By Lori Baker, Communications Volunteer
When Scott Salzer was younger, his grandparents’ home was destroyed by a fire and the Red Cross of Southern Arizona assisted in their recovery.
That’s one of the reasons that Scott became a Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteer for the Red Cross of Southern Arizona about a year ago. While working full-time in public safety, Scott finds time to help his community and has donated more than 600 hours as a Red Cross volunteer in his first year.
“The Red Cross provides the training and resources that allow me to help people right where they're at. A home fire, a natural disaster, or an accident requiring emergency blood products are all concerns. Because I'm a Red Cross disaster volunteer and volunteer blood and platelet donor, I can take action and really make a difference,” he said.
Because of Scott’s exemplary volunteer work, he was recently honored with the Rookie of the Year Award from the Red Cross of Southern Arizona Chapter.
“ As a Disaster Action Team volunteer, I respond to emergencies that damage or destroy a residence. It may be one person, roommates, a whole family, or even many people — like at an apartment fire. Once on scene, I help the clients on their first steps to recovery,” he said.
“Just showing up and letting someone know we care can make a huge difference after such a scary event. As a volunteer, I also assist with our region's readiness and response to disasters — educating residents about extreme heat, installing smoke alarms, and helping them create a home fire safety plan. By completing educational visits to the community, the Red Cross helps make homes safer,” Scott added.
While he is relatively new to the Red Cross, Scott has stepped in with full force. He realized that many Red Cross clients have pets and they need pet supplies after a disaster. So, he went to the Friends of Pima Animal Care Center to get donations for clients’ pets: dog and cat food, leashes, collar and dog bowls. All the DAT responders now carry pet supplies with them on DAT calls.
He encourages others to volunteer with the Red Cross.
“What I enjoy most is that I can scale my involvement to what feels manageable at the time with a busy lifestyle. I am offered opportunities to participate further but as a volunteer, the Red Cross has been very respectful of my availability. A volunteer can help for a few hours at an event, coordinate teams from home using their laptop and cell phone or get on a plane and travel to a large- scale Disaster Relief Operation for up to two weeks helping hundreds of clients. Your time and compassion are needed,” he said.
If you’re interested in becoming a Red Cross volunteer, go to redcross.org for more information.
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