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!

Winter Safety

Ready Eddie: Burrr, it sure is cold out there!

Prepared Patty: You're telling me! I am glad I prepared myself for the weather by wearing my warm jacket, hat, and gloves.

Ready Eddie: Have you seen the weather forecast lately. I think soon we might get some-

Confused Connie: SNOW!!!! I LOVE SNOW!!!! SNOW IS SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!

Ready Eddie: I agree. I love playing in the snow. But snow can also be very dangerous.

Confused Connie: Dangerous? But how?

Ready Eddie: Winter weather can cause lots of problems. A lot of them have to do with car accidents. Driving in winter conditions can be extremely hazardous. You could crash or become stranded.

Prepared Patty: That is exactly right, Eddie, which is why it is important to make sure every car your ride in has a disaster supplies kit!

Confused Connie: I think I remember now. We talked about having disaster supplies kits this summer at the summer camps. So . . . is they why we told everyone to have a kit every house AND every car?

Ready Eddie: Yes! Winter weather isn't the only situation you might need supplies in your car for, but it is definitely an important one to be ready for.

Confused Connie: What if I just stay out of cars? Will winter be safe for me then?

Prepared Patty: Definitely not! Winter storms are dangerous for everyone and can cause many problems. Large storms can knock the power out for days! That can be very scary for people who aren't prepared.

Ready Eddie: You have to be ready to prevent dangerous situations, like hypothermia.

Confused Connie: Hypothermia? I don't remember what that is!

Ready Eddie: Hypothermia is when you body gets so cold, it starts to shut down. It is a very serious condition.

Confused Connie: Oh no! What can I do?

Ready Eddie: It is important to make sure you are ready when winter storms hit! Having a disaster supplies kit in your home can be very helpful during this time.

Prepared Patty: Yes, especially one packed with extra blankets and warm clothing.

Confused Connie: Okay, that makes sense. My family has a wood stove, too, so that should help, right?

Ready Eddie: That is a good way to keep warm when the power is out, but don't forget to be careful with any wood stove, fireplace, or other heating device. If you're not, you could start a fire!

Confused Connie: Really? A fire? When it is so cold out??

Prepared Patty: Definitely! But you can prevent fire by not leaving heating sources on when you're not arround, and making sure your smoke detectors are working and have fresh batteries.

Confused Connie: I think I can do that. There is a lot to think about with winter weather! But is it still okay for me to have fun in the snow?

Ready Eddie: Of course! Just make sure you have warm winter clothes on.

Confused Connie: Good! Now that I know how to stay safe, I can still be excited about making snow forts again!

Prepared Patty: And that will be a good way to be prepared for the snowball fights I am sure we will be having.

Ready Eddie: I can't wait!


Now that you've thought about being prepared for winter weather, what are some important items for your winterized disaster supplies kit? Below is a word find with some good ideas for items you should be sure to have. Click on the puzzle for a larger, printable version:

Bookmobile 2009!

The American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis is gearing up for their first Bookmobile visits of the school year at participating IPS schools. The gang is preparing the Bookmobile. . .

Ready Eddie: Hey guys! I just got back from the Bookmobile Room. Wow, we have tons of books! And we still have tons more to unpack!

Confused Connie: That is really exciting! The Red Cross is going to make a lot of money selling books this year!

Prepared Patty: Connie, don't you know anything about the Red Cross Bookmobile? The Red Cross doesn't sell books, they give them away!

Confused Connie: Really? For FREE?

Ready Eddie: Yeah, isn't that cool?

Confused Connie: Wait . . . do the kids get to keep the books, or do they just borrow them, like at the library? The library is free . . .

Prepared Patty: They get to keep the books.

Confused Connie: Forever?

Ready Eddie: Forever.

Confused Connie: That is really cool! How nice of the Red Cross! But . . . what kind of books? They aren't dumb books, are they? Are they . . . about the Red Cross?

Prepared Patty: No silly! We worked really hard to research what kinds of books kids are into.

