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 The final three steps of the Together We Prepare initiative were unveiled during the December Red Cross program on KJFF (1400 AM) Radio. Omar Ruiz, manager of the Jefferson County Service Center in Arnold encouraged listeners to get trained in lifesaving CPR and first aid, volunteer in the community, and become regular blood donors. Together We Prepare is a five step initiative introduced by the Red Cross in February, 2003 to educate the public about the importance of taking personal responsibility for emergency preparedness. The first two steps, discussed in detail during the November radio program, outline the importance of creating a family emergency plan and building a disaster supplies kit.
Clayton Fenter, specialist in the Health and Safety Department with the St. Louis Area Chapter, joined Ruiz for the 30-minute live interview Dec. 10. After recapping Together We Prepare, Ruiz and Fenter continued their focus on the importance of lifesaving training in first aid and CPR. In September 2004, the St. Louis Area Chapter debuted online health and safety courses that can be taken from the comfort of home. Online reading and testing is done at an individual’s own pace, and skills are then demonstrated to a certified Red Cross instructor once the online portion is complete. This innovative step is designed to accommodate today’s busy schedules.
Fenter and Ruiz provided recent examples of lifesaving residents from Jefferson County to cite the fundamental importance of preparedness training. On Dec. 7, in a ceremony at chapter headquarters, the Red Cross honored local heroes who prepared themselves by learning necessary skills, then reached out to save a life. The American Red Cross Lifesaver Award was presented to Jim Hays and Tommy Jackson, Jr. of Pevely, industrial painters who rescued their co-workers from the swift currents of the Mississippi River when their boat sank. The crew had been working on a painting project at the Poplar Street Bridge.
Tom LaBruyere Jr., Tom LaBruyere III (both of Mehlville) and Jennifer Coleman of Fenton received Red Cross recognition for saving the life of a YMCA patron who became unconscious while swimming at the facility. Tom Jr., a lifeguard, pulled the woman from the water, while Tom III and Jennifer administered CPR.
Donna Spurlock, also a Fenton resident and a former custodian at River Bend Elementary, saved the life of a fourth-grade student choking in the school cafeteria by performing abdominal thrusts to dislodge his obstructed airway. Donna had recently completed a Red Cross course, and was able to step in immediately because of the skills she learned.
The next Red Cross radio show will be featured on KJFF at 10:30 a.m., Friday, Jan. 14.
For more information about signing up for a Red Cross training course, or to learn about other programs and services provided by the organization, call 636.464.9150 or visit the Red Cross website at www.redcrossstl.org.
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