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History of The Red Cross

Clara Barton and a circle of acquaintances founded the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C. on May 21, 1881. Barton first heard of the Swiss-inspired International Red Cross Movement while visiting Europe following the Civil War. Returning home, she campaigned for an American Red Cross society and for ratification of the Geneva Convention protecting the war-injured, which the United States ratified in 1882.

Barton headed the Red Cross for 23 years, during which time it conducted its first domestic and overseas disaster relief efforts, aided the United States military during the Spanish-American War, and campaigned successfully for the inclusion of peacetime relief work as part of the International Red Cross Movement-the so-called "American Amendment" that initially met with some resistance in Europe.

The Red Cross received its first congressional charter in 1900 and a second in 1905, the year after Barton resigned from the organization. This charter-which remains in effect today-sets forth the purposes of the organization that include giving relief to and serving as a medium of communication between members of the American armed forces and their families and providing national and international disaster relief and mitigation.

Prior to the First World War, the Red Cross introduced its first aid, water safety, and public health nursing programs. With the outbreak of war, the organization experienced phenomenal growth. The number of local chapters jumped from 107 in 1914 to 3,864 in 1918 and membership grew from 17,000 to more than 20 million adult and 11 million Junior Red Cross members. The public contributed $400 million in funds and material to support Red Cross programs, including those for American and Allied forces and civilian refugees. The Red Cross staffed hospitals and ambulance companies and recruited 20,000 registered nurses to serve the military. Additional Red Cross nurses came forward to combat the worldwide influenza epidemic of 1918.

After the war, the Red Cross focused on service to veterans and enhanced its programs in safety training, accident prevention, home care for the sick and nutrition education. It also provided relief for victims of such major disasters as the Mississippi River floods in 1927 and severe drought and the Depression during the 1930s.

The Second World War called upon the Red Cross to provide extensive services once again to the U.S. military, Allies, and civilian war victims. It enrolled more than 104,000 nurses for military service, prepared 27 million packages for American and Allied prisoners of war, and shipped more than 300,000 tons of supplies overseas. At the military's request, the Red Cross also initiated a national blood program that collected 13.3 million pints of blood for use by the armed forces.

After World War II, the Red Cross introduced the first nationwide civilian blood program that now supplies nearly 50 percent of the blood and blood products in this country. The Red Cross expanded its role in biomedical research and entered the new field of human tissue banking and distribution. During the 1990s, it engineered a massive modernization of its blood services operations to improve the safety of its blood products. It continued to provide services to members of the armed forces and their families, including during the Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf wars. The Red Cross also expanded its services into such fields as civil defense, CPR/AED training, HIV/AIDS education, and the provision of emotional care and support to disaster victims and their survivors. It helped the federal government form the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and serves as its principal supplier of mass care in federally declared disasters.

While closely associated with the federal government in the promotion of its objectives, the Red Cross is an independent, volunteer-led organization, financially supported by voluntary public contributions and cost-reimbursement charges. A 50-member, all volunteer Board of Governors leads the organization. The president of the United States, who is honorary chairman of the Red Cross, appoints eight governors, including the chairman of the board. The chairman nominates and the board elects the president of the Red Cross who is responsible for carrying into effect the policies and programs of the board. The American Red Cross works closely with the International Committee of the Red Cross on matters of international conflict and social, political, and military unrest. As a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which it helped found in 1919, the American Red Cross joins more than 175 other national societies in bringing aid to victims of disasters throughout the world.

Shelter in Place

There is an alert in one San Francisco neighborhood right now for people to shelter in place.

Sheltering in a Place

What Shelter-in-Place Means

Shelter-in-place means selecting a small, interior room, with no or few windows, and taking refuge inside. It does not mean sealing off your entire home or office building.

Should there be an emergency where hazardous materials may have been released into the atmosphere, you will be notified to go to your shelter-in-place.

For more information about preparing for unique hazards of terrorism, view our brochure: Terrorism – Preparing for the Unexpected. For additional questions or information, please call the American Red Cross, Greater Salt Lake Area Chapter at (801) 323-7000.

