Halloween is all about extreme makeovers- the chance to take your normal self and transform into something scary, cute, ridiculous, or laughable. For instance, at the Red Cross office today, I saw a Lawn Gnome in Pay Roll, Snow White in Health and Safety, and a Vampire in Volunteer Resources. I’m pretty sure I even witnessed Germ-X fighting off the Swine Flu down in the Disaster Department.

Trivia time! What do the BeeGees, Matt Lauer, and the Red Cross have in common? Give up? For one man these things were a matter of life and death.

I love falling back! Getting that extra hour of sleep makes my day (actually, let’s be honest, it makes my month!) I know it’s hard to believe it’s that time already, but November 1^st is Daylight Savings time, and it’s important to remember that, in addition to changing your clocks, it’s time to change the batteries in your smoke alarms. You should change the batteries at least once a year, but for everyone who needs an easy ways to remember things, Change your clocks, change your batteries- it’s a perfect tool to act as a trigger! Changing your smoke alarm battery on November 1 is also a great way to cap off Fire Prevention Month (which was October.)

Every so often, I think it is interesting to see what other Red Cross chapters and volunteers are doing in their communities. So when I came across this blog post from a Red Crosser in Kansas City, I just had to re-post. Please enjoy!

By Sherri Odell, Greater Kansas City Chapter Leadership Volunteer
Originally posted to her page on Sat., Oct. 17, 2009

I like my life very planned…I like order…I like to KNOW what is coming up…What I don’t like are surprises. As a volunteer with the Red Cross, it would really be ideal if we could plan when a disaster was going to happen, so I could schedule it accordingly on my calendar. You know, as in, “Oh, lunch next week? Let’s see - I have the dentist on Monday, a disaster on Wednesday – which will probably take at least 2-3 days – but Thursday works for me!”

Trick or Treating is one of my kid's facorite nights of the year. Running from house to house in the dark filling their trick or treat bag or pillow case until it is overflowing with goodies. Then they rush home to drop off their loot - and start the process all over again collecting more treats 'til all the porch lights go out. As a parent, I worry about them being safe out in the dark tripping or falling. I just purchased the American Red Cross LED Glow Stick for my 10-year-old daughter and her friends for piece of mind.

The Glow Stick is great. This 200-hour LED Glow Stick combines an emergency flasher, flashlight and emergency whistle, all in one lightweight, compact device. It is a great item for Halloween, but would also be great to keep in your car, kitchen or bedroom for wasy access in case of an emergency.

It’s refreshing to see that most Americans are taking the flu seriously. According to an recent Red Cross survey, 78% of adults are washing their hands more carefully and frequently compared to only 55% in May. (Remember 20 seconds!) Also 75% of adults are taking more care in making sure they are covering their coughs and sneezes. Women are more like than men to be taking these steps, for instance women are almost 20% more likely than men to be cleaning surfaces with disinfectant at home and at work than men (72% of women and 53% of men.) One thing that may not surprise American men is that women are also 20% more likely then men to be giving others advice on how to avoid the flu (58% of women are giving out advice, compared to 38% of men.)

October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month. I’ll admit, it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. If you’d asked the average person what Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) was, their answer would likely be "a heart attack." But comparing SCA to a heart attack is like comparing apples to oranges.

• Heart attack: A circulation problem in the heart, when arteries supplying the heart get blocked. Oxygen in the blood cannot reach the heart muscle, and the heart muscle becomes damaged. Generally, there are symptoms prior to a heart attack like difficulty breathing, numbness in arms, tightening of the chest or upper back pain. These symptoms help to recognize the emergency and get medical help on the way.

Have you ever wondered what the Fire Department is all about? What's it like to be a professional firefighter? Do you know how to use a fire extinguisher? In September, my husband and some of our very own American Red Cross staff and volunteers got to experience a small taste of what it’s like to be in a firefighter’s shoes.

