The American Red Cross In Queens Preparing The Community

WHO WE ARE…AND WHAT WE DO
The American Red Cross is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies every day. The Queens office is part of the American Red Cross in Greater New York—the largest Red Cross Chapter in the country—which has served businesses, organizations, schools and more than nine million people in the five boroughs and Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Sullivan Counties for more than 100 years.
For more than 25 years, the Queens Red Cross in Briarwood has been a mainstay in the borough, ensuring residents are trained in vital lifesaving and preparedness skills. Throughout the years, Red Cross CPR and First Aid classes have taught thousands of Queens residents how to help others in an emergency. During the July 2006 blackout, the Red Cross provided nearly 114,000 meals and snacks, along with 125,000 bottles of water and juice to individuals and families throughout Queens. Here is a snapshot of some recent disaster relief efforts, lifesaving skills and preparedness programs in the Queens community.
From July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007, the Red Cross:

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Responded to more than 800 fires and other emergencies in Queens

Assisted nearly 1,100 adults and children with food, shelter and/or counseling following a disaster in Queens

Trained 1,000 people in lifesaving skills such as First Aid, CPR and AED, as well as childcare and pet first aid skills, in Queens

Supported more than 28,000 people in the Queens community with preparedness information for individuals, families, schools and businesses.
While the Red Cross and its partners are committed to lending a helping hand to those in need, assistance may be delayed in times of disaster. That’s why it’s important for you, your loved ones and your business to Be Red Cross Ready by completing three easy steps:
1. Get a Kit
2. Make a Plan
3. Be Informed

STEP ONE: GET A KIT
What you have on hand before a disaster strikes can make a big difference as to how well you and your loved ones react. Create your own disaster preparedness kits - one for home and one to take with you as a Go Bag in case you need to evacuate - with enough supplies for everyone in your household for three days.
Your disaster preparedness kits should include:

Water. At least one gallon per person per day.

Food. Non-perishable items you’d want to eat.

First aid kit. Pack a “how to” guide as well.

Medications. Essential prescription and non-prescription items and medical information.

Crank radio and flashlight, or battery-powered radio and flashlight (with extra batteries for both), and a 12-hour glow stick.

Personal items. Remember specific items such as eye glasses, personal care and hygiene items, extra (charged) cell phone batteries and comfort items such as toys or books.

Money. Have cash in small denominations. ATMs and credit cards won’t work when power is out.

Important family documents in a waterproof, portable container.

Special items for infants, elderly, pets or loved ones with special needs.

STEP TWO: MAKE A PLAN
Meet with your loved ones and create a Family Disaster Plan, which includes a Communications Plan and an Evacuation Plan. Outline responsibilities for each member.
Pick two places to meet after a disaster - one near your home and another farther away in case you can’t get back to your neighborhood.
Designate an individual outside the potentially affected area that each family or household member will call or e-mail to check in with should a disaster occur. Your selected contact should live far enough away that they would be unlikely to be directly affected by the same event, and they should know they are the chosen contact.
Practice the communication plan and update as necessary.
Teach adult household members when and how to turn off electricity, water and gas.
Tell household members where emergency information and supplies are kept. Make copies of the information for everyone to carry at all times.
Practice evacuating your home twice a year.
Include your pets and service animals when you evacuate.
Help Neighbors. Meet with neighbors to plan how you could work together after a disaster until help arrives. Know your neighbors’ special skills (e.g., medical, technical) and consider how to help elderly community members and people with disabilities.

STEP THREE: BE INFORMED
The more you know before, during and after an emergency, the better off you and your loved ones may be.
Learn which disasters could occur where you live, work and play. A home fire or medical emergency can affect only you and your family. A flood or a blackout can affect your entire community.
Attend a Red Cross Prepare New York or Preparing for the Unexpected presentation to learn more specific information about how to prepare for emergencies in your community.
Identify how local authorities will notify you during a disaster and how you will get important information—whether through local radio, TV, or NOAA weather radio stations or channels.
Learn First Aid and CPR. During a major disaster, loved ones could be injured and emergency response delayed. Knowing simple first aid techniques can give you the skills and confidence to help and knowing CPR may help you save a life.
Volunteer. As a trained Red Cross volunteer, you can provide aid and comfort to those affected by disasters, teach lifesaving and preparedness courses to your Queens neighbors…and more.
Share what you have learned with your family, household and neighbors in the community and encourage them to be informed as well.

