March 2009

Volume 1, Issue 7

American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis, 441 East 10th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202 www.redcross-indy.org 317-684-1441

President Obama Signs 2009 Madison County DAT News

By Kate Ayers
Proclamation Naming March
"Red Cross Month"
(article from redcross.org)
T he Red Cross has been
busy in Madison County,
as we have unfortunately been
experiencing a great number of
WASHINGTON, Friday, February 27, 2009 — March has fires. In the 2008 calendar
officially been declared Red Cross Month by order of a Presi- year, Red Cross volunteers
dential Proclamation signed by President Barack Obama to- responded to 69 fires
day, marking the 66th time the month of March has been cele- (including one apartment fire)
brated in honor of the organization. and assisted 250 people. We
are very grateful for our wonderful volunteers, and so is
The proclamation reads, in part: the Anderson fire department.

“When we have house fires, we call for the Red Cross,

The Red Cross has continued to serve those suffering
from large- and small-scale disasters. The organiza-
tion is best known for its work helping communities
deal with major disasters such as hurricanes, floods,
and wildfires. These large-scale disasters represent a
major part of the work of the American Red Cross.
Just as important are the tens of thousands of small-
scale disasters that occur every day in communities
nationwide, and the volunteers who respond to them.
These efforts include supporting our military and
their families, collecting and distributing blood,
helping the needy, delivering health and safety edu-
cation, and providing aid abroad.
and they’re there,” said David Clendenen, Fire Chief at
the Anderson Fire Department. “The Red Cross shows up
at the fire scene quickly. It’s very helpful for us because
we have a lot of things going on. When the Red Cross
rolls in, we know the family will be taken care of.”
On February 26, nine Madison County DATs attended a
meeting at the Madison County Service Center. Zach
Wright spoke to DATs about procedures and paperwork,
and everyone discussed scenarios. Thanks to everyone
for a successful meeting!

March has been known as Red Cross Month across the country
since 1943, when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued
the declaration in support of Red Cross efforts to raise funds
for World War II services.

In honor of Red Cross Month, the Red Cross will launch the
first-ever national Change a Life contest. The contest will run
Have a Submission for
from March 2-16, 2009. The public is invited to visit Red-
Cross.org and tell us how a Red Cross experience changed
the Newsletter?
their life or someone else's life. The grand prize winner will
win a two-night trip for two to Washington D.C. to join Keith Send to
Urban and his band on August 20th as they play their Escape esnewsletter@redcross-indy.org
Together World Tour concert. The package includes backstage
passes and a tour of the National American Red Cross Disaster
Operations Center. The second place winner will receive a 52”
Philips HD LCD television, DVD player and a library of Red
Cross preparedness and safety DVDs.
Emergency Services Newsletter 2

Greetings from the FBCI Corner… DSHR News

By By
Jillian Luttrell and Justin Gray Kadi Best

F ebruary has been a busy “planning month” here at the

FBCI office. We look forward to a very exciting and
fast-paced spring full of trainings, mock disaster drills, and
presentations about our program.
Many of our partners have been in the program several
months now and are holding meetings and organizing their
Action Teams. During a disaster response, the Action Team
will most likely arrive at the facility before the Red Cross
does, so it is important to have at least one person who can
organize the team members and make sure they prepare the
facility appropriately. This person is the Action Team
Leader.
Shelter preparations may include posting Red Cross identi-
fication inside and outside of the facility, setting up the
Registration Area, and working with Feeding and Sleeping
to establish their areas. The Action Team Leader should
stay well informed about shelter activities so that he or she
can communicate this information to the shelter manager
and other supervisors. He or she also acts as the central con-
tact between the team and the Red Cross to ensure effective
and clear communications.
W e would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to those
of you who traveled to Kentucky and Arkansas for
the response to the ice storm. The affected chapters have
expressed their thanks for the professionalism of our volun-
teers. GOOD JOB TEAM!!
We are planning our spring DSHR meeting; however, the
date has not yet been set. Please be on the lookout for an
announcement coming via email and the next newsletter.
Email is our most cost-effective way of staying in touch
with you. To ensure you are getting emails from the
Greater Indianapolis chapter, please make sure your spam
filters are not blocking them. In addition, it is a good idea to
reply with a “got it.”
Finally, please take time to update your availability in the
DSHR system.
THANK YOU FOR BEING
RED CROSS VOLUNTEERS!!!