Ready Eddie: Yeah! We have stuff like Goosebumps and Junie B. Jones and The Magic Treehouse and Hannah Montana . . .

Confused Connie: I LOVE Hannah Montana!

Prepared Patty: I'm more into Goosebumps. I've read all the Goosebumps. Hannah Montana is not very prepared, Connie.

Ready Eddie: . . . and books about sports and science and comic book characters . . .

Prepared Patty: We better go get the Bookmobile ready! We have lots of books to distribute!

Confused Connie: Okay! Bye guys! I can't wait to start giving out free books to the kids at our bookmobile schools!

Ready Eddie: . . . and classics and joke books and Cheetah Girls and Hardy Boys graphic novels . . .

Summer Camp Wrap-Up

American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis’ Youth team recently finished a summer of Disaster Preparedness presentations at local camps. We reached 2344 local kids during 84 camps around the area. Our friends Eddie, Patty, and Connie discuss some of the highlights of the summer . . .

Ready Eddie: What a great summer! We helped over 2000 kids at summer camps get prepared for disasters these past few months! We taught them to be Red Cross Ready by getting a kit, making a plan, and being informed!

Prepared Patty: If any of those kids experience a disaster they will know what to do because they are prepared. Being prepared for disasters is important! If a disaster happens, you are less likely to get hurt or need assistance after if you are prepared!

Confused Connie: We saw so many kids! It made me laugh how everyone thought the radio in our disaster kit was a walkie-talkie!

Ready Eddie: We gave presentations in such a wide variety of locations! Outside, inside, in the sun, in the rain . . .

Prepared Patty: Remember when the power went out during our presentation at Shepherd Community Center? Good thing I was prepared with that glow stick!

Confused Connie: That thunderstorm was pretty scary. I am glad I leaned so much about what do to during thunderstorms so I don’t freak out when they happen.

Ready Eddie: Yes, Connie, it is good not to freak out when we give presentations! I am glad you learned so much so that you will be ready for the next possible disaster.

Confused Connie: I learned how to do the tornado position!

Ready Eddie: That is great, Connie!

Confused Connie: But I am worried . . . what if I don’t remember everything that I learned? We gave out a lot of information during our presentations. What if I forget something important???

Prepared Patty: That is why we gave out those Be Red Cross Ready booklets. They cover a lot of the same information the presentations covered and more! That way, even if you don’t remember everything from the presentation, you can still review the material any time you want so you can be confident you are prepared.

Confused Connie: Oh yeah! I remember those booklets! And we also gave out activity books and pencils and bookmarks and band-aids . . .

Ready Eddie: Yeah! If someone gets a small cut or scrape, I will be ready with my band-aids!

Prepared Patty: Don’t forget to wear gloves when you are helping someone who is bleeding!

Ready Eddie: Don’t worry, Patty, I won’t.

Confused Connie: We had so much fun this summer!!! I am sad it is over. I liked visiting all the camps and meeting all those great kids!

Ready Eddie: There is no need to be sad, Connie, the American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis does these summer programs every year. Plus, there are various events during the school year and the book mobile! We will still be out in the community helping kids get prepared for disasters!

Happy 4th of July!

Ready Eddie, Prepared Patty and Confused Connie just returned from a long weekend for the Fourth of July! They all celebrated together and had a blast! And it was good that Eddie and Patty were there to help Connie out of a potentially HOT situation!

Ready Eddie: Hi Everyone! I'm so glad to be back!

Prepared Patty: We had a great Forth but there are so many fire hazards this time of year! I'm glad I was prepared for our accident this weekend.

Confused Connie: HI! I'm so glad to speak to you guys again! Did everyone enjoy the Forth? I LOVE the Forth of July. All the fireworks and camp fires...mmm s'mores...

Prepared Patty: Oh Connie, those can be so dangerous. You need to be very prepared for accidents before you have any of those things

Confused Connie: ...and sparklers... and cook outs

Ready Eddie: Yes, they can be dangerous but they can also be so fun Patty! Remember!

Confused Connie:...hot dogs....hamburgers....

