“FLASH”

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
From the Director:
Much change has occurred since our last FLASH was published. We are a bit leaner in regards to paid staff
members but at the same time many volunteers have taken up the slack to ensure we are continuing to
move forward. Despite hard economic times none of the services we offer, disaster relief and disaster
education has not suffered. Our present team is listed below, along with our toll free number.
Our Team:
Toll free 1-888-843-5748
Ann-Marie West, Deputy Director X 1846
Bill Dion, Director, Director X 1827
Rusty Russ, Chairman X1815

Since there are a lot of changes and announcements, I have kept the articles short and to the point. We do
hope that you will read on so you are engaged and current with all the news. As a team, our morale
remains high and we eagerly look forward to the future and the adventures that will come our way.

Northeast Florida Chapter becomes the North Florida Region:

One of the most significant changes is the new area that our Chapter now supports. We have been a
regional chapter overseeing the North Central Florida Chapter (Gainesville) for the last two years, while the
Capital Area Chapter (Tallahassee) has been a regional Chapter overseeing two Chapters, Pensacola and
Panama City. In the past week, the Capital Area Chapter agreed to join us and become a community
Chapter. That means that our chapter now oversees four community Chapters, Gainesville, Pensacola,
Tallahassee and Panama City, which equates to 34 Florida Counties including both Camden and Charlton
Counties in Georgia. What does this mean in Disaster Services? It first means that we are able to combine
resources within the 36 counties to respond to large disasters. Our written Chapter Disaster Plans will
encompass the entire area. There are currently five disaster directors who will continue to oversee their
respective areas for small disasters and continue preparedness activities to include volunteer recruitment
and placement as well as community disaster educational programs. There will be more news and
development coming in regards to the new structure we now call the North Florida Region.

Welcome Lilliana Blyar:

Our disaster team will soon have a new member join us by the name of Lillianna Blyar (Lili). She will take
on the new position as Administrative Coordinator of Disaster Services. As of yet we do not have a start
date for Lili, but that will be known very soon. Lili will take on similar responsibilities to that which Erica
Hatch had, plus oversight of both CDE and Disaster training. Lili comes with a wealth of knowledge and
skill from the Military as a family preparedness officer as well as several other skilled leadership career
experiences
Disaster Response:
Single-Family Fires:
Month Individuals Families
August 40 15

Multi-Family Disasters: 1
Month Individuals Families
August 3 2

Single-Family Fires: 16
Month Individuals Families
September 57 16

Multi-Family Disasters: 2
Month Individuals Families
September 18 7

Flooding hits Clay County:

On Saturday August 15th, The Dept deployed its Disaster Assessment Team to along with two ERV teams
to survey and provide clean-up kits to 25 families whose homes were impacted by minor flooding from a
heavy torrential rain storm that struck the previous day. The DA Teams strong knowledge of available
mapping systems made the operation easy and brought services to the families in a relatively short period
of time

Apartment Fire on Barnhill Drive:

The original call from the fire Department was scary, mentioning that over 100 residents were driven from
their apartment units on Saturday Night, Sept 26th. However, the response from the Disaster Action Teams
was tremendous. The Following folks pitched in and assisted five families with sheltering clothing and
food needs: Kay Paluszynski, Roosevelt Beckwith, Ed Lundy, Larry Lightfoot, Felipe Montalvo and Iris
Figueroa.

SWAT Call-out:
On Sunday September 27th our Chairman Rusty Russ received a call from the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office
requesting hydration for responding officers to a SWAT call whereby residents in the vicinity were
evacuated and a subject had locked himself in with a loaded weapon. The situation came to a quick
conclusion as the subject ended up killing himself.

