City recognized for training lifeguards, promoting safety at aquatic facilities, and hosting blood drives

St. Louis, Thursday, August 16, 2007 - During an onsite award presentation this week, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter presented its new Lifesaver Community Award to the City of St. Louis. The award was bestowed upon the city for training its lifeguards in critical water safety skills and bloodborne pathogens education, for supporting the Red Cross Aquatic Examiner Service in an effort to uphold the highest standards of water safety at all of the city's aquatic facilities, and for hosting regular Red Cross blood drives onsite.

A Red Cross Celebration Team, comprised of volunteers and staff, took part in the recognition event to celebrate the City of St. Louis' outstanding commitment to helping the greater community prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

"By preparing its lifeguards to respond during an emergency situation, while also encouraging the public to become regular blood donors, the City of St. Louis is saving lives and creating a safer community for us all," said Joseph C. White, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter. "The Red Cross hopes that other municipalities will follow the outstanding example set by the City of St. Louis and its Parks and Recreation division."

The Lifesaver Community Award is an expansion of the Red Cross Lifesaver Program and is designed to honor corporations, municipalities and civic organizations for contributing to a safer community environment. Award criteria includes utilizing Red Cross health and safety training for at least three years, training employees in CPR and First Aid on a regular basis, placing Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) onsite, and conducting regular Red Cross blood drives.

Details regarding the City of St. Louis' preparedness efforts include the following:

• Trained more than 280 people in lifeguard and bloodborne pathogens training over the past two years.
• Certified eight Lifeguard Instructors and 10 Water Safety Instructors. Many of these instructors regularly volunteer to teach during Red Cross Aquatic Schools.
• Contracts the American Red Cross to provide its Aquatic Examiner Service. Since 1997, Red Cross officials have conducted unannounced onsite evaluations at eight pools, three times each year.
• Hosts regular Red Cross blood drives onsite, collecting more than 150 units of blood over the last two years.
• Encouraged community to step forward to donate blood during recent emergency appeal by issuing a Public Service Announcement recorded by Mayor Francis Slay.

About the Red Cross Lifesaver Program:
The Lifesaver Award Program, sponsored by AAA, is designed to inspire others to get trained in First Aid and CPR by recognizing local citizens who prepared themselves to respond in an emergency situation. Last year, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter trained more than 85,000 people locally in CPR and First Aid, including more than 15,000 in the use of AEDs. Since 1984, the Red Cross Lifesaver Program has honored more than 325 St. Louis heroes. The program supports the Red Cross mission to help our communities prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies.

In 2007, the St. Louis Area Chapter expanded the Lifesaver Award Program to include the Lifesaver Community Awards. The newly expanded program honors corporations, municipalities, and civic organizations for contributing to a safer community environment by reaching the public with lifesaving First Aid and CPR training and hosting regular blood drives onsite.

For More Information:
To learn more about the Lifesaver Community Awards or the programs and services provided by the American Red Cross, please contact the St. Louis Area Chapter at 314.516.2800 or www.redcrossstl.org.

About the American Red Cross Missouri-Illinois Blood Services Region:
The American Red Cross is a humanitarian, non-profit organization founded in 1881. The Red Cross collects almost half of the nation's blood supply. The Missouri-Illinois Region annually distributes over 500,000 blood products to patients in need. The Region's headquarters and National Testing Lab are located in St. Louis and currently stands ready to serve over 120 hospitals in 122 counties and operates four distribution centers. The Red Cross relies on the generosity of volunteer blood donors to maintain a safe and adequate blood supply all year long. To find out more about the American Red Cross Missouri-Illinois Blood Services Region, please call 1-800 GIVE LIFE (448.3543), or log onto www.americanredcrossblood.org.

About the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter:
Founded in 1917, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter celebrates 90 years of dedicated service, providing emergency relief and preparedness training more than 410,000 times each year. The Red Cross is not a government agency and depends on the efforts of thousands of volunteers and donors to provide a wide range of community support services, including disaster relief, first aid and CPR training, water safety, services to military personnel and support for blood services. The Chapter, a United Way agency, provides programs and services to St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County in Missouri, as well as Monroe, St. Clair (including Scott Air Force Base) and part of Madison County in Illinois. All disaster relief services are provided free of charge thanks to the generosity of the American people. To learn more about Red Cross programs, volunteer opportunities, and how you can help, contact the St. Louis Area Chapter at 314.516.2800 or www.redcrossstl.org.

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