Be A Hero

Summit County Sherrif's deputy Brian Gorham and Don Sedlock, a bystander who spotted a fire in his neighborhood teamed up to help rescue an elderly man who was trapped in the home, and have been named Acts of Courage award winners for 2024 in the Greater Akron and the Mahoning Valley chapter. Red Cross Communicators Christy Peters and Jim McIntyre of the Northern Ohio Region get their story, and talk to Brunswick Fire Chief Greg Glauner about the importance of the partnershipp with the Red Cross to end home fires.

Dylan Fink, who underwent treatment for non-hodgkin's lymphoma at age 14, talks about the importance of having an adequate blood supply for patients like him. His treatment included multiple blood transfusions. He's joined by his father, Ed Fink, who with wife Krista started the Fearless Fighters Foundation. Red Cross biomedical expert Christy Peters sheds light on the reasons for the current blood shortage and ways to end it. Hosted by Jim McIntyre, regional communications manager for tghe American Red Cross of Northern Ohio.

Regional Communications Director Jim McIntyre is joined by Mike Parks, CEO of the American Red Cross of Northern Ohio, Emily Probst, Regional Disaster Officer, and Rebecca Siedler, a Red Cross volunteer as they discuss a number of disaster responses that took place in the region and across the country in 2023.

Petty Officer Nathaniel Howard, a Boatswain's Mate Second Class based at the United States Coast Guard Station Cleveland Harbor was off-duty and out to dinner with his girlfriend (soon-to-be fiance') when he was unexpectedly pressed into action. He rescued a wife and husband who were floating helplessly in the rushing Cuyahoga River in April, 2022. It's as much a cautionary tale as it is a harrowing story that would likely have had a much different outcome had Petty Officer Hoaward taken his girlfirend somewhere else for dinner that night!

Several people were honored with 2023 American Red Cross of Northeast Ohio Hero Awards, after pulling people out of their burning homes. Amazon driver John Davis, Ubert East driver Christopher Baldwin, Euclid police officers Trevor Thomas and George Harper, and several members of the Cleveland Rams semi-pro football team describe the actions that led to their Hero Awards. Host: Jim McIntyre, Regional Communications Director, American Red Cross of Northern Ohio.

Two Toledo firefighters - both athletes - were pressed into service at separate times in 2022 to save a life. Jim Schule is a lieutenant and a hockey player on a 50-and-over league, and helped save the life of a fellow hockey player. Firefighter Miles Copleland plays semi-pro basketball and helped save the life of a referee. Both used their CPR skills, and the stories both athletes share in this episode are testaments to the benefit of knowing how to perform CPR and to use an AED.

Johna Rushlow and Kim Murray were not on duty, but were at home, enjoying a mild December evening when their flight attendant training kicked-in, as they rescued a neighbor from his burning home. As a result, the neighbor is alive and well, and Johna and Kim are recipients of Acts of Courage Awards from the American Red Cross of Western Lake Erie.

Hundreds of responders helped injured and stranded motorists in blizzard-like conditions on the Ohio Turnpike on December 23, 2022. The Red Cross of Western Lake Erie is recognizxing them with the first-ever First Responder award, to be presented at the Acts of Courage Award dinner on April 27, 2023. Three of those responders are featured on this episode - Trooper Andrew Lash of the Ohio Highway Patrol, Captain Ben Quaintence of the Freemont, Ohio Fire Department, and Lora Taylor, Disaster Program Manager for the Red Cross of North Central Ohio. The Executive Director of the Red Cross of Western Lake Erie joins Regional Communications Director Jim McIntyre as they learn of the heroic actions of so many firsr responders.

Red Cross volunteer Coleen Kulkin provided assistance to people in Mississippi following a rash of tornadoes in the spring of 2023. She describes the heartbreak and the hope she witnessed in this episode.

Sisters Nicole and Lindsey Bechter performed CPR and used an AED on a fallen volleyball player while they were working as referees at Clutch Lanes in Cuyahoga Falls last summer. They talk about the ordeal, and update the condition of the fallen player.