Called and was told there was a four hour wait to donate blood. OK I'll read a book and wait.  When I got there it was up to an 8-hour wait.

We are totally unprepared for an emergency like this. Of course we knew that didn't we. In an emergency we just call 911. Right?

Pace yourself, guys.  Platelets (a component of blood) expire after 5 days.  The need will be ongoing.  I am going to try to get in tomorrow or Thursday.

I waited in line for about two hours myself this afternoon at the Red Cross building near my office.  The line was incredible.  They were in no way prepared for this type of emergency.  I will try back tomorrow if I can.  As cynical as I can be at times, it was good to see that so many people care enough in a time like this to give their time and blood.

rkbar15 - How are you and yours making out?

Perhaps we should call you instead. A lot of emergency services people died today when the buildings collapsed. They answered the call. When the last time you put your life on the line for someone else.

today is 9/11

I plan on giving blood in the next few weeks sometime, wait till the lines aren't as bad. I'll do it as soon as possible, but just giving in the next 2 weeks will be good even if it isn't done tomorrow

[b]WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?[/b] My inference was to the politicians and talking heads who espouse their bullshit and have disarmed the citizens of the United States and tied the hands of LE and the military in this country.

[b]IT WAS NOT DIRECTED AT THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ANSWERED THE CALL WITH THEIR LIVES TODAY. I HAVE NOTHING BUT THE HIGHEST PRAISE AND WILL REMEMBER THEIR SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF THE U.S. FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. THIS IS ONE OF THE SADDEST DAYS OF MY LIFE.[/b]

Just for the record I have put my life on the line many times in the service of my fellow citizens.

I tried myself as soon as I got out of work. I was turned away, It's pretty agrivating seeing the calls for O- blood and sitting here with a body full of it that I can't give.

Lets pull together as Americans and aim our anger not at each other, but at the bastards that did this.

I live 5 minutes from a Hospital Trauma Center. I thought I could just drop by and donate. They explained to me that they don't have the capability to do blood donations.

Amen.

I was going to donate here in Dallas, but heard on the radio that the donation center was turning people away - there were just too many people (thousands).  

I felt glad to know that many people were helping but was also disappointed that I missed the boat on donating.  

I'll try again tomorrow if they reopen.  



Can you please expand on that?  I thought blood would last much longer than that.  

I don't understand it either, but I read on the Red Cross site recently that the platelets only last a few days, but apparently whole blood lasts longer. With whole blood I guess they mostly care how long the red cells last.

Situations like this are all the more reason to donate on a regular basis. It's a hell of a lot better for them to throw out expired blood than it is to run short when a disaster happens.

Here's the deal on Blood donations (at least what I can remember - I worked in a bloodbank once)
Whole blood can be refrigerated for 42 days, or frozen for 10yrs.
Platelets refrigerated for 5 days
Fresh Fozen Plasma for 1 yr.
(I had to look some up)
Depending on blood type and need, your unit may be used whole, or spun down to the seperate components listed above.
I see people complaining that "we" (America?) aren't prepared for an emergency like this. Give it a rest. I'm tired of the crap people sling when the relief/aid organizations don't work "fast"enough for them. Get off your ass and go down and donate your TIME! They are working as hard as they can, as hard as their machines can. There are blood banks all across the nation, and probably in other countries (Canada for one) who are working on this issue.You can donate blood anytime this week or next and still be a help in that regards. Right now, you could ask to help screen potential donors, hand out cookies and juice,  answer phones, etc.
BTW, plasma centers usually are just taking the plasma, not the whole unit or redcells. They are not Blood Banks, but they may have the capability to act as one in an emergency like this.

In the morning, if you re-read rkbar15's post over & over again until you actually understand it, and then you read your "response" again and you still don't see how off-the-wall and disconnected your statements are, please seek help immediately.

WSMAC:

Once again this post has nothing to do with the people on the front lines who are heroically providing the emergency services to the victims of this act of war against the U.S.

Don't you think at the very least in an area with 30 million potential casualties that every hospital in the area should be prepared and have the ability to collect blood?

While I have suffered a personal loss in this tragedy keep in mind that we are only talking about the destruction of a few buildings out of thousands. What if they took out a few hundred buildings or the nuclear power plant 20 miles from the WTC?

