AMERICAN RED CROSS

AMERICAN RED CROSS

If you need to contact a military member for emergency purposes, please call your local Red Cross chapter. Use operator assistance if necessary, or you may also find your local Red Cross chapter telephone number by visiting http://www.redcross.org, and entering your zip code at “Find Your Local Red Cross.”  Today’s American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org is keeping pace with the changing military.

Featuring the latest in computer and telecommunications technology, the American Red Cross Emergency Service Center delivers around-the-clock emergency communication services to active duty military personnel, and to their families. While serving 1.4 million active duty personnel, the Red Cross Get To Know Us Before You Need Us campaign reaches out to an additional 1.5 million members of the National Guard and the Reserves living in almost every neighborhood in America. American Red Cross Emergency Services are available to all members of the armed services, and to their families. Both active duty and community-based military can count on the Red Cross to provide emergency communications, emergency financial assistance, counseling, veterans assistance and aid in the field where Red Cross workers are deployed to serve with America’s military.

The American Red Cross emergency messages provide military personnel and commanders with fast, reliable information helping them make important decisions such as emergency leave for family matters.

If you have a family emergency, the Red Cross will ask you for specific information about your deployed Guardsman. Your will need a copy of the Guardsman’s order which will have the individual’s name, rank, unit, social security number and duty location.

If you need to report the loss of a family member, you will need to provide the following information to the Red Cross:

• The name of the deceased
• The name of the funeral home and the telephone number
• The attending physician’s name and telephone number

If you need to report a severe illness of a family member, you will need to provide the following information to the Red Cross:

• The name of the individual
• The name of the hospital/hospice
• The attending physician’s name and telephone number
• It will be helpful to the Red Cross if you inform medical personnel that a Red Cross representative may be contacting them and will identify themselves as such

If you need to report the birth of a new family member, you will need to provide the following information to the Red Cross:

• Name of person giving birth
• Date and time of birth
• Name of hospital/birthing center
• Attending physician and telephone number

Even if you do not have all of the above information, contact the Red Cross and they will work with you to get verified information to the military command.