve been following the progress via twitter and online. It’s remarkable how resilient people there are. Sure there is still plenty to do, but by most accounts 65-80% of businesses, homes, and government buildings have been rebuilt. Schools and playgrounds that were wiped out one year ago, once again are home to children.  (USAToday article about Joplin now)

    Of course the physical wounds are sometimes much easier to fix than the emotional ones. No doubt, Joplin residents are still scarred by what happened and won’t ever forget it. But they aren’t dwelling on it. Even within hours after the tornado hit, people who lost homes, businesses, even loved ones, were helping others. Spending most of my life on the East Coast, the worst I’ve ever endured was a blizzard or mild hurricane. In general, we don’t live in fear of our entire city being blown off the map. Unfortunately I haven’t had the opportunity yet to return to Joplin, but based on what I’ve read and what  I’ve heard from the many people I’ve spoken to there, the people of Joplin are determined to rebuild a better city than the one nature destroyed. There is no manual on what to do. They have to figure it out as they go. But, they know it can’t be done alone. Joplin’s victims have to rely on family, friends, and total strangers. (CBS News story about anniversary in Joplin) For my own part, I will forever be changed by witnessing the human spirit’s ability to endure.

    Professionally, Joplin was the most rewarding week I have ever been through. In my role with public affairs, it wasn’t my job to set up cots, hand out supplies, or provide grief counseling. The three other SEPA Chapter workers deployed to Joplin with me provided those other vital roles, along with hundreds of other Red Cross workers. I was there to help get the word out to the people of Joplin and to the country at large about where to get help and how to give help. It’s a role I was proud to serve. I apply what I saw and learned in Joplin to everything I do with the Red Cross now. The impact is that lasting and that meaningful. (click here to watch brief video about SEPA’s role in Joplin)

    I met some amazing people. I met a woman in her 90s who narrowly escaped being swept up by the tornado as she made it to a basement just in time. I met a Red Cross volunteer who lost two loved ones in the tornado, but was still at the shelter every day to help others. I met countless of people who were lucky to be alive, but fearful of the future. I got to witness several families, separated by the tornado and fearing the worst, get reunited at the Red Cross shelter.

    So as I look back at Joplin one year later, I am still heartbroken by what happened there. But I am also heartened by how a city and a country came together under horrific circumstances. I am especially proud of the Red Cross, the only agency able to care for so many people for so long.

    I will continue to keep the people of Joplin in my thoughts and prayers. I ask that you do too.

  • Red Paw Rocks!

    Three woofs and a meow for the Red Paw Emergency Response Team!

     The goal of the Red Cross is to alleviate suffering. Our volunteers commit to helping all survivors of fire or natural disaster: human and animal.

    Although we have more than a century of experience assisting humans, our commitment to help our beloved (and furry) companions is the work of an extraordinary Red Cross volunteer, Jennifer Leary. Jen is a Philadelphia fire fighter and long time emergency response volunteer with the Red Cross in our region.

    After years of helping disaster victims, she became frustrated that there was not a system for helping their pets as well. Too often, she witnessed an injured animal left to suffer and sometimes die from lack of appropriate treatment, care and intervention.

    In response, she started the Red Paw Emergency Relief Team. When a fire or other disaster occurs, first responders inform Red Paw of any pets on the scene. Red Paw arrives prepared to treat injuries, provide transportation to veterinary hospitals or simply provide shelter for pets whose owners are unable to do so after a fire or natural disaster.

    This work is so important! Not only is it deeply humane, it recognizes the special bond between humans and their pets. Red Paw understands that a pet may have a significant role to play in its owner’s healthy recovery from a traumatic event. In addition, our domestic animals are totally dependent on human care for their survival. We should not abandon them in the face of disaster.

    That’s why it’s fantastic that Red Paw now has 501c3 status as a non-profit and can raise money to support its work. Currently, Jen Leary’s home acts as a temporary shelter for canine and feline victims of disaster. Red Paw is trying to raise money to create a facility that will serve as a temporary shelter for our pets. They also need a space to rest and recuperate until they can rejoin their owners or be adopted by a new family.

    Take note, all ye animal lovers! It’s time to raise funds! On June 22, from 8-11, Red Paw is holding a party at Finnegan’s Wake. Tickets will be $40 in advance and $45 at the door. Come celebrate Red Paw’s success and help it grow!

    For more information on Red Paw or the beautiful animals pictured here follow this link.

  • 13 Disasters in 24 Hours

    Working for the Red Cross you get used to a lot of uncertainty. A lot of Plan Bs and Plan Cs. A lot of schedule rearranging. It’s the nature of working for an organization that responds to disasters.

    But Monday (April 9th) was easily unprecedented, not only for me and my 2 ½ year Red Cross career as Director of Communications, but also for the organization overall.

    It all started with a phone call I didn’t hear. The call from our chapter’s Chief Operating Officer at about 5 a.m. to say there was a massive 5-alarm warehouse fire in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. Trust me, not hearing a call like that is not a good way to start your day.

    But finally I did hear the call. So I threw on a Red Cross hat and pullover and headed to the scene. No breakfast. No shower. (That last part will be important later.)

    We were caring for about 25 people displaced from their homes because of the fire.ImageI was with those residents when word came that two firefighters died. It deepened the sadness everyone was already feeling.

    At the fire scene, I recorded and posted to social media a message of condolence to the fire department and the firefighters families from our CEO. Our hearts go out to them. It’s painful.  The Red Cross and fire departments have a special relationship. We rely on each other. After they save people, we feed them, we house, them, we clothe them.

