December is Here!

December is upon us! This means holidays, winter break, sledding and my favorite thing, SNOW!
Snow and cold weather can be tons of fun.. but severe winter weather can also be very dangerous. Before you go out and play in the first snow of the season, be sure to keep these tips in mind.

• Dress in several layers of lightweight clothing, wear mittens and a hat that covers your ears.
  
• Wear waterproof boots to keep your feet warm and dry and to maintain your footing in ice and snow.
• Minimize travel. If travel is necessary, keep a disaster supplies kit in your vehicle.
• Listen to a NOAA Weather Radio or other local news channels for critical information from the National Weather Service (NWS).
• Bring pets/companion animals inside during winter weather. Move other animals or livestock to sheltered areas with non­frozen drinking water.
• Take breaks inside to warm up.

Have fun! We will see you after the new year when we start the Bookmobile up!

Halloween Safety

The American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis wants to ensure everyone has a fun and safe Halloween! Here are a few safety tips while trick or treating:

-Map out your route beforehand
-Bring a flashlight
-Don't enter anyone's house
-Wear something light colored so you can be spotted
-Stay on the sidewalk
-Put a glow stick in your jack-o-lattern instead of a candle
-Watch for cars
-Only visit lit houses

The youth department will be at Safe Night at the Indiana state fairgrounds from 5-7pm on Halloween night. We hope to see you there!

October is Fire Prevention Month

Hello youth! We hope everyone is enjoying autumn so far. Did you know that October is Fire Prevention month?

Here are some tips to prevent fires:
-Never leave the kitchen when your stove is on.
-Keep anything that can catch fire—like pot holders, towels, plastic and clothing— away from the stove.
-Turn portable heaters off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
-Don't play with matches or lighters.


Everyone should discuss a fire escape plan with their families and practice the plan twice a year. You should know two ways out of every room in your house!

If a fire occurs in your home, GET OUT, STAY OUT and CALL for help.

Back to School Time!

We hope everyone is having a great start to the new school year and settling in to your new classes. The youth department here at the Indy Red Cross is looking forward to some fun projects, fundraisers and volunteer opportunities throughout the school year. If your school is interested in getting involved, you can email chawthorne@redcross-indy.org and we will get you some more information.

Be Red Cross Ready!

It's been a great summer so far-the youth department has attended more than 30 camps and there's more coming up. A lot of teens in Indianapolis have asked how they can become CPR/AED and first aid certified. The answer is simple!

You can visit the local chapter website, which is posted below to view upcoming classes and register online:

http://www.redcross-indy.org/

Enjoy the rest of your summers and we look forward to seeing you when the school year starts!

Be Prepared for Heat Waves!

Hello Indy! It's been a scorcher this week, so everyone at the American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis wants to make sure you're prepared so you don't suffer from heat exhaustion.

Make sure to listen to the local weather and be aware of the temperatures outside. If you don't have air conditioning, try and go somewhere cool during the warmest parts of the day. I like to hang out at the public library when it's too hot to play outside.

Wear lightweight and light colored clothing and DRINK WATER!! Try and postpone outdoor activities to later in the day when it cools down. If you are doing things outside, take frequent breaks to cool off. Don't forget to eat small meals throughout the day.

Make sure you check on your friends and family members to make sure they are keeping cool and don't forget your pets! Give your dogs and cats water throughout the day, too.

Be sure to get help or call 9-1-1 if someone vomits, has changes in consciousness or seems to be suffering from the heat. Heat emergencies can be very serious and require medical attention.

Have a great summer and stay cool!!

Meet our newest youth department member!

We want to welcome Carleen to the youth department! She said she is very excited to spend the next year reaching out to the youth in the Indianapolis area and teaching them how to prepare for disasters! You will see her at local events and wherever the bookmobile is.

Summer Camps 2010

Hello everyone! The Red Cross is pleased to announce that it has started to schedule our 2010 summer camps! Every summer, Red Cross representatives and volunteers travel to Indianapolis area summer camp programs to provide fun and informative disaster preparedness presentations to grade school aged camp participants.