I was happy to arrive at another shift of the Disaster Action Team on the Sunday four to midnight shift. I had thought, driving in, that it would have been a very quiet night, however when I arrived that was not the case. I learned that there was a very large apartment fire that happened in the morning, which the morning team, as well as a back up team, was helping. When we arrived we did our best to get ready for the night shifts. However, shortly after we had our DAT truck ready, we had a fire involving a family to go to. This family’s story stuck in my mind most of the night and continuing through the day. We arrived at the house shortly after the firemen had put out the fire; however, the house was completely destroyed. We saw the house first and the family sitting on a neighbors porch second. It was very heart-wrenching sight. The owners were utterly devastated.

Fall makes me nostalgic for my college days, and particularly the weeks surrounding Homecoming. As a student at Mizzou, and a member of the Greek system, Homecoming was more than just a tradition – it was practically a religion. Mizzou stakes claim to creating the “Homecoming” concept back in 1911 for the football rivalry between Missouri and Kansas. Today, football still reigns strong. But beyond the game, months are spent strategizing plans for a float, house decorations, a skit and, of course – the annual Red Cross Blood Drive.

Last month I showed you the cutest little video of Elmo teaching kids how to properly wash hands and stop the spread of germs. It turns out Elmo is just as passionate about pandemic flu safety as we are here at the Red Cross which is why he is continuing his healthy habits crusade.  

After enlisting the assistance of his neighbors (ya know, Ernie, Bert and the gang), Elmo teamed up with the Red Cross to distribute “Healthy Habits for Life,” an informational tip sheet for parents and children. Creating healthy habits can be daunting to anyone, but young children in particular may not always understand exactly how germs spread. But with encouragement from parents and a little help from their Sesame Street friends, children can easily learn that there are certain things they can do to stay healthy, especially when they do them during their everyday routines with the adults who care for them.

There is a lot of talk in the media right now about the H1N1 flu. Because of large numbers of absences Jefferson R-VII school district made the decision to close and we are hearing about school closures in other parts of the country as well. The best way to think about these closures is like a snowday. When a school closes due to the snow it is as a precaution so that students and their parents aren’t on the road when conditions are not favorable. Closing due to a large number of flu absences gives a school the chance to clean their facilities and the sick students get a chance to get healthy.

As a Disaster Specialist, I spend much of my time responding to local disasters and making plans to prepare for and prevent future disasters. I love my job. But my favorite role in life is being an Aunt – I have two nephews and two nieces. Recently I had the opportunity to share a bit of my professional life with some of my youngest family members.

Last week I got to spend the entire day with my 4 and a half year old niece, Elly. I’m not sure which one of us was more excited about spending the day together!   We had a jam-packed, fun filled day planned: baking cookies, shopping together and exploring the St. Louis Science Center.

Traveling long distances today is commonplace. Whether for work or for leisure, most of us have had the very routine experience of boarding a plane, taking your seat, enjoying your bag of peanuts or complimentary frozen meal, perhaps even a complimentary beverage (if you’re lucky), and landing at your destination- maybe half way across the country, maybe half way across the world. Either way, it really doesn’t hit you until you step out onto the sidewalk with your luggage and hail a cab that you’ve gone any where at all. But it very quickly gets interesting if for example you don’t know the language, or you can’t find a currency exchange, or your luggage never left Chicago. We’ve all been there, or worse. But even in the worst of circumstances eventually, the luggage arrives; eventually, you find your hotel, and eventually you get back on a plane returning from whence you came, and you arrive back home, safe and sound.  

As the parent of two pre-schoolers, I often play the game “how are these things alike?” If you’re reading this, you’re much more sophisticated than my kids, but indulge me for a minute and play along.  

• When we were looking for child care for our first baby, my husband and I turned to the Child Day Care Association of St. Louis for advice, resources, and even the files for the providers we were considering.
• One of my nephews went through the Wyman Center’s teen leadership program and is now working his way through college.

If you still need a seasonal flu shot, starting today Barnes Jewish Hospitals are offering FREE flu shots. Or you can call 2-1-1 for a list of places in your area. 

