"Ham Radio" operators gather for annual Field Day

On the evening of March 2, 2012 tornadoes had wiped out communication in Henryville, IN. Phone lines and electricity were down along with communication systems used by emergency responders. The Clark County Emergency Coordinator for Amateur Radio took his personal RV, which is fully equipped to set up emergency communication, to the fire station in Henryville where response agencies had gathered. During the first 18-24 hours, members from Amateur Radio clubs across Kentucky and Southern Indiana established communication to provide their services, free of charge, to local emergency management and authorities.

Amateur Radio operator Roman Rusinek.

Roman Rusinek was one of the local amateur radio operators that responded to the disaster. Roman obtained his amateur radio license in 1995 and joined the Oldham County Kentucky Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) when the volunteer group formed last year. The thing that most drew him to the hobby was the community service aspect—helping others during emergencies.

“It takes a lot of preparation and practice to prepare for an emergency,” Roman said adding that he was impressed with the coordination of emergency communication efforts following the March 2 tornadoes.

To prepare for the real deal, amateur radio operators participate in drills offered by the city, county, state and nation that involve emergency management and local authorities. The drills offer an opportunity to build relationships and plan for when disaster does strike.

Operators also provide their services at local bike rides, run/walks and other events where emergency communication might be needed. It gives them an opportunity to test out their equipment and learn where their receivers have the best reception, so that during an actual emergency, they know where they can and cannot set up shop.

Amateur Radio played a larger role in disaster response before cell phones became a staple in every back pocket and handbag, but even cell towers can be affected by disaster. Cell phone lines are quickly tied up when people are trying to contact friends and family to ensure their safety. Without the use of electricity, Amateur Radio operators provide a separate channel for communication avoiding the possibility of being denied due to swamped lines. It’s like their motto says “When all else fails . . . Amateur Radio.”

Roman and other members of the Oldham County ARES will be staging demonstrations from 1-9 p.m. this Saturday, June 23 at the Oldham County Red Cross, 1215 N Highway 393 in Buckner, KY. The demos are part of ARRL Field Day sponsored by the National Association for Amateur Radio. More than 35,000 operators will gather at various locations across the country to show how radio can act very much like the internet when needed. Visitors can view the equipment used and even go “on-air.”

Roman hopes that Field Day will help inform the community of the full capabilities of Amateur Radio and spark interest in others, especially kids. To learn more about Amateur Radio, please visit www.arrl.org.

What’s a little bee sting?

It’s been over a year now since my fiancé and I took in our part Siamese, slightly cross-eyed, bundle of fur Gaffney. It has also been nearly a year since I took the Red Cross Pet First Aid course where I learned skills which I have, fortunately, not had to use. *knocks on wood* Well, there was one day, probably less than a month after I took Pet First Aid, when Gaffney starting “choking.” Being the PFA expert, I quickly picked her up, turned her upside down and began massaging the back of her neck to remove whatever had lodged there. It turned out to be nothing, but I still felt pretty impressed with myself.

Fast forward 12 months and 365 escape attempts, and Gaffney has somehow managed to only use up one or two of her nine lives. She almost used up one more this week when she had an encounter with a little bee. During her hyper moods, Gaffney loves to attack anything that moves—flies, beetles, printers, feet, birds outside the window. Blinds in nearly every room have suffered due to her fixation. On Tuesday, she got a real treat when a couple of bees found their way into our kitchen. For some reason, maybe it’s because I am not allergic to bees, it did not occur to me that Gaffney swatting at the striped invaders might be a bad idea.

 When not ruining window treatments or attacking feet, Gaffney enjoys sleeping.

It was only after she had bested one of the two that I re-entered the kitchen to find 10 more had joined the first pair. Through the floor vent they flew to avenge their fallen comrade. We quickly removed Gaffney from the room, and after sting proofing myself (putting on a hoodie and my winter gloves) I took care of the rest of the crew. Although we cannot be sure, Gaffney either has no allergic reaction to bee stings or she miraculously did not get stung.

For those of you wondering, as I did Tuesday evening, pets can have allergic reactions to bee stings. They are usually stung in their nose or feet—the less hairy areas of their bodies. Signs that your pet has been stung and is having an allergic reaction are:

• collapse
• difficulty breathing
• pain, itching or licking at the site
• redness, discoloration or hives around the site and other body parts
• red bumps on the abdomen, vomiting or diarrhea and swelling at the sting site

Hopefully, you will be lucky like we were, but if not, check that your pet is breathing, check for signs of shock and if the stinger is still there, scrape it off with a firm object like a credit card. DO NOT “PICK” IT OUT! That could release more toxins. Apply a cool compress to help with swelling and get your pet to the Vet ASAP.

You could also take a Red Cross Pet First Aid course to learn how to respond to possible emergencies. They even give you a handy dandy reference guide which you can always refer back to. The next course at the Louisville Area Chapter is Saturday, July 28 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Course cost is $70 per person. To register or for more information, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit redcross.org.

Memorial Day: Honoring the Fallen

Barbecues, swimming pools, baseball games, road trips. Memorial Day is often celebrated with one or two of the aforementioned activities. For most, it’s the first three-day weekend of the New Year and a great opportunity to take a short vacation, but the May flowers and sunshine make it easy to forget the actual meaning of the holiday.

There are several different accounts concerning the origin of Memorial Day, but each one was developed with the same goal in mind–to remember those who died while in service to our nation. Members of the military are not just soldiers, but fathers and mothers, sons and daughters.

Military members like Kentucky Army National Guard Sergeant Darrin Potter. Darrin was an MP in the Army National Guard serving in Iraq. He was the first Kentucky Army National Guardsman to die in combat since Vietnam. Darrin’s mother, Lynn Romans, has worked at the Louisville Area Chapter for 21 years. She says that after the passing of her son on September 29, 2003, her extended families at the National Guard and Red Cross helped her make it through the tough times.

