A publication of the American Red Cross of Southern Nevada Summer 2014

redcrosstalkDisaster Leadership Immersion Program

Ten Red Cross staff members have begun a seven-month Disaster Leadership Immersion Program that combines day-long sessions with individual and group projects to explore the elements and organizations of the southern Nevada disaster response community. The team is led by Red Cross Regional Disaster Program Officer Fernandez Leary, a 22-year veteran and former Deputy Chief with the Clark County Fire Department. !This unique and first-time Red Cross program includes site visits and access to experts from a number of organizations. The experts aim to provide a deeper understanding of local disaster response resources, coordination and methodology as it relates to their organizations and how they interact with the Red Cross. !The first session of the 2014 Disaster Leadership Immersion Program, “Technology, Social Media and Regional Emergency Operations Center”, took place at the Las Vegas Emergency Management Center. The group toured the facility and heard presentations by disaster experts on a variety of topics, including organizational structure, social media and valuable information relating to Southern Nevada’s tourism industry. !One of the experts, City of Las Vegas Senior Geographic Information System Analyst Richard Wells said, “We appreciated and enjoyed the opportunity to talk to the participants in the Program and connect on a personal level with future Red Cross leaders.” !The second session, titled “Inside the Fire”, focused on aspects of firefighting agencies in Southern Nevada. The Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson Fire Departments provided presentations, tours and demonstrations during the session. !!

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!City of Las Vegas Fire Communications Supervisor Lou Amell gave a tour of the Fire Alarm Office Dispatch Center which handles calls for fire departments in Las Vegas, Clark County, North Las Vegas and rural areas such as Laughlin. Dispatchers receive 650 to 1,000 calls per day. !“Some people consider firefighters heroes, but we consider the people of the Red Cross heroes because of their work,” added North Las Vegas Fire Captain Cedric Williams. !The Leadership program is the first of its kind in the country. A call for applications will go out in the fall for new participants for 2015. !For more information on the Disaster Leadership Immersion Program, contact Disaster Workforce Specialist, Sean Ward at 702-697-1708 or sean.ward@redcross.org.

Edd Lockwood - Public Affairs Volunteer

Southern Nevada Chapter pilots new leadership program

Pictured l to r: Nathaniel Montgomery, Bill Dahlquist, Doug Mikulicic, Lou Amell, Fernandez Leary, Tim

Szymanski, Sean Ward, Matthew Fendrich, Yelena Yatskikh, Diane Orgill

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The Pillowcase ProjectIntroducing children to emergency preparedness

Erin Murtaugh - Public Affairs Volunteer

The American Red Cross is participating in the Pillowcase Project, a free program sponsored by the Walt Disney Company that teaches emergency preparedness skills to 3rd through 5th grade students. !The pillowcases are printed so students can decorate and personalize them. When students take their pillowcases home, they can fill them with the emergency supplies and share what they learned with their families. !The Pillowcase Project was created after people fled the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina with their belongings in their pillowcases. !“It’s important to teach kids to be ready, know what to do and think about others in emergencies,” said Sean Ward, Red Cross Disaster Workforce Specialist. !Students can learn about common local hazards and how to prepare for them. Third graders will focus on fire safety. Fourth graders will focus on earthquake safety. Fifth grade will focus on flood safety. Students can learn how to design emergency communication plans, prepare emergency contact cards and learn coping strategies to manage stress during crisis situations.

!“We want to get kids excited about emergency preparedness so, as adults, they stick with it,” said Ward. !Schools and youth organizations interested in participating in the Pillowcase Project can contact Sean Ward at sean.ward@redcross.org.

Service To Armed Forces Volunteers Honored at Nellis AFBRed Cross volunteers take top honors at appreciation event

In their annual appreciation ceremony, Nellis AFB recognized several of our Service to Armed Forces (SAF) volunteers for their excellence and hours served. Several volunteers received the Presidential Volunteer Service award, and 4 of our volunteers received Lifetime Service awards. !Recognized as 2013 Volunteer Excellence recipient was Red Cross SAF volunteer John Workman, who has donated 2, 447 hours over the last 36 months. !Names of the winners and more information can be found in the News section of our website at

redcross.org/southernnevada. Congratulations everyone. ALL of our volunteers are amazing!