• What is the incubation period (the time between infection and the appearance of symptoms) of the flu virus? The estimated incubation period is unknown and could range from 1 to 7 days, and more likely 1 to 4 days.

So I’m pretty sure we all see the importance of being prepared for emergency situations, whatever they may be. Thanks to the Red Cross I know my First Aid and disaster response. I know how to keep myself healthy during a pandemic. And I am fairly confident our community businesses and schools could operate during and after a disaster. There’s just one thing I’m not so sure about…Zombie Attacks.

Monday, September 28, 2009 8:45 PM
Subject: Monday is still a bad day

This morning another earthquake struck near the Samoan islands, an area already devastated by earthquake and tsunami damage which killed more than 130 people.

The earthquake from this morning registered as a 5.5 on the Richter scale. The original quake on Tuesday was an 8.0-magnitude, and triggered a tsunami. According to news reports, four tsunami waves about 15 to 20 feet high came ashore.

Saturday - 12:47 a.m. "Atlanta"

Well  I made it this far and I'm living large tonight - I'm actually in a hotel called Extended Stay America. That may, and probably will, change tomorrow when I check in at HQ. I may wind up any where in Georgia, Mississippi or even the Carolinas. I'll keep you posted.

I arrived here after dark so I haven't seen anything yet, but , with all the lights I don't see where there are any power outages. They'll probably show me where they are tomorrow.

This morning, we were at the Ready Rating SMT or “Satellite Media Tour,” which is a series of live interviews from St. Louis that appear on TV and radio stations across the country. Joe White (American National Red Cross) and Laura Reeves (Anheuser-Busch) did a great job promoting the Ready Rating™ Program. Because they had to be on the air for morning shows on the East Coast, it was an early wake-up call (my alarm went off at 3 a.m.!). But Joe and Laura didn’t show any signs of sleep deprivation. A big thanks to Washington University in St. Louis for being our 150th Ready Rating Member, and allowing their campus to be the backdrop of the SMT.

Be prepared for emergencies. At one time or another, we have probably all heard the words, but until I started working at the Red Cross, I never really gave it a second thought on what it means. But in the past two years of working at the Red Cross, I’ve seen the organization provide assistance to those affected by fires, floods, tornadoes, windstorms, hurricanes and more.

Last night I thought about where I would start if I was a business, school or organization researching on how to be prepared for an emergency. So, I did what any internet guru would do—I googled the phrase “be prepared.” Can you believe there were 58,800,000 results!

Every Thursday for the past 7 years, Ed Fogarty has faithfully come to Chapter Headquarters at 6:30 a.m. to prepare the cambros for his Disaster Action Team (DAT) shift. His early arrival was entirely by choice.

“In the summertime, I figure, the earlier you make the cambros, the colder they will be. It takes a few hours to get cold, and I want it to be ready in case there is an early morning fire. Besides, I figure I miss the traffic.”

It’s that selfless attitude, Ed’s subtle sense of humor, and his pride and dedication that his team will miss. But mostly they will just miss his presence.

As the six survivors gathered around the Celebration Cake and blew out the candles, everyone in the room agreed this gathering should be the first of many.

This was the scene at the close of the First Annual Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survivor Birthday Party Blowout held back on June 2. The Birthday Party, hosted by American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter, was held during National CPR and AED Awareness Week and attended by Cardiac Arrest Survivors, their spouses, and two young daughters of one of the survivors. Six amazing stories were heard from individuals who beat the odds and survived sudden cardiac arrest because someone knew what to do, someone called 911, or someone knew CPR and there was an AED close by!!!!! I was extremely touched by the immediate closeness everyone in the room seemed to develop in such a short time. It was like they had known each other for years-all tied together as a result of a common life-changing experience—brought back to life by the use of an AED (automated external defibrillator).