Materials and Instructions for Sheltering-in-Place

Chemical, biological, or radiological contaminants may be released accidentally or intentionally into the environment. Should this occur, listen to the radio or TV for information about how to protect you and your family. When you hear directions from the local authorities to shelter-in-place, everyone needs to take those steps immediately wherever you are.

Do not drive or walk outdoors.

Be prepared to stay there until an all-clear is signaled or help arrives. There is little danger that the room in which you are taking shelter will run out of oxygen and you will suffocate.

How to Shelter-in-Place: Step-by-Step

At Home
At Work
At School
In Your Vehicle

At Home: Step-by-Step

• Close and lock all windows and exterior doors.
• Close window shades, blinds or curtains if there is danger of explosion.
• Turn off all fans, heating and air conditioning systems.
• Close the fireplace damper.
• Get your family disaster supplies kit and make sure the radio is working.
  The kit should include (but is not limited to):
  • Nonperishable
  • Food
  • bottled water
  • Battery-powered
  • Radios first aid
  • Supplies
  • Flashlights
  • Batteries duct tape plastic sheeting plastic garbage bags
• Go to an interior room—without windows—that's above ground level. This room is preferable because some chemicals are heavier than air, and may seep into basements even if the windows are closed.
• Bring your pets, and be sure to have additional food and water supplies for them.
• Seal all cracks around the door(s) and vents with duct tape and plastic sheeting (heavier than food wrap).
• Call your emergency contact from a hard-wired telephone, if possible. Cellular telephone equipment may be overwhelmed or damaged during an emergency. Have the phone available if you need to report a life-threatening condition.
• Listen to radio or television broadcasts until you are told all is safe or that you need to evacuate. Local officials may call for evacuation in areas at greatest risk.

At Work: Step-by-Step

• Close the business.
• Close and lock all windows and exterior doors.
• If there is danger of explosion, close the window shades, blinds, or curtains.
• Have employees familiar with your building’s mechanical systems turn off all fans, heating and air conditioning systems. This is very important since some systems automatically exchange inside air with outside air. If it is not possible to turn it off, seal or disable the system.
• Get the disaster supplies kit and make sure the radio is working. The kit should include (but is not limited to):
  • Nonperishable food
  • Bottled water
  • Battery-powered radios
  • First aid supplies
  • Flashlights
  • Batteries
  • Duct tape
  • Plastic sheeting
  • Plastic garbage bags
• Bring everyone, including customers, clients, and visitors, into an interior room(s) above the ground floor, with the fewest windows or vents.
  • Avoid overcrowding.
  • Select several rooms so there is adequate space for everyone to sit. Large storage closets, utility rooms, pantries, copy and conference rooms without exterior windows work well.
  • Do not select a room with mechanical equipment like ventilation blowers or pipes, because this equipment may not be able to be sealed from the outdoors.
• Use duct tape and plastic sheeting (heavier than food wrap) to seal all cracks around the door(s) and any vents into the room.
• Shut and lock the door(s).
• Unless there is an imminent threat, ask everyone to call their emergency contact to let them know where they are and that they are safe.
• Turn on call-forwarding or alternative telephone answering systems or services. If the business has voice mail or an automated attendant, change the recording to indicate the business is closed, and that staff and visitors are remaining in the building until authorities advise it is safe to leave.
• Have a hard-wired telephone in the room(s), if possible. Call emergency contacts and have the phone available if you need to report a life-threatening condition. Cellular telephone equipment may be overwhelmed or damaged during an emergency.
• Write down the names of everyone in the room. Inform the designated emergency contact at your business who is in the room, and their affiliation with your business (employee, visitor, client, customer).
• Keep listening to radio or television broadcasts until you are told all is safe or that you need you to evacuate. Local officials may call for evacuation in specific areas at greatest risk in your community.
• Continue operations in the designated area if the business disruption is likely to last.

