Arizona Red Cross chapters responding to California fire crisis

PHOENIX — The American Red Cross is working closely with government and community partners to coordinate relief efforts and provide evacuation centers where people can find safe refuge from the fires. Meals, health services, comfort and other support is being provided for the affected residents. Red Cross volunteers from across the country are now traveling to California to support relief efforts, including 9 Red Cross volunteers from the Arizona, New Mexico, El Paso Region (3 from Phoenix Chapter, 2 from Southern AZ Chapter, 4 from Northern Arizona Chapter). Additional supplies, such as, cots, blankets and other relief supplies are also being mobilized to support the effort.

People with loved ones in the affected area can visit the Red Cross Safe and Well website at http://www.redcross.org/safeandwell. The site allows individuals and organizations to register and post messages to indicate that they are safe, or to search for loved ones. The site is always available, open to the public and available in Spanish. Registrations and searches can be done directly on the website. Registrations can also be completed by texting SAFE to 78876.

The Red Cross depends on financial donations to be able to provide disaster relief immediately. You can help people affected by Hurricane Harvey by visiting redcross.org, calling 1- 800-RED CROSS or texting the word HARVEY or IRMA to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster.

Two Search and Rescue Missions on San Francisco Peaks Wednesday

FLAGSTAFF – Coconino County Sheriff’s deputies and its Search and Rescue Unit conducted two search and rescue missions on the San Francisco Peaks Wednesday

About 3:00 p.m. Wednesday October 11, 2017 the Flagstaff 911 Center received a call from a woman who reported she was lost after starting a hike the Peaks. The woman and her three children—ages 2-to-11—from the Phoenix area had parked on the Snowbowl Road and started off on a hike. The woman reported she was currently on a trail, but was confused and did not know the way to return to her vehicle.

Deputies were able to get her location from her call to 911 and had her start walking out. A deputy responded to the area, who walked in on the trail, meeting the woman and assisting her back to her parked car.

About 6:35 p.m. the Flagstaff 911 Center received another call for a rescue on the Peaks. A 19-year old male and his girlfriend from the Phoenix area were hiking the Humphreys Trail when the male injured his ankle and reported a possible fracture.

The Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue unit responded and prepared for a liter carry of the injured hiker. The hiker had been able to make his way partial down the trail. Searchers made their way up the trail and made contact with the hiker and assisted him off the mountain. The hiker refused medical treatment.