Everyone has their own memories of where they were eight years ago on September 11^th.  For me, I was in a meeting at my office on Park Avenue and 29^th, about 2 miles uptown from the World Trade Center.   When the 1^st tower was hit, many of us thought it was a little single engine plane that nicked the tower so we continued on with our day.  Shortly after that we decided to turn the TV on and we all watched in horror as the 2^nd tower was hit.  I spoke to my husband shortly thereafter and as a pilot he had heard the 2^nd plane go over the city and knew that the plane was in trouble.  Since many of our staff travel via subway and on the line that goes under the World Trade Center, we started doing a head count.  Twenty minutes later our last staff member, Joy, arrived in shock and covered in soot.  Thankfully, all of our staff were accounted for. Sadly, a few weeks later we would learn by seeing a picture up on a street sign that we lost one of our former employees, Amy, who I later found out from her mother was attending a seminar on the 102^nd floor.

The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter recently partnered with Metro and the makers of Germ-X to distribute free hand sanitizer and pandemic preparedness information to St. Louis area Metro riders.

Last week I tagged along with Red Cross staff and volunteers to help pass out Germ-X and our Home Care for Pandemic Flu flyer at the Central West End Metro station. And of course, I brought my camera along for the ride.

Click on read more to check out my video from the event! 

In 2004, my son and I moved here from Florida after a devastating hurricane season. We had to move away from everyone we knew, our friends, his school, my work, our church, and all the organizations we assisted and were part of. It was a very tough time for us moving to a city where the only person we knew was my dad. On top of that, my son Daniel was extremely ill. 

For that reason, September is the month of so many memories for me. It’s the month in 2004 where dad flew us up here for a week while our roof was being replaced between Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. It was my first Greentree Festival, and it was in September when I met former Kirkwood Mayor, Mike Swoboda for the first time.

The Germ-X and flu information distribution has been one of those projects where it was the right people together at the right time. Using the Metro to distribute this information is great because you see a real crossroads of the community at a Metro stop.

Wednesday we distributed information and Germ-X to 2500 people at the Central West End Station.  I won’t lie-getting up at 4:00 am has been difficult, but it’s completely worth it if it gets people to wash their hands, cover their cough and stay home if they are sick.  

I often wonder if there is anything more adorable than my trusty childhood pal Elmo. There is something about that little guy and his Sesame Street friends that, even today, still causes me to stop on PBS when channel surfing. However, today, I discovered something that is, in fact, much more precious than Elmo himself…It's Elmo teaching preparedness and flu safety!!! It doesn’t get much better than that…

Click on "Read More" to watch the video!

A couple of weeks ago on a Sunday night, we were heading to a two-alarm fire in Huntleigh, MO. Regularly, I drive the truck on Friday nights which is generally the busiest night, so I have worked with fire departments from all over St. Louis County and the City. This particular area we were heading to do not see fires very often so listening to the scanner on the way, I was not sure what to expect.

As Red Cross volunteers, we have two jobs at a fire scene: 1) To assist the family, and  2) To help make sure the emergency workers stay hydrated. The American Red Cross in the St. Louis area is much different from other Red Cross chapters. Because of the donors we have here, we are able to supply this service to the emergency workers. Every day, there are firefighters all over the area putting their lives at risk for us.

Days like today are why I love my job. Our chapter honored 10 people from around the St. Louis area who did something incredible to save a life! 

I am talking about everyday folks -- your friends and neighbors. These incredible individuals understood the importance of learning CPR, First Aid, and water safety to help their community. Even though none of them expected to ever use these skills in an emergency, they were prepared.

Okay, I’ll admit it. I am addicted to CW11 shows like One Tree Hill. So I was a little intrigued when I saw previews for the newest addition to the CW11 line-up: The Vampire Diaries. I haven’t jumped on the whole Vampire Bandwagon just yet, so I wasn’t quite sure what to think.

But now I’ll definitely give the show a try since the CW Network, Alloy Media + Marketing and the American Red Cross are joining forces to host blood drives at more than 230 of the country's high schools and colleges. The "Starve a Vampire. Donate Blood." campaign will run for five weeks with a goal to collect more than 3,400 blood donations.

On Sunday, August 16 Sergeant First Class William B. Woods, 31, was killed in Afghanistan.

