American Red Cross of Northwest Michigan
Health & Safety News
Fall 2009

Welcome to Our New AmeriCorps Volunteers

Joining us this year are Bill Schramm, Jeremy Metcalf and Misty Youngson. Bill will be helping with Health & Safety and Youth Programs. Jeremy will be working with Disaster Services and IT. Misty will be working on Special Events and Youth. Stop by the office and meet them.

Thank you to the Dynamic Duo

Sarah Brown and Mindy Espinoza have completed there AmeriCorps term. Sarah will be doing a second year of AmeriCorps with a large chapter in Oklahoma. She will be leaving the week of October 5 th for her new experience. Good Luck Sarah. Mindy is in transition. We are hoping that she will be joining the chapter and working with Service to Armed Forces. We are waiting to hear about a grant.

Updates for American Red Cross WSIs and WSITs,

The American Red Cross has released the new Water Safety Instructor program.  Everyone’s certification will expire December 31, 2009.  You must complete an orientation to the new materials before December 31, 2009 to renew your authorization.

If you are currently authorized as a Water Safety Instructor or as a Water Safety Instructor Trainer you have two options.

Option I:  Attend a group orientation sponsored by the Chapter.  The next group orientation is on Friday, November 20, 2009 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. the Chapter Office. Please call the chapter office and RSVP. We will only hold the class if we have instructors signed up.  We will have the new materials available at the group orientation for purchase.

Option II:  Complete the online orientation found on Instructor’s Corner https://www.instructorscorner.org/RedCross/Index.aspx and print and turn in the verification form to the chapter office.  Make sure you keep a copy of the verification form for your records. You can purchase materials from the chapter office.

The Water Safety Instructor’s Candidate Kit costs $37.95 for current instructors and $51.95 for new instructors. 

If your certification has expired or if you fail to update your certification you must complete a new WSI course to become a Water Safety Instructor.

Pandemic Flu

The National Red Cross has developed two programs that are available to provide information about Pandemic Flu. The first is Preparing Small Business Workplaces for Pandemic Flu which will be released on September 30, 2009. It is designed for small businesses. The second is the Pandemic Flu –Public Information Series: Are You Prepared? which is designed for use with the general public. Both presentations are leader lead and do not require specific instructor training but a self orientation and good presentation skills. If you are interested in becoming a leader for either of these classes please let Meghan Walls know 947-7286 x 14 or mwalls@nemiredcross.org. We will be hosting a group orientation in November, please call the chapter office to find out the date and time. You will need to sign up and pay for materials. The cost of the Preparing Small Business Workplaces for Pandemic Flu is $19.95 plus tax $1.20 = $21.15 and Pandemic Flu Pandemic Flu –Public Information Series: Are You Prepared? is $27.12 plus tax $1.63. = $28.75.

If you would like to attend a presentation below is a schedule of presentations:

Community Information Seminar

November 4, 2009 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Grand Traverse Civic Center

November 13, 2009 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the American Red Cross

November 19, 2009 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Grand Traverse Civic Center

November 23, 2009 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Grand Traverse Civic Center

Business and Workplace Seminar

December 2, 2009 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. at the Grand Traverse Civic Center

December 2, 2009 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Grand Traverse Civic Center

In regards to the flu, below are the guidelines from the National Red Cross to consider in teaching any Red Cross Classes:

Guidance for Health and Safety Classes
Health and Safety training should continue as planned, keeping in mind that all normally-recommended health precautions and guidelines need to be followed to minimize and prevent disease transmission.

• All participants must be provided with their own gloves and breathing barriers for classroom use.
• All instructors must be diligent about enforcing use of gloves, breathing barriers and manikin decontamination procedures.

Chapters should consider adapting their training policies and procedures to include:

• Being more lenient and flexible with people who are registered for a course, but need to reschedule or cancel due to illness;
• Practicing social distancing by limiting class enrollments so that each participant will be able to use his or her own manikin and spacing the manikins at least 3 feet apart; and
• Collecting dirty manikin parts in a disposable bag or a bag that can be decontaminated after each class

 

National has also provided a tear sheet Be Red Cross Ready: Pandemic Flu Precautions During Red Cross Training. The tear sheet is attached to the email.

Wilderness Fist Aid

National is developing a new national Wilderness and Remote First Aid course. The projected release is Spring 2010. This 16-hour course will reflect new national guidelines for wilderness first aid training. CPR training will be a prerequisite to the course. This course will meet the growing demand from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), Girl Scouts of the USA, American Camp Association members and various industries whose employees work in remote locations an hour or more from EMS response.

The new Wilderness and Remote First Aid course curriculum will expand course offerings beyond traditional wilderness environments to include remote workers in industries such as mining, logging, forestry, commercial fishing and more.

I will keep everyone updated as we receive information. We will schedule a group orientation for current Wilderness First Aid Instructors as soon as we the release date. We will also plan to offer an Instructor course for anyone interested in becoming a Wilderness First Aid Instructor.

Chapter Instructor Meetings

The chapter will host instructor meeting in January of 2010. We have decided to avoid the rush of the holiday season and move the Instructor Meetings to January. You will have two choices for dates Thursday, January 21, 2010 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, January 23, 2010 from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. If you need to renew your basic level certification, we will hold challenges after the meeting for CPR/AED for Adult and Child plus Infant CPR and CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer. There will be no charge to update your certification. You will need your CPR mask for the CPR/AED Pro Challenge. The chapter will send out additional information as the dates approach.

American Red Cross of Northwest Michigan Chapter Volunteer Recognition

Thank you for all that you do for the American Red Cross of Northwest Michigan. In appreciation for your volunteer service we will be hosting volunteer pot luck on December 3, 2009 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. I hope you will be able to attend.

Aquatics Camp – Getting Ready for Summer 2010

The Chapter will be offering training again in late May or early June 2010 primarily for summer camp staff and other interested individuals. The training will include Lifeguard Waterfront training, Lifeguard Instructor training, Water Safety Instructor, Lay Responder Instructor Training, and Camp Health Officer Training. If you are interested in helping or would like to sign up for class please contact Meghan Walls (231) 947-7286 x 14 or mwalls@nemiredcross.org.

Please verify your instructor information

Let us know if there are any changes.

Please email Mary Fischer at communityed@nwmiredcross.org or call (231) 947-7286 x 14 with any questions or updated information.

Remember to visit Instructors Corner at https://www.instructorscorner.org/RedCross/Index.aspx to assist you with new programs and materials you may need for your classes.