Barbara Caldwell
The Eureka Times-Standard
EUREKA, Calif. — Ten years ago, time stood still as Americans, and indeed, the world, watched in horror and disbelief as attacks took place in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. Commemoration of this event provides an opportunity to remind ourselves about three important lessons we learned in the weeks, months and years that followed.
The first lesson: Honor those who have been lost and those who are left behind. Humboldt County lost one citizen that we know of in the attack, but we do not know how many others who live here in the county lost family and friends. Whether in a terrorist attack, following a terrible hurricane like Katrina, or the aftermath of the flooding from Hurricane Irene, the people whose lives have been turned upside down or completely destroyed deserve our caring remembrance, ongoing support and respect. When we do this, we honor them and our community moves forward, healing together.
The second lesson: Recognize those who work tirelessly to help others in need. On and after 9/11, there were thousands of selfless people like the Red Cross volunteers, first responders, AmeriCorps volunteers, and so many others who either individually or through their voluntary organizations gave their time during the aftermath of that tragedy. We should encourage volunteerism in our community and our country, and we should model this behavior for our children. This is a simple yet powerful way to build a compassionate society.
The third lesson: We all need to be better prepared because the unimaginable can in fact occur.
In a prepared country, every person, family, business and organization is ready to take care of themselves and their neighbors, in both human-caused and natural disasters of all kinds and all sizes.
A prepared family knows how to deal with disasters; in our area, the most likely are fires, floods and, of course, earthquakes. This family has a plan that includes what to do if family members, including pets, are separated and how they can be informed before, during and after a disaster. They have a well-stocked disaster kit. They have at least one member (and hopefully more) who is up-to-date on CPR and first aid training. Each year our Red Cross certifies thousands of adults and children in CPR and first aid, and even younger children have saved lives thanks to this training.
A prepared business, school, house of worship or organization has proper safety and emergency supplies on hand. They have a plan for how they will continue to operate in a disaster. They ensure that their employees are prepared at home so they can return to work soon after an emergency. They encourage CPR and first aid training among their paid and volunteer staff and members. A prepared community encourages neighbors to know their neighbors, so lives can be saved following a local disaster.
We don’t know where or when, but we do know that unimaginable disasters will strike again. They may even take place here in Humboldt, and here they can be so large that we may be isolated for days if not weeks. We also know that preparedness steps we take today can save lives and livelihoods tomorrow.
Ten years ago, American Red Cross sent thousands of volunteers to help in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. Red Cross work continued for months and years, thanks to the unwavering commitment of volunteers, staff, and donors, from throughout the U.S.
As I write this we have hundreds of volunteers helping the people on the East Coast after Hurricane Irene, and at the ready to help others whose lives are turned upside down by disaster. The Red Cross is ready to help our community make a plan, build a kit, and get trained. We encourage you to visit the local Red Cross web site, www.humboldtredcross.org , or the National Red Cross site www.redcross.org to learn more. Let’s learn the lessons of 9/11 and move forward together as a prepared, compassionate community.
The Red Cross depends on financial donations to help people affected by disasters like tornadoes, wildfires, and single-family or apartment complex fires that can devastate lives. People can help by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Contributions may be sent to the Humboldt County Chapter, American Red Cross, P.O. Box 3402, Eureka, CA 95501, or through www.redcross.org . If you want your funding to stay local, put that in the memo line. If you would like it to be used for disasters throughout the U.S., please let us know that too. We respect donor intent.
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