If you are of high school student age or older you can become a volunteer at The American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis teaching disaster preparedness lessons to elementary-aged children this summer at area camps. These hour-long presentations teach kids how to be Red Cross Ready, including life-saving information about tornado and fire safety. This is a great opportunity to start your involvement with the Red Cross, learn the inner workings of a non-profit organization, and build your resume. Skills required include public speaking, flexibility, and enthusiasm. Camps take place Monday through Friday during the daytime, usually between the hours of Volunteers will need to have their own source of reliable transportation to the American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis in downtown Indianapolis. If you are interested, please contact Adam Moschell, Youth Outreach Coordinator, at AMoschell@RedCross-Indy.org or call 317-396-9419.

A Message from Prepared Patty

Hi everyone! Prepared Patty here. I wanted to share some information with you today about thunderstorm safety, so you can be prepared as I am!

What I would like to talk about is called the 30/30 rule, and it is about what you should do to stay safe if you are playing outside when dangerous weather might be happening. The rule is this:

If you are outside, and you hear thunder or see lighting, you need to slowly count to 30. If you see lightning or hear thunder again before you get to 30, you need to go inside, and you need to stay inside for 30 minutes after the storm ends.

Some people think thunderstorms are cool, but they can also be very, very dangerous, so you need to make sure you are safe when one happens. Thunderstorms can move very quickly, so be sure you react right away!

Thanks for listening to my message everybody! Now you can be Red Cross Ready for thunderstorms, too!


Complete the jigsaw puzzle below to view a photograph of a thunderstorm over Indianapolis!

provided by flash-gear.com

Tornado Time

This has been an especially long, cold winter for Indy. Now that the temperatures are beginning to warm up, the gang has pictures of cook-outs and baseball and flip-flops in their heads. But here in the Central United States, spring can also mean the beginning of some bad weather . . .


Ready Eddie: The sun is shining, the snow is melting, and I am READY for Spring!

Confused Connie: Me too! This winter was crazy. I am so excited not to have to worry about bad weather anymore.

Prepared Patty: I'm excited for milder temperatures, too, Connie, but don't forget that spring time is often the peak time for other kinds of bad weather.

Confused Connie: Urg! What now?!?!?!

Ready Eddie: Oh yeah, I know . . . the beginning of spring is also the beginning of tornado season!

Confused Connie: So tornadoes happen in the spring?

Prepared Patty: Actually, Connie, they can happen any time of year. But it is true that they are most likely to happen in the spring, so it is a good time to talk about the importance of being prepared for tornadoes.

Confused Connie: Well, I know that if one might be happening if the tornado siren is going off. Unless you are downtown and it is Friday at 11:00am. Then that is just a test.

Ready Eddie: Exactly right, Connie! If the tornado siren goes off at a time that is not a designated testing time, it means there is a tornado watch or warning.

Prepared Patty: Yes. A tornado watch is when the weather conditions are right for a tornado to form, and one could appear at any moment, so you need to watch out. A tornado warning is when a tornado has actually been spotted, and may be heading in your direction, so you need to go to a safe place.

Confused Connie: Like my basement?

Ready Eddie: Right!

Confused Connie: What if I am at my grandma's? She lives on the 9th floor of an apartment building.

Prepared Patty: In any tornado situation, you want to get away from windows, and as low to the ground as possible. In a place where you can't get to the lowest level, or if you are in a building without a basement, you need to go to a small interior room, like a hallway or a bathroom or a closet.

Ready Eddie: Yeah, Connie, you can always get into the bathtub, and cover yourself with something soft and padded, like a mattress! Then you get into the tornado position. Make sure you cover your head and the back of your neck with your hands!

Confused Connie: So my grandmother will be okay?

Prepared Patty: Yes, if she is prepared!

Confused Connie: Good! . . . How else can someone prepared for tornadoes?

Ready Eddie: Well, they should make sure they have a disaster kit! Especially one with a battery powered radio, so they can listen to the weather reports for those watches and warnings we talked about.

Prepared Patty: Plus, tornadoes can happen anytime, even when you are outside. Remember that if you are outside when a tornado happens, you need to get inside a building with a basement as quickly as possible. If you cannot get inside, you need to lay down in a low-lying place like a ditch and cover your head.

Confused Connie: I feel a lot better about tornado season now that I understand what I need to do if one happens. Thanks guys!!!

Prepared Patty: Any time Patty! Now let's go to the store! I think it might soon be the start of water fight season, too!

Ready Eddie: YEAH!


Now it is time to test your tornado knowledge. Click on the picture below for a larger, printable version of our tornado crossword puzzle!