Although major disasters in our area are rare, last summer’s

floods are a good lesson that it is always better to be pre-
pared: choosing the Action Team Leader is no excep-
tion! In non-disaster times, having an Action Team Leader
is still important to the construction and organization of the
team. The Action Team Leader maintains and updates team
members’ contact information regularly and can keep the
organization’s leadership up-to-date on team developments
and activities. ARCGI Emergency
Services Newsletter
Be sure to check out the FBCI blog!
Published by our Emergency Services
www.rcfbci.blogspot.com. We update it regularly with
Volunteer Newsletter Team
events at the Red Cross, opportunities to get involved, and
tips for the Action Teams! Jenny Davidson and ES Staff
Emergency Services Newsletter
Volunteer Spotlight: Don Billey
by
Kate Ayers
V olunteering for the Red Cross is more than a way to fill
spare time. Of course, some spare time is needed, but
our best and most dedicated volunteers are those who know
what kind of difference they can make through the Red Cross.
They have a vision for their
community and want to be
there to help people after a dis-
aster. Some volunteers come to
the Red Cross with interest, but
do not know yet how they will
help. Fortunately for the Red
Cross, many of these volunteers
develop a vision over time and
become an integral part of our
disaster response. Other volun-
teers, like Don Billey, come to
volunteer with the Red Cross
because they see the need and
already have a vision for their community.
Don began volunteering in October 2008 when the great need
for Madison County Red Cross volunteers became clear to
him. With only about four months of being a Disaster Action
Team member, Don has already responded to numerous fires.
Joyce Armour, the Red Cross caseworker who most often
works on Madison County cases after DAT members do the
initial casework, has worked closely with Don. According to
Joyce, Don is making an obvious impact in his community.
“I’ve never met Don; I’ve only talked to him on the phone.
He seems very compassionate. In addition to being a volun-
teer, he is a police chaplain. He did a very good job when he
dealt with the family that lost children. He is very thorough
and keeps me updated. He is my eyes and ears in Madison
County.”
Speaking with Don about his volunteer experience is inspir-
ing, and his words and example will renew your enthusiasm
and remind us all of why we are Red Cross volunteers.
ES Newsletter: Why did you decide to volunteer for the Red
Cross?
Don: That’s a little bit of a hard question to answer, because I get them away from the fire scene and help them find shelter.
don’t know that I planned to volunteer with the Red Cross
when all of this started. I don’t think that was in mind.
ES: Oh.
Don: What came about was the Police Department Chap-
laincy Program was involved in putting together a county
emergency response plan, which was a partnership with the
Red Cross for sheltering, and to be a part of that, we had to go moment of crisis.
through the Mass Care and Shelter classes. I think that’s what
opened my eyes to the need here in Madison County. There
3
was only one, or sometimes no, people here in Madison
County who were Disaster Action Team volunteers. So, we
talked about that, and there were several of us who committed
to the idea that there really needed to be some people here,
and felt that we could and should take that on ourselves and
try to recruit other people. It wasn’t an intentional decision at
first, until we were aware of the need, and I think once we
were aware the decision became intentional.
ES: So, you were roped into it a little bit?
Don: It sounds like it, but it was a gentle roping. It was just
an exposure to the need. The need has been tremendous just
since I’ve been on. There were seven house fires in January.
My personal experiences have reinforced the need to have
that emergency response available from right here.
ES: When did you start volunteering?
Don: October was when I was activated.
ES: You’ve responded to how many fires?
Don: I’ve responded to four fires. Two were apartments; one
was more of a rooming house, but there were multiple cases
on each fire. Two were single family homes. But, they were-
