The North Bay’s devastating Kincade Fire coupled with PG&E’s Public Safety Power Shutoffs have put a “significant strain” on the local blood supply, according to a national blood donation organization.
Officials with Vitalant, formerly the Blood Centers of the Pacific, announced Tuesday that the fire and power outages have closed the organization’s Santa Rosa donation center and warehouse, which are both in mandatory evacuation areas, according to spokesman Kevin Adler.
The facilities have been closed since Sunday and there is still no estimate time for when they might reopen, Adler said.
Additionally, eight blood drives have so far been canceled in evacuation zones or in areas that have experienced power outages.
The closures and cancellations mean that so far roughly 250 units of blood have not been collected.
“We need over 500 donations a day in order to meet the needs of local patients,” Vitalant Regional Director Fred McFadden said. “We ask that donors elsewhere make it a priority to give in the coming days to help ensure patients have the lifesaving blood when they need it.”
People who want to donate blood are asked to visit vitalant.org or call (877) 258-4825.
So now blood supplies are running low because of PG&E’s incompetence to address an issue they have known about for decades.
But of course, ensuring nice Dividends are paid to shareholders and executive bonuses are kept high are both far more important than some little schmuck who needs blood.
So…. I went to the vitalant.org website and the closest place to donate is in downtown SF…?…. isn’t there somewhere in our community?
Red Cross in Pleasant Hill.