Planning:
New DAT Coordinators:
With the recent internal changes in the Disaster Department, individual DAT members have been given
additional responsibilities in coordinating their teams. For each DAT team, there is now one or two
assigned coordinators who will help keep the teams organized and well trained and engaged. Several
Teams have already conducted a Hurricane Bill mini table top exercise as a way to keep them in a ready
mode during the height of the hurricane season.
The following folks are now engaged in assisting as DAT Coordinators:
Camden and Charlton County DATS----Emily Kellar
Nassau County DAT-----------------------Bob Keane
Duval County DATs-----------------------Yvonne Ellis and Roger Knight
Clay County DAT--------------------------Jaime Thompson
Baker County DAT-------------------------Freeman Dowling
Bradford County DAT----------------------Wendy Russell
Putnam County DAT-----------------------Linda Landsford
St Johns County DAT----------------------TBA
Union County DAT-------------------------Mary brown

What is Code Red?

Code Red is a new emergency alert notification system that is being provided to your Red Cross Chapter by
the City of Jacksonville’s Department of Emergency Management. In the event of a real emergency, this
alert notification system will be used to communicate important Red Cross information to you in a timely
manner. This system has the ability to send thousands of voice (phone), e-mail, text message, or all three
methods of notifications to you in only a minute to two.

Your Chapter has already had two tests of the Code Red notification system, one by phone notification and
another by e-mail notification. Both tests were very successful. If for some reason you did not receive one
or both of these two test alert notifications, please contact Karen Overton at the Chapter, 904-358-8091.
We may not have your current phone numbers and e-mail information in the system correctly. We are
currently trying to update and verify all phone numbers and e-mail addresses of our current disaster
volunteer staff.

In the future the Code Red system will save the Chapter hundreds of phone calls by volunteers when it is
necessary to make contact with you, our disaster volunteers. You can also expect more tests of Code Red
in the future.

DA (Disaster Assessment) Meets and finds out what a “Cat 3” means to NEFL:
On September 19 the DA Team leaders and several service associates came together in a workshop
designed to inform the team on what challenges there would be in store for “DA” folks in the event a
Category 3 hurricane hitting the area. Al Sandrik Chief Warning forecaster from the National Weather
Service participated as the guest speaker and participated in the rest of the meer

FSI Team Drills a Second Time:

The Team has taken a giant leap in to developing their knowledge and skills to take on the disaster
reporting tasks of the Chapter in the event of a major disaster. On Saturday October 10, Erin Craig, subject
matter expert and trainer in FSI for the State met with our Team to practice and drill and operate as an
effective reporting team. The better part of the afternoon was spent on pulling together information for the
5266 daily operations daily report. Attendance and participation was fantastic, and the team is looking
forward to another drill and getting involved in some day to day FSI operations at the Chapter HQ

H1N1 Pandemic, What is the Red Cross Doing?

There has been much behind the scenes planning and education that has been both internal as well as
external to the Red Cross.
Our chapter has stepped up education on disease transmission prevention practices in efforts to slow down
the spread of the H1N1 influenza. Numerous talks/presentations and literature has been provided to the
private sector workplace as well as churches, schools, civic groups and other human service agencies.
For our own planning, sheltering techniques and procedures during the pandemic have changed. While the
Red Cross would never shelter for a pandemic, we certainly could shelter for other disasters that occur
during the pandemic. Much guidance has come from the National Organization training all disaster
responders on procedures of isolation, protection and sanitizing practices to be used in all shelter
operations. Many of you have received the national guidance and education at local Disaster Volunteer and
DAT meetings.
Our Nursing team has also received in-depth guidance and procedures and are ready to help when needed.
Recently many disaster trained nurses have signed as “willing to help” in Points of Distribution (PODs)
when the H1N1 vaccine arrives. These nurses will support the primary dispenser of the vaccine, the
County Public Health Department by assisting with medical screening and vaccine administration.
At this point, the vaccine should begin to arrive at the county health departments in the next several days.
Most Public Health Departments have developed pandemic plans to help coordinate and guide the
enormous mission of dispensing the free vaccine to the most vulnerable citizens
General Announcements:
DSHR NOTES:
Our Chapter now has 356 DSHR members!
Thanks goes to those who have recently completed their applications. If you are still not in this system,
please contact Bill Dion to make arrangements as soon a possible. Please note that obtaining Red Cross
disaster identification comes from getting your application completed and submitted. You may elect to
respond only to local disasters or choose to do both local and or away depending on your current situation
and interest.