    I went into the office to tend to a few other things, including preparing for a visit from our national CEO the next day.

    But I was called out to the scene again to manage some media interviews. While there, our  Director of Recovery and Red Cross House and I met with the families whose homes were destroyed by the fire. ImageThey were distraught. They were scared.  But our volunteers made them feel better and reassured them they wouldn’t have to go through this alone.

    I had been awake for only a few hours, but I felt like I had been up all day. But as it turned out, my day was only beginning.

    While in Kensington I got word that there were two big apartment complex fires to which the Red Cross was responding. One in Bucks County and one in Montgomery County. I headed to Montgomery County. A fire had ripped through a building at Abrams Run apartments.ImageAbout a dozen families, 23 people were displaced, including Ahmet, a little boy I met who was wrapped in a Red Cross blanket to help keep him warm.

    ImageI spent some time at Abrams Run before heading home, thinking my day was over.

    I only had a few moments to pick up my kids and drop off my stuff before going to my weekly basketball game. But while playing basketball, I got another call that the Red Cross was opening a shelter in Chester County for more than 150 firefighters battling a wildfire in Berks County. The Red Cross was supplying the cots, blankets, food, and some volunteers. It was an hour drive, but off I went, keeping in my mind that I still hadn’t showered from this morning.  I didn’t have a dry shirt. I was wearing shorts on a cold night. I didn’t have my camera or even a pencil.

    But the Red Cross way is to figure something out. So I met up with a colleague half way to the shelter to get a Red Cross shirt. I borrowed an iPhone from one of our volunteers at the shelter so I could take pictures and video. We sweet-talked someone into giving us the Wifi password and access to a computer.

    But while there, I was overwhelmed with pride as our volunteers methodically and quickly unloaded and set up dozens and dozens of cots. They arranged to make the place as homey as possible. The firefighters were gracious and grateful. But it’s us who should be grateful. Setting up those cots was the least we  could do. ImageEarlier that day two firefighters died protecting us. The 150 plus firefighters I was with at the shelter were risking their lives protecting us.  So I had to curb any notion I had to complain about how tired I was or how much I wanted a shower.

    I spent several hours at the shelter shooting videos and pictures and uploading to twitter and facebook, getting the word out about what the Red Cross is doing, all the while marveling at the bravery of the firefighters and the compassion of our volunteers.

    I’m happy to say all the firefighters made it back alive. No one was killed and the wildfire is out.

    In one day, in one 24 hour span, with the help of 40+ volunteers the Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania responded to 13 disasters, at least one in each of our five counties. ImageThe disasters included a wildfire, two apartment complex fires, a 5-alarm warehouse fire, a brush fire, and eight house fires. We helped 256 people. We provided lodging at a motel or at Red Cross House for 123 people. It was one disaster shy of our one day record of 14. But I can proudly say each and every person we helped got the same high quality of care, care that without the Red Cross, they would not have gotten.

    I hope you are as proud as I am of the work that was achieved. We are after all, your local Red Cross. Since we are primarily volunteers, it’s your neighbors, your friends, and your co-workers that make up our workforce. We are funded solely by your generosity. So when we succeed, you succeed. So thank you. It is because of you that we were able to respond to 13 disasters in 24 hours.

  • Titanic Survivors Created Red Cross Legacy

     Some American Red Cross volunteers understand disaster in their bones. They experience one personally. Lily Wilson Potter and her daughter Olive Potter Earnshaw boarded lifeboat number seven, off the side of the Titanic at 12:45 am on April 15th in order to survive the most famous maritime disaster on record.

    Lily Potter (widow of wealthy Philadelphian, Thomas Potter Jr.) and Olive Potter Earnshaw, were passengers on the Titanic, returning from a trip to Europe that began in January, 1912. Lily Potter sought rest and distraction for her daughter after Olive’s difficult decision to divorce her first husband, Boulton Earnshaw. They were among 2,224 passengers who boarded the Titanic at its European ports. Four days into the crossing, the ship hit an iceberg and sank in freezing water with over a thousand passengers still aboard. Lily Potter and Olive were among the 760 passengers rescued from lifeboats by the HMS Carpathia.

    Lily Potter knew about disaster relief. Her husband, Thomas Potter Jr. was called up to serve as a member of the National Guard in the aftermath of the floods at Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1887. Moved by the plight of the survivors, Lily Potter sent a trained nurse from her own household to assist Clara Barton in the aftermath. Her husband received a medal for his service.

    Lily Potter said of the Titantic, “It was the most tragic sight anyone will ever witness.” The fate of the scores of people on deck as the ship went down stayed with her. In 1916, during the First World War, she began volunteering her time with the Southeastern Pennsylvania chapter of the American Red Cross. Lily was the driving force behind the Production Department, marshaling thousands of volunteers to both collect and manufacture essential materials for overseas hospitals. In a 1945 written history overseen by Mrs. Potter, it states that the Production Department included “the old and young, the rich and poor of all races and creeds and color – all who wish to find an outlet for their natural desires to be of service in time of war or of disaster.” Clearly, Lily Potter’s embrace of all who could be of service speaks well of her as a citizen of our diverse nation.

    In 1944, at the age of 88, Lily was recognized for 27 years of dedicated service to the American Red Cross. Her daughter Olive also remained a lifelong American Red Cross volunteer leading the “cut garment” distribution department through both World Wars.

    Lily Potter and her daughter Olive knew firsthand what it was like to be cold, shocked and bereft survivors of a terrible tragedy. Their commitment to the American Red Cross was a fitting tribute to their extraordinary experience.

    (Check out KYW’s recent report on Lily Potter and Olive Potter Crolius.)