BTW, with the air transportation system shutdown how do you propose that the blood collected across the nation get here?  Blood is needed immediately to save your life. It can't wait for the air transportation system to get back online.

I don't think any [b]rational[/b] reader interpreted your remarks as derogatory to the public safety people.  Don't sweat the Pavlovian
rantings of a single person who connects dots in a way that isn't relevant to the picture. And I'm not referring to WSmac, either.

But if knee-jerk criticisms are hard to shake off, next time use fingerpaint-level rhetoric to be safe.  It's the only medium that will reach the lowest common denominator, which as we've seen is lower that we realized.


I heard there were 270 hospitals in the area.
They should be setting up emergency centers and the National Guard may be doing that.

The hospitals really should be relieved of the load of obtaining blood so their people can focus on triage and treating those they can save.

So it seems there should be special flights OK'd to bring in blood from other parts of the country.

However, maybe WSmac can tell us - what do they have to do with whole blood before they can use it (other than the screening and typing?

Sorry to hear about your loss, though I don't know the details.

I'm just getting back on board today. After rereading my comments the other night on several posts, I can see how they could come across as harsh to some folks.
Having said that,
When I said people should "lay-off" the aid workers, I was responding only to the comments of this country being "unprepared". Having worked in emergency services of various sorts it would be financially and physically, extremely difficult to be ready for 20,000 deaths and injuries on the civilian level. Civilian agencies don't have the budget of the military. Blood banks and medical labs cannot be prepared for this kind of emergency considering the amount of stock needed, storage facilities with appropriate temp. control, rotation of dated supplies, transportation of these items, the scores of trained personnel needed in all phases of blood processing, etc. We as Americans have to get off the idea that we can be "prepared" for anything, that we should always be able to provide immediate care no matter what the numbers. Community by community, we can prepare, but I still don't believe we would be able to help each and every community member immediately.  We have to accept that we will have to WAIT for things sometimes even to the detriment of the victims.  Mobilization takes time.

As far as whole blood is concerned;
other than typing,  and testing (HIV, HEPATITIS.,etc.), and refrigeration, the whole blood is ready to ship to a medical facility. There it  must be crosstyped (in normal emergency circumstances), then it's ready to be giving to the patient. This blood must be kept cold all the way to the hospital.
PLATELETS
the whole blood is spun down in a large centrifuge. The platelets are squeezed out into the smaller bags you see attached to the large bag that gets the whole blood. These are then put in the fridge.
There is a need for blood now, but there is also a need later. This is not only for the victims of the NYC and DC tragedies, but for all of our communities. Blood banks still need blood for local emergencies. There should be enough blood for this considering the turnout, but it's going to be slowed more by transportation problems if anything. Until air transport is up and running these supplies will likely be sent military air or special permission civilian flights.

1) Everyone should be happy and relieved that as a nation we are pumping blood to those in need at full capacity.  It doesn't matter if you personally got to give blood (I was also turned away yesterday).  We are getting all we can handle.

2) There is a constant need for blood.  Not just now, not just later this week.  Become a regular donor.  

3) people need to feel like they are not helpless and insignificant at times like this.  It is important for people right now to give blood because they feel like they are "doing something" to help.  For this reason there will be no message of "we have enough," even if there is enough right now.  This all a good thing.  It lowers the anxiety level, and provides blood needed now and in the future.

So, if you can give bood now, do so and feel good about it.  If you can't, dont worry, we are pumping at capacity.  Do so as soon as the system can take you, and then AT REGULAR INTERVERVALS THEREAFTER.      

I've been involved in emergency services for many years and have been through many mock disasters and training sessions.

I reject the idea that we can't be prepared. All it takes is setting ones priorities. If your priority is to have an office with rosewood furniture and original oil paintings at the expense of blood collection equipment and facilities you end up with an inadequate level of preparedness.  

The local County Office of Disaster/Emergency services have repeatedly assured the public that we are prepared for all emergencies. We aren't.  

What you said.!

I've donated gallons of blood over the years and have also donated platelets. Every couple of months their freakin’ computer sends me a postcard and then they call me on the phone. I've also dragged people kicking and screaming to blood drives.