Badges, When Where do you get them:

Picture ID Badges are being made for DSHR members currently by Karen Overton, our DSHR coordinator
on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If you are a DSHR member, and need a badge please contact
Karen by calling the Chapter on the days mentioned and asking for Karen.

Updating medical records and profiles:

It is most important for DSHR members to do the following to maintain a strong database that will
maintain an effective disaster response system:
A. Make sure you can sign on to DSHR to update your record
A: Annually update your profile,
B. Upon any changes in your medical condition, please update your medical status
C. Identify your availability…
D. Identify whether you are “local only” response or local and “away” response

Deployments to the Atlanta Floods:

Three weeks ago, the raging Chattahoochee River caused many hundreds of families to leave their homes
and seek higher ground. For Our Chapter it meant four volunteers deployed to Atlanta within hours of the
call from the staffing center. Most are now back from their successful assignments. They are: Tina
Castille as a Client Casework Manager, Jim Dennis ERV#1126 ERV Driver, Rose Keyes, Kitchen ERV
Coordinator other wise know as “Yard Dog” and Russ Kamradt as Logistics facilities Manager .

Training Coming up!

We have encountered difficulty holding the number of course originally intended due to a very limited
number of students. At Present, there is a modified Training Schedule for October and the first part of
November:

Mass Care Overview Tuesday October 13th from 6PM to 9PM Chapter Hdqtrs

Shelter Operations Thursday October 15th from 6PM to 9PM Chapter Hdqtrs

Fulfilling Your Mission Monday October 19th from 6PM to 9PM St Johns Service Ctr.

Disaster Assessment I Wednesday October 20 from 6PM to 9PM Chapter Hdqtrs

Fulfilling Your Mission Wednesday November 4th from 6PM to 9PM Chapter Hdqtrs

ERV, Ready Set Roll Saturday November 7th from 9AM to 3PM St Johns Service Ctr.

Please register for these classes by calling 358-8091 X1831 (1-888843-5748 toll free) and leaving a voice
message Or, e-mail to westa@nefloridaredcross.org
Other Big Events:
Military Family Day, thousands attend!
Red Cross had a major presence at this event that took place on Saturday October 4th. Donald Rosenberry,
Larry Lightfoot and Gerald Francis provided 54 cases of bottled ice water in what was a well attended
family event put on every other year for military families. Several Jaguar players, three Jaguar “ROAR”
Cheerleaders, static aircraft displays, country singers, and free hotdogs were all part of the festivities. The
Red Cross also had a Service to Armed Forces display. The ice water from the Red Cross ERV Team
really did the job for hundreds of participants, since the event was held in an un-air conditioned hanger at
the Florida Air National Guard Hdqtrs

Camden County Catfish Festival and Seasonal Flu-shots:

The Camden Charlton County Service Center also on October 4th were on display with Scubby Bear in the
Annual Catfish Festival. In addition, volunteers helped support with snacks and water to those receiving
seasonal flu shots in the Kingsland area.

Annual Jacksonville Fire Prevention Week:

The Red Cross participated with Jacksonville Fire Rescue to provide valuable fire prevention education to
approximately 500 primary graders at the Gateway Mall Shopping Center on the morning of October 8th.
Included was an ERV Display, interactive fire prevention coloring table and Stop Drop and Roll with
‘Ready Red Cross”.
The participants of the event got some great pictures of Ready Red Cross with his old friend Smokey the
Bear.

Disaster Preparedness Expo in Keystone Heights:

The ERV #1126 was on display and plenty of disaster preparedness literature including Fire Prevention
materials was passed out by the Red Cross volunteers from the ERV along side many Clay County
Emergency Response Team members (CERTs) who were sponsoring this all day event on Saturday
October 10th

MERCY Network sponsored Outreach Day for the Homeless:

This annual event received the support of Red Cross volunteers from the ERV# 751 handing out bottled
water and helping with registrations for indigent families and the homeless in Clay County The day was
held on one of the hottest October Saturdays on record. Needless to say, the bottled water and snacks
handed out went all too fast. Over 500 indigent individuals were served by the volunteers.