The Red Cross is one of the first places Servicemembers and their families turn in the event of an emergency.

"We'd like everyone to be educated about the Red Cross messaging system and how it works since if they must use it, it is usually in a time of stress," said John Glenn, assistant station manager for the American Red Cross chapter on Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of that initiative, Glenn and his peers present information at pre-deployment briefings and other unit events; last year alone, they educated close to 18,000 individuals at JBLM.

The Red Cross has instituted a global hotline (877) 272-7337) to initiate emergency messages. The service is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and records show that 82 percent of those messages are delivered within 24 hours.

Additionally, the Red Cross chapter here is also focused on recruiting hundreds of volunteers annually to serve JBLM Servicemembers and their families.

"We are always looking for new volunteers, especially with regard to special projects and events," said Glenn, who explained that those spots come with more of an irregular schedule than the set assignments at the Madigan Healthcare System.

"Anyone is welcome, and we typically have (more than) 200 active volunteers at any time. While some of the spots are administrative in nature, we've also had doctors, nurses, medical assistants and pharmacy techs in the ranks."

Group volunteer orientations are held the second Tuesday of every month, with the next one coming up on Nov. 13. Though you can just show up, Glenn does suggest calling first to register. Furthermore, if you have extenuating circumstances and require one-on-one training, that can also be arranged. Volunteers working within Madigan will also need to attend HIPAA training, undergo a background check and receive some other additional training. 

After these requirements have been completed, Red Cross staff will counsel volunteers to pair their specific skill sets and interests with the needs of various clinics and other open positions. During the last fiscal year, the program produced 59,368 volunteer hours, which is equal to the hours of 29 fulltime employees.

Later this month, on Oct. 27, the JBLM Red Cross will take part in Make A Difference Day by enabling the base community to sign free holiday cards, which will go to deployed Servicemembers, wounded warriors and veterans. A card-signing table will be set up inside the McChord Field Exchange food court from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information about volunteering, requesting a Red Cross message brief or any other program, call (253) 966-3889.