I got a hair cut about 10 days ago, but the stylist ignored what I asked for and free lanced all over my head. Cut too short, my naturally curly hair erupts into an afro at the least excuse. Humidity is a dandy excuse; when ISN”T it humid in Missouri? I’ve pretty much been wearing a hat ever since. 

 Arriving for my DAT shift I was excited because Friday nights were supposed to be THE night for fires. Which I wanted, seeing how I had been on two rides before with no activity. While listening to the radio we kept hearing a dispatcher talking about a commercial fire at a salvage yard and noticed they were calling out quite a bit of equipment. It was a massive fire at a car salvage yard! Our team leader for the evening decided to call the dispatch to see if the chief wanted us to canteen (that is, provide water and snacks for the emergency responders.) We listened on the radio as she asked and had to laugh when we heard one of the firemen say “wondered when they were going to call.”

Next time someone tells you that your ‘Tweeting’, ‘Facebooking’, and ‘YouTubing’ is a waste of time, you just let them know that your addiction to social media is potentially saving lives.

Our disaster services department is hard at work everyday making sure the St. Louis Area Community is prepared for disasters. That’s why it came as no surprise when our Disaster Warehouse Manager, Tony- while brushing up on his disaster research- shared with me some great information from the United Nation’s Risk Reduction Conference earlier this summer.

Six years ago today, 22 people were killed in a bombing at the United Nations Office in Iraq. Unfortunately those 22 are only a handful of those who have died throughout the years working to promote the humanitarian cause. In an effort to commemorate the lives that have already been lost, celebrate the humanitarian work that’s being done today, and focus our attention on the challenges and people who still need our help, the United Nations established World Humanitarian Day, observed today, August 19, 2009.

In my personal observation of World Humanitarian Day, I thought it was important to take a minute and salute all of the humanitarian organizations across the globe striving to make our world a better place. And it only seems fair to give a big ‘thank you’ to all of our local humanitarians- the St. Louis Area Volunteers who...

Thank you all for your help on Sunday!

Even though I see fires everyday, it really is something different when it happens close to home. I couldn’t believe it when I woke up Sunday morning to screams for help coming from the building across the street. I saw the fire engines pulling up and immediately reached for my phone. When Cynthia answered, she politely and calmly took my information, reassured me and dispatched the DAT.

As I headed outside with bottles of water from my disaster supply kit in tow, I began distributing them to my hot and scared neighbors. Within 10 minutes of my call to Cynthia, I saw the DAT

When it comes to Billikens, even Saint Louis University ponders the origin of their mystic little mascot. But the one thing everyone can agree on is that a Billiken is a symbol of luck. And while the Red Cross loves good luck, we also cherish a little thing called preparedness. Luckily for us, so do the Billikens…





Click "Read More" to watch the video...

As students go back to school this year, they will be going back with one major change as far as their school's blood drive is concerned. Starting August 31, all high school students and anyone under age 19 must meet new weight and height requirements to donate blood.

High school students and individuals under age 19 must weight at least 110 pounds.  Males under 5 feet tall and females under 5 foot 6 inches, must meet a higher weight restriction based on their height.

It’s been a sad week here at the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter. Last Wednesday, we learned one of our family members had lost her battle with cancer. Jackie Trice had served for more than 20 years as an administrative assistant in both the East St. Louis Service Center and then in the Metro East Service Center.  “Jackie was an advocate for the clients she served and often times we would receive letters thanking Jackie for her support and care given while they were being served by the Red Cross,” said Cindy Erickson, chief executive officer of the St. Louis Area Chapter.

Three cheers for Dellwood Lifeguard, Michael Heitert! Tonight he is receiving the National Certificate of Merit for saving his friend’s life last summer. Here’s what happened:

On Monday, June 4^th, 2008, Michael was at the Dellwood Recreation Center participating in high school swim practice. As part of the practice, swimmers were diving off the block, trying to dive over a kickboard in the water. When Eric Springli dove in the water – his head hit the pool bottom.

