The Coast Guard Base Alameda commander, Capt. Jose Pena, donates blood at an American Red Cross event for military personnel at Base Alameda, Calif., April 7, 2020. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Brandon Giles)
SAN FRANCISCO — The Coast Guard partnered with the American Red Cross Tuesday to host a blood donation event for military personnel at Coast Guard Island in Alameda.
Twenty-eight Coast Guard members, including 17 first-time donors, participated in the event to donate blood.
“Donating blood is just one way your Coast Guard members are making a difference,” said Master Chief Shane Hooker, 11th Coast Guard District command master chief. “As members of the military and members of the first responder community, Coast Guard men and women are working around the clock to keep our waterways open for shipments of critical supplies and answering emergency calls for mariners in distress.”
Strict social distancing guidelines were put in place by both Base Alameda and the Red Cross to ensure safety measures were taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“Each pint of blood donated today can save up to three lives,” said Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Kroll, 11th Coast Guard District public affairs officer. “This single event could potentially save more than 80 lives, which is an impressive number, even for those of us in a life-saving service such as the Coast Guard.”
This blood drive was part of a nation-wide initiative from the Department of Homeland Security encouraging all employees who are able, to give blood to visit: https://www.dhs.gov/employee-resources/blog/2020/03/26/covid-19-and-blood-donation
There are approximately 4,000 Coast Guard members stationed in the San Francisco Bay Area. Coast Guard Island is the center for all Coast Guard operations in the Western Hemisphere and hosts more than a dozen commands including the Pacific Area headquarters, Eleventh District headquarters, Maritime Intelligence Fusion Center-Pacific, Pacific Regional Fisheries Training Center, Maritime Safety and Security Team-San Francisco, and four National Security Cutters.
Information from the American Red Cross about donating blood and COVID-19 can be found at:
https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/dlp/coronavirus–covid-19–and-blood-donation.html
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