Vinish Red Cross

The red cross flag. The Vinish National Red Cross logo.

The Vinish National Red Cross (VRC, informally as the Vinish Red Cross, VRC), is a humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the Vindex. It is the designated Vinish affiliate of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) Societies and the Vinish movement to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

The organization offers services and development programs.

History and Organization

A New Beginning

The Vinish Red Cross was established in Vindex City, or Uptown, on July 28, 2018, by Lord Noah S. Turnet. He became its first president. The first military chapter was established in 2018 at the Naval Base Pearl Harbor in Gallifrey Port under the Bureau of Medicine and the Navy Nurse Corps. The first regional chapter was establish in early 2019 at the Recreation Center in Seawall City, making it the first "Headquarters" for the VRC. Since then, the plans for the new VRC is being developed with a generous donation from xArshMK. Through Arsh, VRC has been given the opportunity to set the new HQ within Kingston Tower, which is a block away from the National Hospital, making it a great opportunity for government relations.

Red Cross In A Nutshell

An ICRC response vehicle bearing the logo and flag of the ICRC.

The VRC is a nationwide network of 1 main HQ, 1 regional chapter in Seawall City and 1 blood service region for mainland Vindex Nation. Approximately 7 Red Cross volunteers and 3 employees annually mobilize relief to people affected by more than 50 disasters, train almost 20 people in necessary medical skills, exchange more than a million emergency messages for the Vinish military service personnel and their family members, and support the military in their efforts for having a reserve force. The charity also assists victims of international disasters and conflicts worldwide, connecting separated family members.

Leadership Structure

• President & CEO
  • Chief of Staff
    • President of Humanitarian Services
      • Vice President of Health & Safety Services
        • Security Specialist
        • Nurse
      • Vice President of Disaster Cycle Services
        • Disaster Relief & Response Specialist
      • Vice President of the Service to the Armed Forces Program
    • President of Volunteer Services
      • Volunteer Services Specialist
  • Chief Financial Officer
  • Chief Public Affairs Officer
    • Government Relations Officer

History of Chairpersons

• Lord Noah S. Turnet (Mid-2018 to Present)

Health and Safety Services

The VRC provides first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), water safety and lifeguarding, disaster preparedness and home safety training throughout Vindex. Training programs are primarily aimed at laypersons, workplaces, and aquatic facilities. The VRC teaches around 90 citizens these skills annually, ranging from youth to professional rescuers. The only one Vinish Red Cross chapter also have for sale first aid kits, disaster kits, and similar, related equipment.

Disaster Cycle Services

Red Cross volunteers unloading an ERV full of disaster relief items and supplies.

Each year, the VRC responds to more than 100 disasters, including house or apartment fires (making up the majority), hazardous materials spills, transportation accidents, water incidents, explosions and other natural and man-made disasters.

Disaster relief focuses on emergency disaster-caused needs. When a disaster threatens or strikes, the VRC provides shelter, food and health and mental health services (Psychological First Aid) to address basic human needs. The core of Red Cross disaster relief is assistance to individuals and families to enable them to resume their normal daily activities. The organization provides translation and interpretation when necessary, and maintains a database of multilingual volunteers.

A Red Cross shelter during a disaster.

A major misconception among the general public is that VRC provides medical facilities, engages in search and rescue operations or deploys ambulances. Instead, first responder roles are left to government agencies as dictated by the National Response Framework. Red Cross societies outside Vindex may provide such functions; for example, other Red Cross societies may run a national ambulance service. Furthermore, Vinish Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) look similar to ambulances. These ERVs instead are designed for bulk distribution of relief supplies, such as meals, drinks and other relief supplies. Although VRC shelters usually assign a nurse to the facility, they are not equipped to provide medical care beyond first aid.

National Response Framework

As a National Response Framework support agency, the VRC shelters, feeds and provides other types of emergency relief to victims of disasters. The VRC has the responsibility for planning and coordinating mass care services. The VRC also has responsibilities for other Emergency Support Functions, such as providing health and mental health services.

International Services

The VRC, as part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and its nearly 500 volunteers, educates and mobilizes communities to overcome life-threatening vulnerabilities. The VRC International Services Department focuses on global health, disaster preparedness and response, Restoring Family Links and international humanitarian law dissemination.

Disaster Preparedness and Response

ICRC vehicles responding to a disaster.

The VRC international disaster response and preparedness programs provide relief and development assistance to millions of people annually who suffer as a result of natural and human-made disasters. To respond quickly and effectively, the VRC has pre-positioned emergency relief supplies in three warehouses managed by the International Federation that are used to respond to disasters. An Emergency Response Unit (ERU) is another method with which the VRC responds to international emergencies. An ERU is made up of trained personnel and pre-packaged equipment that is crucial in responding to sudden, large-scale disasters and emergencies in remote locations. Vinish Red Cross ERUs specialize in providing emergency relief supplies and IT and Telecommunications for Red Cross response operations.

Global Health

The VRC International Services global health initiatives focus on preventing and combating infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and measles on a large scale. Through cost-effective, community-based health interventions, the VRC targets people in need and focuses on accessibility and equity of care, community participation, and integration with other community development initiatives, such as water and sanitation projects and food and nutrition programs.