Colonel Barry Cornish and Red Cross volunteer John Workman

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Water Safe, Water SmartAre you ready for pool season?

Summer is almost here, and what is more popular than plunging into the cool water to escape from the Las Vegas heat? There are some easy ways to make sure your family has a safe summer whenever you are in, on or around water. !Safe Swimming: Never swim alone and ensure everyone in the family learns to swim well. Young children and/or inexperienced swimmers should wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but not rely on life jackets alone. !Smart Swimming: Enroll in age-appropriate Red Cross water orientation and Learn-to-Swim courses. Never leave a child unattended near the water, and do not trust a child’s life to another child. Teach children to always ask permission to go near water. Establish rules for your family and consistently enforce them. !Pool, Lake, or Ocean: Every body of water comes with its own dangers, and everyone must make smart decisions when around water, even if you do not plan to swim. If you are at a public pool, be sure to swim in designated areas that are supervised by lifeguards. When out on the open water, be aware of colder temperatures, currents and underwater hazards. If you go boating, wear a life jacket. Most boating-related deaths occur from drowning. !Pool Security: Install and use barriers and safety covers around your home pool or hot tub. If you have

!an above-ground pool, remove any access ladders and secure the safety cover whenever the pool is not in use. !Know What to Do in an Emergency: Be prepared for a water emergency. Enroll in Red Cross home pool safety, water safety, first aid and CPR/AED courses to learn how to prevent and respond to emergencies. In addition, use the free Red Cross Swim app on your mobile device to stay knowledgeable about environment-specific safety content and how to recognize and act during water emergencies. !Don’t let a water emergency ruin your summer. Become water smart and stay water safe! Sign up for classes at 1-800-RED-CROSS or www.redcross.org/takeaclass to enroll in age-appropriate swim lessons today. And for pool owners, there is a great class at HomePoolEssentials.org.

Brooke Allen-Burnstein - Public Affairs Volunteer

The FREE Red Cross Swim app features: !• A companion to the American Red Cross Learn-

to-Swim Program with parent reference information in the form of skills and objectives

• Track student’s progress through digital achievements

• Videos, quizzes, and safety content for children • Activities for parents and kids to do together • Interactive quizzes that allow you to earn badges you can share with friends and family • Social sharing tool for progress badges you have earned !Other aquatic classes offered by the American Red Cross include: preschool aquatics, parent and child aquatics, home pool essentials, safety training for swim coaches and instructors and lifeguard and water safety information. You can register for classes online at http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class The American Red Cross Swim app can be downloaded from iTunes, Google Play, or Amazon Marketplace.

Red Cross Swim App

Southern Nevada Chapter

1771 E. Flamingo Road

Suite 206-B

Las Vegas, NV 89119

702-791-3311

Call for Nominations

Nominations accepted through July 11 at

redcross.org/southernnevada.

Nominees must live in Clark, Lincoln, Nye or Esmeralda counties.

Heroic act must have been performed

between Aug. 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014.

Hero nominees, their nominators and/or the person who was saved must be available for videotaped interviews

in Sept. 2014.

Nominees must be available to attend the

Everyday Heroes Breakfast on October

23, 2014.

www.redcross.org/southernnevada

https://twitter.com/SNVRedcross

http://ww.facebook.com/SNVRedCross

Non-Profit Org US Postage Paid Las Vegas, NV

Permit #55

Night of 50,000 LivesWith just $1, you can vaccinate a child and save their life

A vaccine for measles has been available since 1971. At a cost of $1, a vaccination would hardly seem like something that was unattainable for a child. And yet, there is an average of 430 deaths globally every day due to a disease that can be prevented.

The American Red Cross has partnered with several global organizations to mobilize volunteers in affected communities to work with all the resources available to wipe out measles by 2020. On May 6th we kicked off a campaign running throughout the summer to raise money for vaccinations.

If you or your group would like a presentation on the disease and fundraising initiative, contact Ibtisam Akbar at ibtisam.akbar@redcross.org

Imagine a world where children no longer suffer from measles. You can help. Go to http://bit.ly/1sqk2B5 (link is case sensitive) to make a donation, or call 702-369-3674.