After being killed in action almost 60 years ago, the remains of Sergeant Charles “Leo” Wilson will be flown home on Wednesday August 5^th. The date of Sgt. Wilson’s death is estimated to be on our about Nov. 27, 1950, five months after North Korea invaded the South, when the U.S. Army committed its first divisions to battle by battalion. Defense Department officials say a North Korean farmer found the remains  in 2000.

To honor Sergeant Wilson and to show support to his family during this difficult time, the American Red Cross will join the Patriot Guard and Airport police in lining the Cargo area of the airport when the flight carrying his remains land and while his remains are transported to his final resting place in Rolla.

Today we say goodbye to a dear member of our Red Cross family. Mary Beth Ohlms has been the Manager of Health & Safety Services for nearly 10 years. Among other things, Mary Beth makes sure all of our Red Cross classes are filled and have the right instructors; she also tackles the big challenge of organizing our "Community Hero" events (where mass groups of people get trained to save a life).

The first decade of the new millennium is almost over – and the group Save the Children is dubbing it the “Disaster Decade,” at least as far as the United States is concerned. From September 11, 2001 through present day, we’ve seen wildfires, numerous hurricanes, and mass school shootings. So Save the Children hired a research firm to look at the impact of disasters on children – and to see how all 50 states and the District of Columbia fared in making sure children are protected.

Red Cross is in the business of providing relief to victims of disasters and helping people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.

On Saturday, June 27^th, the Omega Center in St. Louis City and the Jackie Joyner Kersee Center in East St. Louis, IL served as designated sites for neighbors and friends to help Red Cross fulfill its mission – respond to emergencies.

The community came out to give life-sustaining blood – usually in low supply during summer months, and donors visited our booth to learn about the programs, services, and volunteer opportunities at the Chapter.

For the next few days, the St. Louis Area Chapter is playing host to a special guest -- Jerry DeFrancisco, the President of Humanitarian Services for the American National Red Cross. 

(Picture after the jump)...

There’s something about the word ‘lifeguard’ that instantly elicits flashbacks of David Hasselhoff patrolling the beach with his lifesaving ladies-their distinguished red bathing suits, sun-bleached hair, sporty yellow jeeps. If I put a conch shell up to my ear I’m sure I could hear ”I’ll be ready” singing in the distance. It’s something I won’t deny; I was a Baywatch fan. I loved that these “everyday superheroes” rescued people from shark-attacks, heart-attacks, and every other attack in between. For me, Baywatch made lifeguarding cool. And I almost forgot just how cool lifeguards really are. That is, until yesterday…

Not that I am admitting to playing computer games at work, but I found a very cool online game that teaches about earthquake safety. Even though we aren't on the coast, St. Louis is near the New Madrid Fault so we need to take this stuff seriously.

The game is called "Drop! Cover! Hold On!" The object of the game is to secure all the necessary items in the room before an earthquake hits - and one could hit at any time!

Have you heard about the new EHL program in International Services? Do you know how this new program differs from the existing IHL program? Are you familiar with either of these acronyms?

Well, let me be the first to admit that I too find myself lost in a wilderness of jargon and acronyms especially when learning about programs in other departments. But there’s very little that goes on in any department here at the Red Cross that isn’t in some way significant to the big picture, especially to the services we provide locally.

So if you know that IHL stands for “International Humanitarian Law” you might then ask the question, how is this important to the work of the Red Cross here at home? It may be trite to say, “It’s a small world after all”, but it is true that what happens “over there” is increasingly felt “over here”.

IHL is a body...

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This is a little something that I wrote and someone told me I should share with some people at the American Red Cross because it may remind some of the volunteers and even staff that even the smallest tasks that we do for others can have a HUGE impact.

I had cancer when I was in the 9th grade and I have started writing a book of short stories about my experiences with the horrible “C word.” When I was thinking of some of the different stories that I wanted to include in this book, one of the first moments that always comes to mind for me is the one when I was getting my chemotherapy treatments right around Christmas time. I have shared this story with a few family members and I have shared it with a couple volunteers here at the Jefferson County Service Center so..... I thought I would share it with those of you that have some free time and are willing to read this.