A MODEL OF BUSINESS PREPAREDNESS IN QUEENS
More than most people, Mark Kupferberg understands the need to be prepared for emergencies and disasters. As the son of the late Kenneth Kupferberg, a former Chairman of the American Red Cross in Queens, Mark grew up with the Red Cross as part of the fabric of his family life.
As a principal of Kepco, a Flushing, Queens, manufacturer of precision electronic power supplies founded by his father and uncles, Mark oversees the creation of products with applications for national defense and homeland security. In fact, Kepco created the key operating component of New York City’s emergency voice response system—the call boxes on the street residents use to contact a police or fire dispatcher.
Mark is invigorated by the notion that businesses like Kepco, which employs approximately 250 people in Flushing, have a well-developed emergency plan. He strongly believes that all businesses in New York City need to be prepared for emergencies. “Kepco has devoted resources to making sure we have business continuity plans and the ability to respond appropriately in an emergency,” he said. “And we want to work on partnering with Red Cross to develop a deeper cadre of trained people.”
In fact, a number of Kepco employees have, over the years, received Red Cross training. According to Mark, this has influenced how Kepco has approached developing preparedness plans for everything from a flood to a hurricane. “We’re in a flood plain—one of the highest risk areas in Queens,” he said. “If something really bad happens, government resources will be overwhelmed. We must be in a position to help ourselves.”

PREPARE YOUR BUSINESS AND STAFF – FOR UNEXPECTED SITUATIONS
If you’re a business owner in Queens, consider this: Small and mid-size businesses in New York City are poorly prepared for emergencies. A recent survey by the American Red Cross in Greater New York (ARC/GNY) and New York University’s Center for Catastrophe Preparedness and Response (CCPR) found that less than one quarter of surveyed businesses have a formal preparedness plan and only 4 in 10 businesses report providing any preparedness information or training to their employees. What are the barriers to preparedness? Major obstacles cited by businesses include the lack of compelling incentives and the lack of information and training necessary to prepare.
The Red Cross can help. With Customized Group Training, ARC/GNY can bring any lifesaving skills and preparedness training classes to a location of your choice. Comprehensive, flexible Red Cross First Aid, CPR, AED, Caregiving and Aquatics training programs help employees stay prepared for virtually any life-threatening situation—and Red Cross preparedness training helps employees cope with any disaster. For more information, call the Queens Area Office at 718-558-0053.
Additionally, the American Red Cross in Greater New York’s Ready When the Time Comes program trains volunteer teams from local companies, organizations and community-based groups in disaster relief and deploys them to Red Cross relief operations in the New York area. All participants receive free basic training in disaster preparedness and response.
Your employees or associates can train to become Red Cross disaster volunteers before an emergency happens through the Ready When the Time Comes program. Learn more at www.nyredcross.org/volunteer.

RED CROSS PARTNERS
“It’s important that all New Yorkers stay prepared for emergencies. The Red Cross has been a valuable partner in that effort, and their efforts will undoubtedly save lives,” said Council Member Peter F. Vallone Jr. “Together, we can prevent large-scale disasters from becoming large-scale tragedies.”
Red Cross partners support the organization’s mission in many ways—from Enterprise Rent-A-Car working with the Queens Area Office to assemble community outreach materials and Glac/au donating Vitamin Water for the Red Cross response to the 2006 Queens’ power outage, to Astoria Federal Savings supporting Red Cross programs and services and the Edhi Bilquis Foundation donating funds for an Emergency Response Vehicle that transports relief workers, meals, beverages, clean-up kits and more to the scene of a disaster to provide immediate aid to those in need.
The Queens Area Office salutes its partners in preparedness and disaster relief, including:
Astoria Federal Savings
Con Edison, Inc.
Edhi Bilquis Foundation
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Flushing Chinese Business Association
Glac/au
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Queens
Islamic Circle of North America Relief
Kepco, Inc.
Muss Development LLC
The New York Mets
The New York Times Co.
Queens Assembly and Senate Delegations
Queens City Council Delegation
The Sikh community and Gurdwaras
Tzu-Chi Foundation
World Journal