Prepared Patty: That's true, we did have so much fun at Connie's house, but it was a good thing I was prepared when that grill fire got out of hand.

Ready Eddie: And it's good that I was ready to take action!

Confused Connie: I'm glad you were both there to help me. But, I don't understand why it happened. I was just cooking hotdogs and hamburgers....they were so good...I love cookouts.

Prepared Patty: Well, as I learned in my Red Cross Fire Safety class, fires require three things to start.

Confused Connie: Three things...hmm...like matches, hotdogs, and a grill?

Ready Eddie: Close Connie but not quite. You need three things for a fire. The first is Fuel. The second is Oxygen and third is Heat.

Prepared Patty: Lit matches and your grill are a good examples of heat. The yummy hotdogs were the fuel for the fire. The grease from the hot dogs is hot but it also burns so it can be fuel or heat. Since we were outside on your deck, the wood deck could be fuel too. The oxygen was air outside.

Confused Connie: I see, so I had all the right things for a fire to happen! Cool!

Ready Eddie: Not cool Connie, it can be very dangerous. The grease from the hotdogs and hamburgers dripped down onto your deck. The grease provided heat, the wood of the deck provided fuel and the oxygen was in the air. That's why a fire started on your deck.

Confused Connie: yeah, it was a scary fire. I was afraid.

Prepared Patty: That's why when you have a cook out you want to be prepared. You can be prepared by keeping the grill away from fuel like wooden decks or dried leaves. Also keep oily cloths and lighter fluid away from the grill as they can easily catch fire! Futhermore, I made sure we had a fire extinguisher close by just in case.

Ready Eddie: I'm glad you remember to be prepared Patty and have the fire extinguisher close and that I was ready to take action!

Confused Connie: You guys were great! I'm so glad you were there to help me out! And thanks patty for all your ideas on how to be safe when I cook outside!

Prepared Patty: No problem Connie! Thank You for having such a wondering celebration for July 4th!

Ready Eddie: Well, I guess we should go get ready for a day at camps!

Confused Connie: We get to go to Camp! YAY! I LOVE camps! Camps are totally awesome!!!!! See you later!!!!

Prepared Patty: Bye everyone! I'll tell you more next time about fire safety!

Ready Eddie: See you later! We'll be back soon.

Meet the New Team!

Ready Eddie, Prepared Patty and Confused Connie are New to Indianapolis and this is their first day working at the Indianapolis American Red Cross! They are all excited about their new jobs and can't wait to meet all of you! They will be learning all about being prepared for disasters and might need your help! Be sure to check back often in case they have questions that you can help them answer! Oh, here they are now...

ReadyEddie: Hello everyone! I'm Ready Eddie! I'm new to the Indy Red Cross and I am ready to learn all about being prepared for disasters! I hope all of you can help me learn!

PreparedPatty: Hi guys! I'm Prepared Patty! I know all about being prepared for disasters so I don't think I'll need your help. Maybe I can help you!

ConfusedConnie: What? Is this thing on?

ReadyEddie: Yeah, it's on Confused Connie. You just type. I'm sure they are all excited about meeting you.

PreparedPatty: Come ON Connie. I took a whole class on computers so that I would be prepared.

ConfusedConnie: Oh. HI GUYS! I'm soooo excited you're all here! It's like a party! I looove parties. Last year, I had this totally GREAT birthday party -

ReadyEddie: This isn't a party Connie. Even though it's fun, we're learning about disaster preparedness.

ConfusedConnie: Wait? We're in the middle of a disaster??? OH NO!!! Take cover!!!

PreparedPatty: Calm down Connie! There isn't a disaster going on right now. We're here so that we can be prepared when one actually happens...I love the word prepared...

ConfusedConnie: Oh, okay. Hello there! I'm Connie! Sometimes I need a little help understanding what's going on but my best friends Eddie and Patty are always there to help me understand.

ReadyEddie: Well kids, I have to go get ready for my first day of work. See you soon!

PreparedPatty: Bye!

ConfusedConnie: HI! Wait, oh, we're leaving now? Okay. BYE GUYS!