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The Canadian Red Cross' Emergency Response Unit (ERU) provides emergency medial and surgical care during disasters and emergencies around the world. Training for the ERU involves is extensive and intense,  and  includes an immersive simulated disaster training scenerio. This year, members of other national Red Cross societies joined the ERU training to help strengthen the capacity for their countries' disaster prepardness.

In 2009, the Red Cross was there for Jillian Mullowney. Now a disaster management volunteer, Jillian shares her inspiration for working with the Red Cross, her experience helping support those impacted by the Alberta fires, and the day everything came full circle. 

Grabbing her wallet, phone, jacket, and just a few things she could stuff into a small backpack, Cathy Lu had very little time to meet the demands of the mandatory evacuation order that came just a month ago. Showers of ash were descending on her street and wildfires had already begun to engulf some areas of Fort McMurray, Alberta, as Cathy and her roommate quickly drove from their neighborhood.

The last few weeks have been busy ones for Cindy Baillargeon, a Red Cross volunteer from the Lanaudière region of Quebec: she spent them in Alberta, helping out Fort McMurray evacuees. When she saw images of the wildfires on the news, she knew that the Red Cross was bound to be involved. It wasn’t long before the call for volunteers came through, and she accepted without a second thought.

Several practical and emotional details need to be considered as your prepare to return home following an evacuation. Here are some important tips and considerations as you prepare to go home.

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, along with the Province of Alberta, released a comprehensive guide to support residents as they re-enter Fort McMurray. The booklet compliments the Canadian Red Cross Guide to Wildfire Recovery and answers frequently asked questions including details about information centres, Red Cross support, and tips for safety and well-being.

For those who can’t hear what’s going on around them – or who hear only muffled, jumbled sounds, the world can be a confusing or even unfriendly place. And when that comes on top of the stress and uncertainty of being evacuated from your home, things can be even worse.That’s the situation some Fort McMurray residents found themselves in after losing or leaving behind the hearing aids that help make life better. But with the help of two local companies, sounds around them are now more clear.
 

Pre-Kindergarten students aimed to sell lemonade for $100 per glass to buy new houses for Fort McMurray Evacuees. 
 
Students at the Shirley Stollery YMCA Child Care Centre, aged 3-5 years, brought questions and ideas into their classroom after speaking with their parents about smoke in the Edmonton sky.