WELCOME to 2022!

Our last column in 2021 focused on the role of the Branch of Red Cross and this month will highlight Emergency Services – Red Cross.

Many people are not aware that there exist two areas of Red Cross: The Branch and Emergency Services.

If you become a Red Cross Emergency Services volunteer you will assist individuals, households, and communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies wherever they may be.

Volunteers provide psychological First Aid to people affected by a disaster at evacuation or recovery centres by visiting people door-to-door after an event, or by registering people with ‘Register Find Reunite’ to help them reconnect with family or friends during and after an emergency or disaster.

Emergencies don’t just include major natural disasters such as bushfires or floods.

A fall in the home that results in an unexpected hospital stay, a car accident, or serious illness can also cause significant disruption and add stress to your life.

You can however reduce the impact of emergencies, big or small, by being prepared.

Our volunteers play a vital role in helping communities prepare for emergencies by sharing information and supporting individuals to follow the Red Cross Emergency RediPlan which is an easy-to-follow list of steps to follow in the event of an emergency.

Red Cross is also engaged with assisting individuals through the Community Visitors Scheme.

This scheme involves regular visits to people in need by a caring and friendly volunteer.

It might be that you are not in regular contact with people, you live alone, you may have a disability that limits your mobility, or you are recovering from an injury.

This scheme will give you support and connect you to a person and provide that social interaction that is often missing for some.

Resources:

Red Cross has a wonderful resource that could be useful if you, the family, or your children are forced to isolate for a period of time.

Refer to this link: https://innersydneyvoice.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Lockdown-Wellness-Kit-External.pdf.

The Shire Guide, 26th Edition, for 2021-2022 on Page 3 provides a very concise list of contact numbers for a range of Emergency Services in our area.

Please take time to familiarise yourself with this page and maybe put your copy of the Guide in a handy and visible location in your home.

We can all do our part to help each other. So as 2022 begins please:
– Pick up the phone
– Check-in on neighbours and friends
– Start a conversation on preparedness
– Support Red Cross and all agencies of Emergency Services.

 

By Nambucca Red Cross