JohnTWinskas Blogger Blog

   John Thomas Winskas  Attended Event : Friday, July 25, 2025 1:00 PM-04:00 PM NWFL Waterfront & Cookout, American Red Cross NWFL - Pensacola Office, 9111 Sturdevant Street, Pensacola FL 32514 Baked apple cobbler for WFRM cookout Got a ride from Kelly Banks at 11:00am  Trained on first DAT response call Instructed on case & typical case procedures Instructed on damage assessment levels Evaluated damage of home  left home without meeting homeowner as they could not be reached by phone at when we were present at the home. Rode to American Red Cross Pensacola chapter building helped Liz (logistics) and Kelly Reorganize the supply closet and moved/ loaded supplies into the MRV with 2 other volunteers I believe the volunteers were from the DAT Team Attended Hands only CPR training instructed by Duke Porrit  learned about CPR procedures good Samaritan laws When to use hands only CPR how to evaluate if CPR is necessary how to evaluate the responsiveness o...

  John Thomas Winskas  Attended Event : Tuesday, July 22nd⋅8:00am – 5:00pm, American Red Cross, NWFL Panama City/Pensacola chapter Volunteer meeting,  9111 Sturdevant st, Pensacola, FL Got a ride to the ARC nwfl Pensacola chapter building from my dad  Arrived at 8:30am. Met with Duke Porrit as he was setting up for the 9:00am meeting ate a sugar cookie before meeting Terri and kelly joined the meeting a few minutes late learned about  upcoming events American Red Cross Signal group chats upcoming trainings after the meeting Sorted National night out supplies into coolers and a tote into 3 equal sets of items for distribution at the national night out. 150 crayons,160 pull string bags, 150 towels, composition notebooks, highlighters, pencils, temporary tattoos, 3d erasers, wristbands, ect. Tamekia Rush emailed me about the blood donor ambassador role training Responded to her email Completed blood donor ambassador training video stretched while training Per Kelly...

  John Thomas Winskas  Attended Event : Saturday, July 19th⋅1:30am – 7:00pm, ESAR, Pilots appreciation dinner,  9530 Nims Ln, Pensacola, FL Got a ride from Kelly Banks from the American Red Cross Shelter Simulation at the Milton Community Center to the ESAR building. Arrived at around 1:30pm Jim was cooking for the event ate a turkey sausage and had a burger patty along with simon. Brought around 30 strawberry muffins that I baked for the Pilots appreciation dinner put the strawberry muffins in the kitchen refrigerator.  listened to jim's wife talk for a while she prepped (deseeded) the water melon and met the care taker of Jim & his wife's (his wife who's name I keep forgetting) daughter. gave them a strawberry muffin to try. later gave them the pack of peanut butter crackers and belvita I picked up at the American Red Cross Shelter simulation in Milton. Handed out bottles of water to ESAR volunteers and guests Handed out the other peanutbutter cracker from the ...

  John Thomas Winskas  Attended Event : Saturday, July 19th⋅8:00am – 1:30pm, American Red Cross, NWFL Pensacola chapter Milton Shelter simulation. got a ride to the Milton community center by Kelly Banks at 8:00am,  Arrived at the Community center at around 9:00am carried the ARC document bin for kelly into the building,  Spoke with a cert two-way radio operator while walking in the door,  Skipped the training sign-in sheet as I was carrying the documents case and was following kelly to help her set-up laura Porritt checked me in/ filled out the shelter training sign in sheet for me ,  Duke, Norm, Kelly, other ARC Staff, and local Milton emergency management staff trained/taught about  Shelter procedures and rules for volunteers and disaster victims,  American Red Cross Supply trailer was shown (ate a package of 6 peanut butter crackers while the trailer was being shown),  took 2 packs of peanut butter cracker, a belvita cracker, a bag of che...

  John Thomas Winskas  Attended Event : Friday, Jul 18, 2025 09:00 AM-12:00 PM, American Red Cross nwfl Pensacola chapter Okaloosa County Home Fire Campaign, Crestview, FL 32536  Kelly Banks gave me a ride from home at 8:00am to the American Red Cross nwfl pensacola chapter building. we arrived at the American red cross Pensacola chapter building at around 8:30am. Met with/ rendezvoused with the American Red Cross youth group and Kelly drove pariticipating volunteers to the Crestview elementary school for the Okaloosa County Home Fire Campaign. volunteers & staff unloaded the fire alarms & event supplies from the back of the American Red Cross traverse. Kelly and Samantha divided the American Red Cross volunteers into 4 teams of 4 or 5 I was put in charge of group 4. supplies were divided between the 4 teams and maps were given of streets/ territory for each group to cover. American Red Cross Volunteer groups were instructed to walk according the highlighted paths...

