HOT SPRINGS — By day, she’s an instructor at a local college, but on any given day, Debbie Ugbade’s schedule could change. The longtime American Red Cross volunteer is always prepared in the event of an emergency.
During her 25 years of service for the organization, the Hot Springs resident has served in various capacities for the Red Cross. She now serves on the Disaster Action Team, on which volunteers are on call 24 hours per day, 365 days of the year. They help provide everything from shelter and food to emotional support.
“For me, handing a hot meal and a hug to someone who has been impacted by a disaster is one of the most fulfilling services we provide,” Ugbade said.
Ugbade also advocates for the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, led by volunteer Don Dailey, she said.
“The goal of this initiative is to reduce death and injury by installing free smoke alarms for those who need them,” Ugbade said. “We partner with local fire departments and other groups to install smoke detectors at no cost to the resident. In addition, volunteers provide safety information to help residents develop an escape plan for their homes.”
With winter weather here, Ugbade said, she encourages everyone to check smoke alarms to make sure they’re working. For those with no smoke alarms, homeowners may call their local Red Cross office to have a smoke alarm installed at no cost, she said.
This year, more than 675 smoke alarms have been installed in more than 250 homes in five counties across the state, Ugbade noted.
Ugbade, an adult education instructor at National Park College and a retiree from the U.S. Forest Service, first began volunteering for the Red Cross as a CPR/first-aid instructor and later became a board member for the then-Garland County chapter in Hot Springs.
Hot Springs is the site of the oldest Red Cross chapter in Arkansas, receiving its charter in May 1917, Ugbade said. After several name changes and growth spurts, the chapter is now part of the Greater Arkansas chapter.
Andrea Sellers, disaster program specialist, has an office in Hot Springs where she leads disaster-response services for 14 counties in south-central and southwest Arkansas, Ugbade said.
Sellers said Ugbade is the ideal volunteer.
“I can always depend on her to pull the team together and help our community out,” Sellers said. “She knows so many people and knows how to get the task done.”
Volunteers like Debbie are the “heart and soul of the Red Cross,” said Lori McFarlane, regional communications director. “They work selflessly to provide aid and support to people in their greatest time of need. Whether they are responding to disasters or working behind the scenes, each one of our volunteers plays a vital role in fulfilling the mission of the Red Cross.”
Ugbade remains involved in the Red Cross for a simple reason: “I enjoy helping people,” she said.
“Serving as a volunteer in the American Red Cross is a family affair. My husband, Festus, served as a volunteer, and our children, Gladys, Michael and Clara, grew up being a part of the Red Cross,” Ugbade said. “In fact, one of my daughters received her first Certificate of Appreciation from the Red Cross when she was 4 years old.”
Although the organization has changed through the years, the mission of the Red Cross has remained steadfast, Ugbade said.
“Our mission is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors,” she said. “I believe in the mission of the American Red Cross and helping others.”
Other duties that Ugbade has performed for the Red Cross include Services to Armed Forces liaison, public relations, emergency-response-vehicle responder, external-relations volunteer, shelter volunteer and manager, “and anything else that needed to be done,” she said. “Everything we do is important to someone.”
In Arkansas, the Red Cross typically responds to more than 1,500 disasters per year, Ugbade said. Most responses are for residential fires, she said, which is why the fire campaign is so important.
The Red Cross is also about prevention, offering health and safety training to “empower individuals of all ages to be prepared to prevent and to respond to various emergencies they may be involved in,” Ugbade said.
In the past 25 years, several shelters in Garland County have been established for those impacted by disasters, she said.
“We also provide canteen services for local agencies during disasters. If needed, we also open shelters and assist other agencies in providing shelters to ensure people affected by disaster have their emergency needs met,” Ugbade said.
Something the general public may be surprised to learn is that 95 percent of disaster workers are like Ugbade, she said.
“We’re volunteers who choose to serve our neighbors, both near and far,” Ugbade said.
The American Red Cross has been in Hot Springs for nearly 100 years, “and we’ll be here for 100 more,” Ugbade said. “We are looking to the future and plan to be providing services for as long as possible.”