July 11, 2018 Story by David Owens At a dusty, ash-covered crossroads on the western slope of Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains, half an hour’s drive from the nearest paved road, American Red Cross volunteers set up a supply distribution point to aid people as they return to their fire-ravaged homes. Residents only have a few hours […]
July 11, 2018 Story by David Owens Often, disaster relief work is hectic and crowded, but sometimes there are long, lonely, dusty periods. Volunteer Steve Harris of the Alamosa Red Cross keeps this supply distribution point open, giving shovels, sifters and other relief supplies to residents as they trickle back into their neighborhoods. As several […]
Story and video by Rick Padden, American Red Cross One of the great things about being a Red Cross disaster responder is the huge circle of friends that you develop over the years. Often you can disconnect with someone and then later, often years later, meet up with that person at a disaster response operation. […]
July 10, 2018 12 PM Article by Beth Bernhardt A disaster of any size will cause unusual stress in people who have been directly or indirectly impacted by it. Each person will react differently, and a range of responses to a disaster are normal and to be expected. Emotional responses to disasters can appear immediately, or sometimes […]
July 9, 2018 2 PM: Submitted by Beth Bernhardt Children can feel very frightened during a disaster and afterwards some will show temporary changes in behavior. For most children these changes will be mild, not last long, and diminish with time. Young children may return to bed-wetting, have difficulty sleeping, and not want to be […]
July 8, 2018 Article submitted by Rick Padden For Red Cross volunteer Rochelle Obechina, disaster relief is far more than providing a roof, bottled water, cots, blankets, and scrambled eggs. According to her, there are basic human needs, and then there is the need for humanity. “We may be displaced, but community hasn’t gone away,” she said. […]
July 8, 2018 Story submitted by Amanda Fry When Red Cross nurse volunteers Marian Heesaker and Ed Duball first arrived at the Red Cross Shelter in Basalt, Colorado, it was their first experience serving as volunteers for the organization. The shelter was established by the Red Cross to provide support for residents affected by the Lake […]
July 8, 2018. Story by Arden Anderson Red Cross volunteers were on hand today to assist residents of the Forbes Park area who had been evacuated from their homes for 10 days due to threats from the Spring Fire west of Fort Garland. For the first time since their evacuation residents were allowed a quick […]
Saturday July 7, 2018 11 AM Story by Beth Bernhardt The American Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming has been hard at work supporting the people who were evacuated due to the wildfires. They have also been supporting the firefighters, and staffing emergency operations centers in 9 counties. The support provided by the Red Cross […]
July 6th, 2018, 4 PM Story by Beth Bernhardt According to the Teller County Public Health Department, not everyone who is exposed to wildfire smoke will experience health problems. Factors that increase the likelihood are level and duration of exposure, children, elderly, and pregnant women, and pre-existing asthma, COPD, and other chronic lung and heart […]