   John Thomas Winskas  Attended Event : Thursday, July 17⋅2:00 – 7:00pm, American Red Cross, Panama City DRA DAT Meeting, NWFL Pensacola chapter DAT meeting Got a ride from Jim to the American Red Cross NWFL pensacola chapter building Met with Terri after arriving at the building she suggested I could work/study in the training room Put brownies I made in the fridge to share with others Ate a croissant a sprinkled cookie, and a chocolate chip cookie Stretched while studying/ listening to ICS-200 course audio Attended an Office hours meeting hosted by Donna Mcnair Donna reviewed  deployment requirements upcoming shelter trainings Entering Disaster availability into volunteer connection. What you could expect during a shelter deployment. Donna answered questions I had about The shelter deployment process. The need for two-way Radio Operators at shelters. Kelly Banks arrived around 3:30-4:00pm at the end of the office hours meeting Spoke with Kelly about upcoming event...

Attened Event:  Thursday, July 17th 2025 at (800-1200); 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM, ESAR Volunteer- Pilots appreciation dinner Prep; 9530 Nims Ln, Pensacola, FL 32534, USA Jim Harrison Picked me up around 8:00am Arrived at ESAR facility and ate a hashbrown Started Pilots appreciation dinner set-up Moved chairs to the sides of the assembly room Moved table away from walls  eve and marti used the shop-vac to vacuum the building & cleaned the bathrooms. Mopped floors of the ESAR building while unpacking table unfolded 5-8 Tables for Pilots Appreciation dinner set-up moved table into a "U" pattern for Pilots appreciation dinner placed plastic table clothes on tables Taste tested  hushpuppies fried fish Brought brownies for Jim, Eve, Marti, and Simon to try. Got a ride to American Red Cross NWFL pensacola chapter building from Jim Harrison.

   John Thomas Winskas  Attended Event : Attended Event:  Monday, July 14⋅4:00 – 6:00pm, ESAR COMMS training, 9530 Nims Ln, Pensacola, FL 32534, USA Instructor: Sonny Harrison  Learned about/reviewed proper two-way radio communication etiquette,  Toured command center/vehicle  learned about  comms unit ESAR mission role/rolls establishing a command center. what the supplies and capabilities mobile command center has. where  mobile command center supplies are located. chain of command & access for volunteers while in the mobile command center. Met with other ESAR volunteers interested in helping the comms team on missions

  John Thomas Winskas  Attended Event : Attended Event: Saturday,  July 12th, 2025-7:30am to 12:30 pm Wonders of the Word Ministries charity food giveaway 57th & Lyllian hwy. Traveled to N 57th Ave & FL-298;  jogged to bus stop at palafox & lloyd,  took bus to jackson & 57th;  ate two oatmeal sandwhiches for breakfast, 1/4 cup oatmeal (1/8 cup of oatmeal each, w/ 1-3 TBS homemade cornbread & oatmeal cinnamon & nutmeg icecream, 1 -2 tsp of syrup; 2 TBS of peanut butter, 4 slices of bread) Jogged from jackson & 57th to Lyllian & 57th Arrived at Wonders of the word ministries Charity food giveaway event around 7:00am. Wore Brace reflective vest before, during, and after event.  Unfolded/setup tables.  Unfolded boxes. Taped boxes, while pallets were unloaded from truck.  placed macaroni & cheese & elbow noodles in the boxes on the east side of pallets. Placed apple juice in the boxes on the east side of pal...

  John Thomas Winskas July 11th, 7:00pm-8:00pm -FFARA-Wiley Rascals- 146.76 repeater -Five Flags Amateur Radio Association-

   ESAR Volunteer work; Set up plans with Jim Harrison for 3-5 hours of volunteer yardwork for ESAR (Jim picked me up around 6am).- got a ride to ESAR from Jim Harrison around 6:00am;  jim bought the volunteers a bacon, egg and cheese croissant from burger king for breakfast ;  ate the croissant with jim after arriving at the ESAR building;  met Jim's wife again hooked up Jims hose to the ESAR tap ran/carried the/ Jims hose out to the fire area 30-50 feet south of the previous brushpile/fire location Pulled down vines from the south tree area of the esar yard. added the tree limbs, bark, and vines to a brush pile while;  jim got a brush fire started;  tried to pull down a tree with a Bouie and rope After I tried and failed to toss the Bouie and line/rope over the tree, Jim was able to toss the Bouie over a tall area of the tree We were able to pull the tree down safely with the help of one of Jim's chainsaws. Met simon again before he began helping cle...

