Letter from Heart of Tennessee Executive Director, Mike Cowles - September 2015

Your American Red Cross wants you to be prepared for the next disaster.  Emergencies and disasters usually happen very quickly and most of the time we only have minutes to react.  Planning ahead can keep most households safe.

Do you and your family have a disaster plan?

This plan will make life a lot simpler in the event of an emergency or disaster.  More importantly, it is a must that everyone, including your children, understands what to do and where to go when something happens.  Things you may want to think about are:

•    2 designated locations to meet if you get separated
•    What types of disasters are common in your community
•    Evacuation routes
•    Phone numbers memorized of family and friends who you can reach easily
•    Remember your pets, because they’re your family too

Do you have a disaster kit?  These are very simple to make and should contain basic items that will help you for 3-5 days.  The items you choose to include are up to you, but some recommendations are listed below.

•    Rubbermaid box for storage of supplies
•    Bottled water
•    Flashlight with extra batteries
•    Nonperishable food
•    Gloves
•    Paper towels
•    Lantern
•    Wind up radio
•    Extra money
•    First aid kit

Do you have the American Red Cross applications downloaded on your cell phone?
 
Our applications contain a wealth of information on what to do in a particular scenario.  The apps are free and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Plan Store for Android by searching for the American Red Cross. 

•    Tornado app
•    First Aid app
•    Flood app
•    Earthquake app
•    Pet First aid app
•    Emergency App

Do you have lifesaving training?

It is as simple as 1-2-3 to get the necessary training to save a life.  During an emergency or disaster it only takes moments for someone’s life to be in danger and being trained could be a matter of life or death.  The American Red Cross encourages you to take lifesaving courses to ensure that our community is prepared.  You can contact your local red cross at 615-893-4272 to see when and where the next class is available.

Finally...

By following some of these simple steps, you can rest assured that your community will be better prepared for an emergency or disaster.  It takes all of us working together to make our lives better and to have a resilient atmosphere and we owe it to each other to do just that.  I appreciate what you do for your fellow neighbors and for the Red Cross.  As always, please feel free to visit our office - you might even walk away finding that special place you can fit in amongst the greatest volunteers on earth.

Mike