n’t really single families, they were both multi-generational
homes. Grandparents, parents, and children were there. So,
even though they were single family homes, they involved a
lot of people.
ES: What do you like most about volunteering for the Red
Cross?
Don: That’s an easy and a hard question to answer. It’s hard
because what I like most is the hardest thing, and that’s being
with people at the time of the fire, being able to offer comfort,
care, and hope; to see the look on their faces when we give
them assistance. When they receive a CAC card and it helps
them to begin to replace some of the things they’ve lost. To
Those are key ingredients to what we do. One of the moments
that sticks out in my mind is a mother who was in her twen-
ties. She was covered in smoke and soot and still in her paja-
mas with tears running down her face. She cried when we
said, “Here’s what we can do, here’s how you can get
started.” It was a different kind of cry. It wasn’t sadness; it
was a cry that said, “I can’t believe someone’s going to help
me.” That is very rewarding, to be able to help people at a
(cont. on page 4)
Emergency Services Newsletter
(Volunteer Spotlight—cont. from page 3)
ES: It sounds like you’ve already had some good experiences
with the Red Cross.
Don: Some good things, and some very devastating things. I
was at the fire where two children were killed, and that was
very difficult. I was there as a chaplain and I changed hats and
worked it as Red Cross as well. It gave the family confidence
that there were people in the area to help.
ES: What is your most memorable experience as a volunteer?
Don: One that stands out is the first call, which was an apart-
ment fire. That came as a chaplain call. I opened the fellowship
hall at the church so the Red Cross could come and conduct
interviews, and the city bus brought the victims. The Red Cross
DAT member came, and it was his first fire also. There were
about eight cases to do. He said, “Do you have your book, can
you help?” I wasn’t prepared to help, but I was trained and I
knew my time was coming. Each [DAT call] has created
memories of different type, but the first one was the one that
said “this is real.”
ES: What would you tell someone who was thinking about vol-
unteering for the Red Cross?
Don: What I would tell them is to be prepared to see and hear
things that will be very difficult. Be prepared to cry and laugh.
Be prepared to do things you didn’t know you would be able to
do. Be prepared to feel very rewarded for what you are about
to get into.
ES: What benefits or rewards do you receive through volun-
teering?
Don: I think the biggest is the satisfaction of knowing that
someone is helped. One of the rewards is to be able to instantly
help people. The day of the fire or the night of the fire, they Thank you, Don, for your wonderful
can have shelter and food and the ability to begin to go back to involvement in the Red Cross in Madison County!
a “normal” life.
4
ES: What is your favorite thing to do besides volunteering?
Don: Depends on the time of the year. In the summer, it’s ab-
solutely riding my motorcycle. I do a lot of things. I’m a stu-
dent, I’m a pastor, I’m a father and a grandfather, I’m a tech-
nology geek. There’s a wide variety of interests, but especially
on a summer or a fall day, there’s nothing I enjoy more than
getting on a motorcycle.
ES: What is your favorite book or movie?
Don: My favorite book is not Post-Colonial Feminist Interpre-
tation to the Bible.
ES: Ha-ha. That’s not in your top 10?
Don: No, not in my top 10. It’s a text book I’m in the middle of
right now. I love Tom Clancy for escape reading. His novels
are great. He kind of crosses the line between fiction and fact.
He’s an excellent writer. He really knows how to weave and
craft together a story. My favorite movie is probably Butch
Cassidy and the Sun Dance Kid. I did like Paul Blart: Mall
Cop, by the way.
ES: Those are all of the questions I have for you. Would you
like to add anything?
Don: I just want to encourage people to
keep doing what they do. Sometimes
it’s frustrating sometimes it’s tiring, but
I think that the rewards outweigh the
difficulties and the frustrations. For me
personally, the satisfaction is in being
able to meet someone at their point of
need and offer hope. That’s a great
thing to be able to do.

