Firefighters And Police Officers Help the American Red Cross in Battle of the Badges 2010

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For the past four years, firefighters, paramedics, law enforcement agents, and their families and friends have joined together in "Battle of the Badges", a friendly competition between the fire service and the law enforcement community aimed at collecting blood donations in Southern California for the American Red Cross.  This year's event ran from January 18th through February 20th in various cities throughout the region.  Participants included badge-carrying personnel from fire and police departments, as well as agents from the U.S. Boarder Patrol, the FBI, the US Veterans Administration, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Secret Service, and the U.S. Probation Office.

Two municipalities that were part of this year's "Battle of the Badges" were the cities of Chino and Chino Hills.  Fifty-one city employees and members of the Chino Police Department, Chino Hills Police Department, and the Chino Valley Independent Fire District, came together to raise 46 units of blood for the American Red Cross.  Participants included top-ranking officers, such as the Chino Police Department's Chief Miles Pruitt.

According to the American Red Cross, every two seconds someone requires blood.  In Southern California alone, 400,000 units of blood are distributed each year, underlining the need for blood donations.  Massiel Ladron De Guevara, the Public Information Officer for the Chino Valley Independent Fire District and one of the first responders who participated in the blood drive, explains, "It is used for accident victims, premature babies, cancer patients, anywhere were there is a need."

This year's campaign was a success with approximately 3600 units of blood collected among all of the participating agencies.  Donors received a "Battle of the Badges" t-shirt, vouchers for a free appetizer at Mimi's Cafe, and two tickets to a Los Angeles Clippers game.

For more information on how your fire or police department can participate in next year's event, visit www.redcrossbattleofthebadges.org.  To learn how to make a donation any time of the year, visit www.redcross.org.



Author:Crystal Chessher - FDNNTV.com