Since Darrin's passing, Lynn has become an active member of Gold Star Mothers, a group for mothers of fallen soldiers, and a Fort Knox outreach and support group for the loved ones of fallen soldiers. She is also involved with National Guard youth programs.

Today is a day to honor Darrin and other soldiers who have fallen while defending our country. May their sacrifice never be forgotten.



For information on Red Cross Service to Armed Forces, please visit redcross.org.

2011 Volunteer of the Year - Mike Sewell

Humanitarian - committed to improving the lives of other people; somebody who seeks to improve the lives of others; somebody who believes in the philosophical theory of humanitarianism.

Mike Sewell (center) accepts the Virginia T. Keene Volunteer of the Year Award for Humanitarian Services at the Volunteer Recognition Luncheon on October 27, 2011.

Last October, before Mike Sewell received the Virginia T. Keeney Volunteer of the Year Award for Humanitarian Services, he had participated in four major 2011 disaster operations. He traveled within his home state of Kentucky and as far away as Minot, North Dakota.

“I’ve got friends all over the U.S. now,” Mike said. He keeps in touch with volunteers he has worked with on disaster operations via Facebook, and he looks forward to reuniting with them on future operations.

Mike has met hundreds of people while volunteering and has supported a variety of areas, even blood services. He has taken the majority of disaster training courses offered by the Red Cross and during the past year, has had several opportunities to put his training to use.

“The learning process never ends,” he said. “I try to soak up everything I can on disasters.”

Mike stays sharp by volunteering with the Louisville Area Chapter on a weekly basis. He is a member of the chapter’s Disaster Action Team (DAT). DAT members are Red Cross first responders for home fires and other disasters. Their primary role is to interview families and individuals affected by disasters to learn what their immediate emergency needs are and determine how the Red Cross can help. Meeting with the families one-on-one is Mike’s favorite part of the job.

“There’s nothing that really drives me except knowing it might make a difference in someone’s life,” he said. “The Red Cross does make a difference in people’s lives. Sometimes it’s small; sometimes it has a big impact.”

Mike and fellow LAC volunteer Kenny Settles drove the local Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) to North Carolina in anticipation of Hurricane Irene. They waited out the storm at a hotel on the way to their destination.

The one regret Mike has about working with the Red Cross is that he didn’t get involved sooner. But the work he has done for the Red Cross over the past two and a half years is a testament to his dedication to the organization as well as his commitment to our humanitarian mission.

“Mike provides assistance above and beyond that expected by responding to requests for emergency supplies and logistic resources any time, day or night, when needed,” Tim Oldham, Manager of Disaster Response for the Louisville Area Chapter wrote in a Volunteer of the Year nomination for Mike.

Mike was very appreciative of the award he received last October, but he also felt a little embarrassed.

“It’s not only me,” Mike said. “It’s a whole group of us that go out and do the work.”

Eventually, Mike would like to become a Red Cross reservist, responding to major disasters when called. It seems like a natural next step given his work over the past year. In the interim, he plans to continue volunteering at the chapter, responding to disasters, and training a new generation of volunteers that will help carry out the Red Cross mission.

“I’m always willing to take the inexperienced under my wing,” he said. “The more people we have educated, the better we’ll be able to serve our clients.”

From Mother to Daughter - Brenda Bliss

Brenda Bliss accepts the Bill Hartz Volunteer of the Year Award for Blood Services at the 2011 Red Cross Volunteer Recognition Luncheon.

When Brenda Bliss is out and about in her local community of Harrison County Indiana, she often runs into people who want to share the fond memories they have of her mother.

“If the community needed something, she was there,” Brenda said of her mother, Savilla Bliss who was a 4H Leader and an active member of the church. Savilla was also a Red Cross volunteer for 43 years, serving as the Harrison County Bloodmobile Coordinator. Her dedication to the organization earned her the Virginia T. Keeney Volunteer of the Year Award for Humanitarian Services in 1996.

In 1995, Savilla was diagnosed with leukemia. While undergoing acute leukemia treatments, she used more than 50 pints of blood and 110 pints of platelets over 11 months. She was unable to overcome the cancer. Still, Brenda says, she and her family learned the importance of blood and platelet donations.

“When any of us can give, we do,” said Brenda who also has a brother that has been on the receiving end of blood donations due to cancer. “We appreciate the fact that the blood is there when we need it.”

The constant need for blood donors and volunteers inspired Brenda to take over her mom’s job of scheduling volunteers for blood drives and bloodmobiles. While that remains her chief role at the Red Cross, Brenda also works many blood drives to help register donors and occasionally assists neighboring Crawford County with volunteer schedules.

“About the only time you don’t see Brenda at the blood drives is when there are two drives on the same day, and she hasn’t figured out how to be at both places at the same time,” said Buffalo Trace Service Center Manager Karen Cook. “It doesn’t matter what day or what time of day the bloodmobile is scheduled, we can rest assured that Brenda will get the event covered.”

It has now been more than 15 years since Brenda began volunteering, and she has made a name for herself within the organization. In 2011, she received the Louisville Area Chapter’s Bill Hartz Volunteer of the Year Award for Blood Services. She was surprised by the honor since she knows there are many others that dedicate their time to helping the Red Cross collect blood and deliver other humanitarian services.

“I think the Red Cross is a wonderful organization that helps people in many ways,” Brenda said. “Few organizations cover the same spectrum of services.”

“What keeps me volunteering is knowing that somebody always needs something that I can help provide. The Red Cross has always been there for everybody that I know, so I like to be there for it.”