 President Bush Signs Proclamation
Declaring March as National Red Cross Month
St. Louis Area Chapter celebrates community support while encouraging preparedness
St. Louis, Tuesday, March 4, 2008 – President George W. Bush signed a Proclamation declaring March as National Red Cross Month to honor the organization for “leading humanitarian efforts at home and around the world”. The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter offers several programs to aid local business, organizations, individuals and schools on how to prepare for disasters and emergencies including Be Red Cross Ready and the new Red Cross Ready Rating™ Program.
“In a recent survey of St. Louis-area residents, more than half say they don’t feel prepared for an everyday emergency, let alone a catastrophic event,” said Joseph C. White, CEO of the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter. “The Red Cross offers programs like Be Red Cross Ready and the new Ready Rating Program to make getting prepared a simple and easy process. Acting together, our community can be prepared for everyday emergencies and disasters.”
During Red Cross Month, the Red Cross encourages individuals to make emergency preparedness a personal priority and prepare now for the unexpected. Getting prepared is easier than ever through the Red Cross program Be Red Cross Ready, which streamlines the process into three easy steps:
- Get a Kit – Plan to have at least three days of supplies in an easy-to-carry evacuation kit, with additional supplies on hand. Supplies include water, non-perishable and high protein food items, a First Aid Kit, medications, and a battery-operated radio. A kit should be checked every six months in order to replace supplies as necessary. In addition to taking this kit with you in an evacuation, it can also be used to shelter-in-place.
- Make a Plan – Planning ahead will help you have the best possible response to disaster. Establish responsibilities for each family member and choose two places to meet following a disaster – directly outside the home (if an incident happens while the family is home) and outside the neighborhood (if the family is away from home during an incident and cannot return, or the family is ordered to evacuate by emergency officials). Families should practice their emergency plan at least twice a year.
- Be Informed – Learn what disasters or emergencies may occur locally and identify how local authorities will notify the public with important instructions. It is important to seek lifesaving training in First Aid and CPR so that people are ready to lend a hand in an emergency situation.
The Red Cross also encourages businesses, organizations and schools to embrace the message of Red Cross Month by preparing for disasters and emergencies. To help with this process, the St. Louis Area Chapter recently launched the Red Cross Ready Rating™ Program, a new, first-of-its-kind emergency preparedness program that makes preparedness measurable and visible for businesses, organizations and schools. The Ready Rating Program provides a five-step framework that guides Members to fulfill important steps to improve their level of emergency preparedness. Anheuser-Busch was instrumental in launching the program with a donation of $250,000.
The five steps are:
- Commit to membership in the Ready Rating Program – Commit your business, organization or school to steadily improving emergency readiness during the calendar year.
- Conduct an initial analysis and disaster vulnerability – Gather information about possible emergencies that could affect your business, organization or school’s capabilities to respond and recover.
- Develop an emergency response plan – Create a plan that describe the steps your organization or school will take to protect people and business interests before, during, and after emergencies.
- Implement the emergency response plan – Integrate preparedness as part of your culture.
- Make at least one additional commitment to improve the preparedness of the overall community –Examples of fulfilling this step could include conducting regular blood drives, offering space for shelters, or donating emergency supplies.
The American Red Cross also celebrates Red Cross Month by giving thanks to the public for their generous donations of time, money and blood throughout the year. Because of this support, the St. Louis Area Chapter has been able to serve the metropolitan area for the past 91 years and touches the community more than 446,600 times each year.
For More Information:
To learn more about National Red Cross Month, preparing for disasters and emergencies, or how to help in support the Red Cross mission, please call 314.516.2800 or log on to www.redcrossstl.org.
About the Presidential Proclamation:
President George W. Bush signed the following Proclamation declaring March as Red Cross Month:
In 1881, Clara Barton established the American Red Cross, and for years afterward, she led that organization in its noble cause to provide healing, comfort, and hope to those in need. Today, her legacy lives on through the millions of individuals who have answered the timeless call to serve others. During American Red Cross Month, we honor this charitable organization, and we reflect on its remarkable achievements and contributions to our country.
The American Red Cross exemplifies the good heart of this Nation by leading humanitarian efforts at home and around the world. This past year the American Red Cross provided food, comfort, and medical assistance to the victims of the tragic bridge collapse in Minnesota, the devastating wildfires in California, and the tornadoes that affected several Southern States. From the mountains of Peru to the lowlands of Bangladesh, the American Red Cross and its partners helped to provide relief abroad to those affected by natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies.
The American Red Cross also helps provide vital assistance by organizing blood drives, teaching health and safety programs, and providing lifesaving supplies. By compassionately supporting our men and women in uniform and their families, it helps to lift the spirits of our wounded warriors. During this month, we send our heartfelt gratitude to the volunteers and staff of the American Red Cross.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America and Honorary Chairman of the American Red Cross, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 2008 as American Red Cross Month. I commend the dedicated efforts of the American Red Cross, and I encourage all Americans to help make our world a better place by volunteering their time, energy, and talents for others.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.
GEORGE W. BUSH
About the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter:
Founded in 1917, the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter celebrates 91 years of dedicated service, providing emergency relief and preparedness training more than 446,600 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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