American Red Cross volunteers with the Disaster Action Team helped 82 people affected by home fires across Chicagoland from May 31 through today. These volunteers responded to incidents in Berwyn, Cicero, Lake Villa, Oak Forest, Pembroke Township and more, including 13 home fires that occurred in Chicago. Sadly, two of these incidents resulted in the loss of lives.

In the past week, Red Cross volunteers responded to 23 home fires and helped 61 adults and 21 children with temporary housing, health services, disaster mental health services, financial assistance and recovery planning.

A fire can take a home in as little as two minutes. Therefore, escaping in less than two minutes can be the difference between survival and tragedy. The American Red Cross encourages everyone to talk to their children about fire safety to help families stay safe and prepared.   

If you need assistance after a home fire or disaster, please call our dispatch line: 1-877-597-0747. 

Emergencies Happen: CPR & AED Training
More than 350,000 people suffer cardiac arrest annually in the United States, but sadly only 11 percent survive. For every minute without immediate CPR and use of an AED, survival chances drop 10 percent.

Every second counts in cardiac arrest and people can save lives by knowing how to perform CPR and use and automated external defibrillator (AED). Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating or beats too ineffectively to circulate blood to the brain and other vital organs. If you see someone collapse without warning, take immediate action with these three steps: Call 911, Start CPR, Use and AED.

Train Safely, effectively and confidently. The health and safety of course participants and instructors are always our top priority. While work environments have been altered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to be prepared to respond to emergencies, and to ensure the health and safety of others, has not. We continue to support the need for training in resuscitation, CPR and First Aid with remote-friendly training solutions and easy access to on-demand learning. Social distancing approaches and virtual training options follow public health guidance. Visit redcross.org/takeaclass to find out more information about CPR and AED training and other lifesaving courses.

In addition, the Red Cross has several resources to help people learn how to treat bee stings, burns and heat emergencies including online and in-person training courses, a free First Aid app and a First Aid Skill for Amazon-Alexa enabled devices.

Help Save Lives this Summer: Emergency Need for Platelets and Type O Blood
Part of a safe community is a strong blood supply for hospital patients. The Red Cross currently has an emergency need for platelets and type O blood donors as hospital demand for these blood products continues to outpace donations.

• Type O blood is the most needed blood group by hospitals. Type O positive is the most transfused blood type and can be transfused to Rh-positive patients of any blood type. 
• Type O negative is the universal blood type and what emergency room personnel reach for when there is no time to determine the blood type of patients in the most serious situations.
• Platelets, the clotting portion of blood, must be transfused within five days of donation and, therefore, cannot be stockpiled. Nearly half of all platelet donations are given to patients undergoing cancer treatments. 
  
  

Give blood, platelets or plasma this summer to help ensure patients get the medical treatment they need. Download the Red Cross Blood Donor app, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS for more information or to schedule your donation.

Become a Red Cross Volunteer - Join us to provide relief and care wherever it’s needed — today and for years to come by becoming a volunteer. To find out more about available positions, visit redcross.org/volunteer or attend our upcoming volunteer virtual open house recruitment session where we can answer any questions that you may have. The virtual open house session will be held June 17 from 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Please register here: tinyurl.com/RC-Illinois. 

There are multiple positions available, including the ones listed below: 

• Blood Donor Ambassadors and Blood Transportation Specialists 
• Virtual Disaster Action Team members  
• Duty Officers/Dispatchers 
• Disaster Caseworkers 
• Volunteer Recruitment Team Members  
  
  

About the American Red Cross of Illinois The American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion and Ralls. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at Redcross.org/Illinois or visit us on Twitter @RedCrossIL.