“I’ve been to Picher for tornado relief, and I know that when people are sleeping in the middle of the night, things can happen,” she said. “When these radios come on, they can wake you up and alert you.”

• CPR

“If there’s one thing that gets major use on a day-to-day basis, it’s CPR,” Margarit said. “We offer classes on a local level. They give you a sense of empowerment. You can be in the most random place and be called on to use it.”

In addition to the classes. Margarit said they offer a small kit called “CPR for Everyone” that contains an instructional DVD, compression practice tool and hand placement diagram.

September is National Preparedness Month, and the Red Cross is using this time to urge every family to get a kit and make a plan. One way the Red Cross has made it easier for families to get prepared is by offering a variety of first aid, health, safety and emergency preparedness items.

Proceeds from the sale of these items supports the mission of the organization. During the last few months, the Red Cross has responded to meet the needs of thousands of disaster victims affected by summer floods in nine different states. Local volunteers have responded to large-scale disasters in Picher after the tornado, Miami after the flood and throughout northeast Oklahoma during the ice storm.

During the last year, local volunteers responded to more than 800 home fires in northeast Oklahoma.

Information: 682-1366.