Johnson County Volunteer Fairs

By
Stefanie Davis

W e are looking for at least four more volunteers to represent the Red Cross and recruit volunteers at various fairs in John-
son County.

The Johnson County Community Foundation has organized four volunteer fairs throughout Johnson County. The fairs are being
held for agencies like the Red Cross to recruit new volunteers, and for individuals wanting to learn more about local organiza-
tions and the volunteer opportunities that each has available. Prospective volunteers will be able to speak with representatives
from each agency, learn more about the organizations, find out what kinds of volunteers they are looking for, and sign up to
volunteer. Here are the dates and locations:

• March 7th from 9 AM to 1 PM at the Old National Bank in Greenwood on S.R. 135 across from the Super Target.
• March 21st from 10 AM to 2 PM at Scott Hall on the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Franklin.
• April 18th from 10 AM to 2 PM at the Edinburgh Parks Community Center.
• April 25th from 10 AM to 2 PM at the Greenwood Public Library.

Drawings for door prizes will take place each hour at each of the four volunteer fairs. If you are interested in assisting with one
of these fairs, please contact Stefanie at the Johnson County Service Center at (317) 736-0650 to sign up.
Emergency Services Newsletter 5

Upcoming Disaster Training

NEW DA Basics―Tuesday, March 24 ― 6 to 10 PM

Whether you are a new or a long-time volunteer, you should consider taking this new disaster assessment course. Disaster
assessment must be performed immediately following a disaster and is a vital activity of a disaster relief operation. Being
part of a disaster assessment team will still allow you to perform other activities once the disaster assessment is complete.

Disaster Assessment Basics… Provides a practical understanding of how to assist in the collection of impact, damage, and
weather information in order to support the decision making process on a disaster relief operation that starts in the chap-
ter’s jurisdiction.
Prerequisite: Fulfilling Our Mission

NEW Disaster Frontline Supervision and Simulation―Monday, April 6 and Wednesday, April 8 ― 6 to 10 PM

Become part of the disaster relief leadership team! Use your life skills and talents and help lead the relief effort. This course
is a prerequisite to many intermediate and advanced courses. Disaster Frontline Supervision replaces Supervision in Disas-
ter and SODA. It is NOT required to retrain if you have already had one of these courses.

Disaster Frontline Supervision… The purpose of this course is to prepare supervisors to lead a team of disaster workers to
deliver high quality client service and to create a climate that promotes worker satisfaction.
Prerequisite: Applicants should have the training and experience equivalent to a Service Associate in an activity in which
she or he expects to become a supervisor.

Disaster Frontline Supervision Simulation… The purpose of the simulation is to provide participants an opportunity to
practice their supervisory knowledge and skills in leading teams that deliver high quality service and to create a climate
that promotes worker satisfaction.
Prerequisite: Applicants should have the training and experience equivalent to a Service Associate in an activity in which
she or he expects to become a supervisor.

MASS CARE II―Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25 ― 9 to 5 PM

Move up the ladder!!!! If your skills and interest are in the mass care arena, this advanced course will help you to become a
leader in the feeding, sheltering, and bulk distribution activities.

Mass Care II prepares Red Cross workers to establish, operate, and phase out Mass Care services on a multi-chapter or
national disaster relief operation so that client needs are met in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Prerequisites: Mass Care Overview, Shelter Operations and Shelter Simulation, Supervision on Disaster Assignment OR
Disaster Frontline Supervision and Simulation, and have experience in the Mass Care on a disaster relief operation

Form 5898h (Application for Training) must be submitted to the Emergency Services Dept. All prerequisites must
be listed on form 5898h.
Emergency Services Newsletter 6

Red Cross Links and Resources

President Obama’s official proclamation of Red Cross Month
http://www.redcross.org/www-files/Documents/pdf/09MRCMPresProclamation.pdf

Tornado safety information from the Weather Channel

http://www.weather.com/outlook/wxready/articles/id-56?from=hp_news

You can find plenty of interesting topics on the national website

http://www.redcross.org