General Information - Emergencies

General Information - Emergencies

WHAT IF I HAVE AN EMERGENCY AT HOME?
Many time distressing situations occur and you feel it is necessary to request that your service member return home. The military defines an emergency as follows:

An EMERGENCY is the DEATH, CRITICAL ILLNESS OR INJURY to an IMMEDIATE family member. CRITICALLY ILL or INJURED means the possibility of death or permanent disability. IMMEDIATE family is defined as wife/husband, parent’s children, grandparents (who raised you or you spouse in the place of parents), or guardian (who raised you or you spouse in place of parents.) The birth of a child, a broken leg, or the flu is not themselves considered emergencies. However, the commander may determine that it is best that the service member returns home in certain situations.

Your FRG, friends, relatives, the Chaplain or civilian clergy and civilian community agencies can often help to turn “emergencies” around… TRY THEM!

WHAT IF MY SPONSOR HAS AN EMERGENCY?
If your service member develops a serious problem such as an illness or injury, you will be contacted by the unit. If your soldier’s immediate family has an emergency and his or her presence is necessary, the Red Cross from that area will need to generate a Red Cross message detailing the emergency. Contact your local Red Cross for more details.

BE PREPARED FOR EMERGENCIES
1. Keep a list of emergency phone numbers near your phone, posted on the refrigerator, or in a place where EVERY member of the family knows the location. It is best to place emergency information on 3’ by 5’ cards. Place them by all phones, on the refrigerator, and keep one in your purse or wallet. The data card should include the following: Soldiers rank and paygrade, Soldiers name, Social Security, Unit of assignment, Unit attached to for deployment, Unit Phone, Commanders name and phone number, military Point of Contact and phone number, State Family Program Coordinator name and phone number.
2. Have a local friend or relative occasionally visit or call in case you become suddenly ill and are unable to let anyone know. It is a good idea to give the friend or neighbor a copy of the emergency data card.
3. Be sure you service member’s unit has your CORRECT address and phone number on the phone tree plus a friend or relative. If you do not have a phone, list a neighbor’s number who will contact you.
4. Refer to you Family Readiness Group’s Chain of Concern for assistance and or information.

ASSISTANCE AGENCIES

AMERICAN RED CROSS
The American Red Cross assists with reporting and communicating while your service member is away. ARC will assist with medical reports, birth notices, emergency notification of your service member during separations, as well as verification of emergency leave. Counseling and referrals on personal and family problems is also offered. Emergency financial assistance is normally not available through the ARC.

MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE – FAMILY SUPPORT CENTER

ARMY EMERGENCY RELIEF
TO RECEIVE AID FROM AER A SOLIDER MUST BE ON ACTIVE DUTY ORDERS
FOR OVER THIRTY DAYS

Army emergency Relief provides loans and grants under emergency conditions.

SITUATIONS IN WHICH AER MAY ASSIST:
• Initial rent and deposit, or rent to prevent eviction
• Emergency travel expenses caused by crisis in the family
• Emergency food assistance
• Utilities to prevent cut-off
• Essential privately owned vehicle repairs
• Medical, dental and hospital expenses authorized through CHAMPUS and TRICARE
• Fire and other disaster

GUARD CHAPLAIN
Your Guard Chaplain is a trained clergy professional. The Chaplain provides care and is trained to respond to family-life issues. Families can find insights and practical advice in sharing with a Chaplain concerning personal and family needs (parenting, coping with stress, managing anger, and many others). To contact a Guard Chaplain call your local unit POC.

ASSISTANCE AGENCIES

COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Mental Health offers assistance during those times when the bottom seems to fall out of life. If the going gets rough, feel free to call your Community Mental Health Service (check your local telephone directory for their number).

OTHER AGENCIES TO TURN TO
There are many agencies that can help you in peacetime as well as after mobilization. An important means to assistance that is often overlooked is your local church, minister, pastor, priest or rabbi. The clergy is very knowledgeable of community and military agencies that can help families through financial, health, marital, or emergency leave problems.
Other agencies to turn to are listed in your phone book. Some examples of community agencies are listed below:
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• Food Share/Food Closet
• American Legion
• Veterans Administration
• Public Health Department
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Salvation Army
• Department of Social Services
• United Way Agencies
• Parents Anonymous
• Local Religious Organizations
• Community Hot Lines
• Legal Aid
• Federal Food and Nutrition Service
• Head Start
• Department of Commerce
• Food and Drug Administration
• Housing Authority

LEGAL ASSISTANCE
Legal Assistance can provide help in the following areas:
• Domestic relations/family law matters Powers of Attorney
• Will and estates Immigration/Naturalization
• Adoptions and name changes Consumer affairs
• Non-support and indebtedness
• Landlord-tenant relations
• Taxes
• Civil Suits
You must have a Power of Attorney if you are to conduct family business including legal, financial or unit related activities.

POWER OF ATTORNEY
The final step in premobilization planning is to consider whether you will need to have someone to manage your affairs in your absence, and if so, then to execute (prepare and sign) the proper legal documents to authorize them to do so.
Upon mobilization you may be unable to handle your own affairs and may need to appoint someone else to act for you. A Power of Attorney is a written legal document by which you, the grantor or donor, give someone else, called the “attorney-in-fact” or the “donee,” the authority to act as your agent or attorney, either generally or for some more specific limited purpose.

GENERAL POWER OF ATTORNEY:
Authorizes you to conduct all family business which would otherwise require your service members presence
LIMITED POWER OF ATTORNEY:
Authorizes you to conduct only the matter specified in the document which would otherwise require your service members presence

PRECAUTIONS IN AUTHORIZING YOUR POWER OF ATTORNEY
Never give your power of attorney to anyone who is not absolutely trustworthy, reliable, capable, efficient and competent.

A general power of attorney is seldom necessary. A special power of attorney for a specific purpose(s) is more likely to be accepted.

Once a power of attorney is granted, it can be revoked at any time. The instrument should contain a self-executing revocation date (expiration date). If one gives a power of attorney, it should be effective for no more than the period necessary to accomplish the purpose. We recommend that it be generally for no more than one year. There is no military requirement for you to give someone your power of attorney before you mobilize. The need for one is entirely personal and should be tailored to meet you individual needs and desires.

You can revoke a power of attorney at any time by sending a notice of revocation to the agent concerned. You should execute copies of the notice of revocation with all the formalities taken in executing the power. You should have the notice of revocation recorded where the power of attorney was recorded. In general, you should have a power of attorney revoked after it has served its purpose.