  John Thomas Winskas  Attended Event :  Saturday,  July 5, 2025 at 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM 321 N De Villiers St, Pensacola, FL 32501, USA Walked to 321 N De Villiers st, Pensacola, FL 32501, usa from 1517 e lloyd st. Pensacola, FL, 32503 Met Mrs. Carolyn Gray, & Caroline Kladges at the BRACE Escaready event Ate a honeybun Caroline Kladges instructed the class on disaster/hurricane preparedness steps to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season. Class was provided an information folder and emergency preparedness bag that included a flashlight, whistle, a first aid kit, an expanding towel, a notepad and an escaready pen. played escaready bingo and won a 25$ pilot gift card. Topics covered included  important emergency services & phone numbers. before emergency steps emergency mitigation/prevention steps to reduce risk/damage to homes / shelters supply lists disaster planning during emergency steps safe locations in your home/shelter what to look for during a st...

  John Thomas Winskas  Attended Event :  Wednesday, July 2⋅11:30am – 4:30pm, Pensacola American Red Cross Blood Drive,  Pensacola Office,9111 Sturdevant Street, Pensacola FL 32514 Arrived at Pensacola nwfl american Red Cross around 11:30am after ride from jim from the ESAR building.  Nicole and an another american red cross volunteer let me into the building,  sat briefly before nicole showed me where the blooddrive was being held in the back of the building;  ran the check- in table and scanned licenses & blood doner ids about 10-20 blood donors total;  last check in was at 3:45pm helped pack up trailer with the phembotomy team!  Was given two pairs of red cross polarized glasses (to hand out). Terri, who gave blood during her time off, said i could have a couple mcdonalds dessert cards. I took a couple dessert cards for my parents;  My mom gave me a ride home at around 4:15-4:30pm. Gave mom & dad each their free mcdonalds desse...

  ESAR Volunteer work; Set up plans with Jim Harrison for 3-4 hours of volunteer yardwork for ESAR (Jim will pick me up around 6am).- got a ride to ESAR from Jim Harrison around 6:00am;  jim bought the volunteers a bacon, egg and cheese croissant from burger king for breakfast ;  ate the croissant with jim after arriving at the ESAR building;  unhooked the hose from the esar tap;  unloaded hoses from trailer and hooked the rubber hoses up the esar tap;  added tree limbs,bark, and vines to a brush pile while;  jim got brush fire started;  met simon and met jims wife again (youll have to forgive me it takes me a couple times to remember names);  cleared up northeastfence from vines& tree limbs using limb pruner , electric chainsaw, & foldable saw, worked/continued until 11:00am.  Ate an ice cream bar with Jim and his wife,  Gave simon, jim, and his wife, desserts :a spoonful of homemade carmalized apple/peaches, marshmallow, c...

   John Thomas Winskas  Attended Event :  Tuesday,  July 1st, 11:30-2:00pm, potluck, Escarosa suicide prevention Coalition, Lakeview center, 1110 W. lakeview ave., Pensacola, FL, 32501 Walked to Lakeview activity center, 110 W. Lakeview ave, Pensacola, FL, 32501, from home 1517 E Lloyd st. Pensacola, FL, with the  carmalized/ fried peach, apple, cornbread, marshmallow, casserole I prepped for the potluck a few days ago. Stopped at fish & loaves thrift store on the way to the potluck bought toiletries & writing items ($3.50) soap 2-4 bars toothpaste 5 toothbrushes (free from fish & Loaves) 1 pair of small bandage shears 1 pair of nail clippers 2 fish loaves pamphlets  1-2 bottle of lotion loss Gorton information/scratch paper note pad 2 pens Street outreach on the way to the ERSP coalition potluck James was gone  left a bag with 1 fish & loaves pamphlet  2 toothbrushes 1 pair of nail clippers 1 pair of small bandage shears 1 bo...