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Just a quick heads up: country singer (and Missouri native) Sara Evans will perform tonight in St. Louis at the All-Star Game. In case you didn’t know, Sara is a member of the American Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet. Along with other musicians, actors, and athletes, Sara helps support the Red Cross mission of preparing, preventing and responding to disasters by donating her time and skill to help highlight important Red Cross efforts.

Back in April, we announced a very exciting milestone for the Red Cross Ready Rating Program - Enterprise Rent-A-Car joined as our 100th Member. Today, I am excited to report we have surpassed our goal of 130 Members by June 30, 2009! Congratulations to the 134 businesses, organizations and schools that have committed to becoming better prepared. Click here for the complete list of Ready Rating Members.

Support the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter by dining out at Chili's Grill & Bar the entire month of July! Print the coupon and bring with you to any participating Chili's. Ten percent of your total purchase will be donated to the St. Louis Area Chapter.  Locations after the jump...

I just love these kinds of stories. Even though most people complain that TV news (especially local news) only covers "bad" stories involving crime and mischief, there are those special moments when TV has the power to show the best side of humanity. And I especially enjoy hearing local "good news" stories.

Last night, KTVI Fox 2's Jeff Bernthal reported on a Belleville man who used CPR to save a toddler who nearly drowned. The little girl was playing in a large inflatable pool in her backyard - and her floatie slipped off. When neighbor Dave Ludgate heard screaming - he rushed next door and knew exactly what to do. Watch the story for yourself:

Lately there have been many house fires in the area. Last Friday was no different; another family lost their home and all their belongings. Sometimes we feel so helpless assisting these people as we supply them housing, clothing, and food. We cannot bring back the lost memories which were in photographs or a special drawing made by a child. We see many tears shed and the fear of not knowing what comes next.

As someone with serious iPhone envy, I’ve paid attention to some of the cooler applications, or “apps” as they are called, that have been released. There’s an app to find a house to buy; an app to determine if the picture you are hanging is level, and even an app to help you lose weight. But I was still surprised when I saw a headline today about an iPhone app to learn CPR.

It was developed in the Seattle area, and although I can’t view it (‘cause I don’t have a iPhone) it apparently contains short 1-2 minute videos instructing someone how to perform CPR.

Chances are, you’ve seen at least a few of the ad nauseum commercials and public service announcements about the “D-TV Switch” – when television stations all over the country are switching their signals from “analog” to “digital.” While most people are covered by either cable or satellite (who will handle all the technical aspects of the change over for their customers) there are still millions of Americans who will be left without a TV signal.

The biggest concern for the Red Cross – keeping people informed during severe weather. Already in St. Louis this week, we’ve seen several rounds of strong storms and even tornadoes. It is also hurricane season, which impacts millions living along the coast.

This is no lie: the number of fatal home fires in Missouri is up significantly from last year. In 2008, the state fire marshal investigated 60 fatal fires all year. So far in 2009, the state has already had 50 fatal fires, and there are still six more months to go.

The number one cause of home fires: careless smoking. So if you do smoke, make sure you put those cigarettes out completely.

It is Friday, so I decided to have a little fun and see what would happen if I put our blog into a wordle. What's a wordle? It's a "word cloud" that should in varying propotions what words appear on a blog. So, here is ours (after the jump):

In less than 72 hours Hurricane Season will begin, and already an early arrival along the eastern coastline. Tropical Depression 1 looks to make only a “hello” wave and move off to sea.   Why am I thinking of Hurricane Season in St. Louis? Last year the remnants of Ike came through causing quite a stir, and the subsequent activation of even more Red Cross volunteers. Several volunteers were already in Texas and Louisiana assisting with Ike and Gustav, not expecting Ike to come into their backyard! The Red Cross was able to support the multiple, simultaneous disasters because of a dedicated group of volunteers who were willing to do their part helping their communities.