At School: Step-by-Step

• Close the school. Keep visitors in the building.
• Activate the school’s emergency plan. Follow reverse evacuation procedures to bring students, faculty, and staff indoors. Make announcements over the school-wide public address system from the room where the top school official takes shelter, if possible.
• Close and lock all windows, exterior doors, and any other openings to the outside.
• If there is danger of explosion, close the window shades, blinds, or curtains.
• Have employees familiar with your school’s mechanical systems turn off all fans, heating and air conditioning systems. This is very important since some systems automatically exchange inside air with outside air. If it is not possible to turn it off, seal or disable the system.
• Make sure the radio is working. Bring the disaster supplies kit into the designated rooms. The kit should include (but is not limited to):
  • Nonperishable food
  • Bottled water
  • Battery-powered radios
  • First aid supplies
  • Flashlights
  • Batteries
  • Duct tape
  • Plastic sheeting
  • Plastic garbage bags
• Bring everyone, including faculty, staff, students, and visitors into an interior room(s) above the ground floor, with the fewest windows or vents.
  • Avoid overcrowding.
  • Select several rooms so there is adequate space for everyone to sit. Large storage closets, utility rooms, pantries, copy and conference rooms without exterior windows work well.
  • Do not select a room with mechanical equipment like ventilation blowers or because this equipment may not be able to be sealed from the outdoors.
• Use duct tape and plastic sheeting (heavier than food wrap) to seal all cracks around the door(s) and any vents into the room.
• Have a hard-wired telephone in the room(s), if possible. Have the phone available if you need to report a life-threatening condition. Cellular telephone equipment may be overwhelmed or damaged during an emergency.
• Turn on call-forwarding or alternative telephone answering systems or services. If the school has voice mail or an automated attendant, change the recording to indicate the school is closed, and that everyone will be remaining in the building until authorities advise it is safe to leave.
  • For those children who have cell phones, allow them to call a parent or guardian, unless there is an imminent threat.
  • The students should inform that person they will remain in school until further notice, and that they are safe.
• Shut and lock the door(s).
• Write down the names of everyone in the room. Inform your school’s designated emergency contact who is in the room.
• Stay where you are until you hear an announcement from school officials via the public address system that it is safe to leave.

Please note: Local officials may call for evacuation in specific areas at greatest risk in your community.

In Your Vehicle: Step-by-Step

• If you are unable to get to safety indoors, pull over to the side of the road.
  • Stop your vehicle in the safest place possible.
  • If it is sunny outside, try to park under a bridge or in the shade, to avoid being overheated.
• Turn off the engine. Close windows and vents.
• Seal the heating/air conditioning vents with duct tape, previously placed in glove compartment.
• Listen to the radio regularly for updated advice and instructions. Stay where you are until you are told it is safe to get back on the road.
• Be aware that some roads may be closed or traffic detoured.
  • Follow the directions of law enforcement officials.
• Local officials are the best source of information. Follow their instructions during and after emergencies regarding sheltering, food, water, and clean-up methods.

Local Volunteer Featured in Paper

Hello My Name is » Ted Bisping

The Salt Lake Tribune

Updated: 06/04/2009 01:56:10 AM MDT

Hello Ted Bisping

Bisping works for Rocky Mountain Power as a site agent. He helps coordinate construction projects, permits and crews from Murray to Centerville. He likes that his job lets him get away from his desk and into the field. Bisping is heavily involved in volunteer work for the American Red Cross, and he spends most of his free time teaching classes or working first aid stations. He does first aid at the Downtown Farmers Market and the Red Butte Concert Series, and also got to man Park City first aid stations during the Olympics. During the last two years he has volunteered over 500 hours. When he has time at home, he enjoys working in the yard and feeding his backyard birds.

Bisping loves the way the neighbors come together in his Taylorsville community. For many years his street has been nicknamed "Christmas Lane," and has gained fame on the western side of the valley. Neighbors decorate their homes with lights and figures, and each home has a few verses of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" on signs. His only dislike is the occasional airplane noise, but it is not a big problem. He is concerned about the traffic on 5400 South, but says the added lanes have really helped the situation.