March is National Red Cross Month — a special time to recognize the importance of the Red Cross in our community. We often only hear of the Red Cross during natural disasters, but we would be remiss to forget the year-round contributions of this organization. With little fanfare, Red Cross volunteers are there to help people in the midst of disaster put the pieces back together gain.

As head of the Honolulu Fire Department, I can tell you that firefighters work hand in hand with the Red Cross almost daily. Whether we're responding to a fire, flood, high winds, or any other kind of disaster, we know that we can immediately call the Red Cross, any time of day or night. Residential fires, floods, high winds and other disasters occur every three to four days in Hawai'i. And while first responders are busy dealing with the disaster, Red Cross volunteers are there to calm the victims and meet their immediate emergency needs — life's basics — such as food, clothing and a even a temporary place to stay.

The Red Cross also helps with water and meals at the scene of stubborn wildfires, which helps to ensure that firefighters have proper hydration and nourishment while they are fighting a tough fire.

Helping victims of disaster find their way through is not always easy — particularly when the disaster involves the death of a loved one or pet. When that happens, volunteer Red Cross mental-health professionals or faith-based counselors are called to the scene to help the victims overcome their grief.

With its nine offices and cadre of 4,000 volunteers statewide, the Red Cross counts on donations and grants in its mission to serve Hawai'i. And like other nonprofits across the nation, they are also feeling the economic squeeze.

So it's important to know how vital the agency's services truly are here at home. During larger disasters such as the Sacred Falls landslide that occurred on Mother's Day, May 9, 1999, the Red Cross sent a crew to Sacred Falls to provide basic first aid, blankets and refreshments for the injured and set up a phone bank to field calls from the public and help with family reunifications. They also sent crisis counselors to hospitals to work with hospital social workers and the families and friends of the injured and assisted tourists who were injured with their journey home.

As emergency responders, we appreciate not only the humanitarian work of the Red Cross in sheltering, feeding and counseling disaster victims, but providing lifesaving training to our community through professional rescue, water safety, CPR, AED, first-aid classes and more. You don't have to go to a disaster or look very far to see how the Red Cross touches our lives; its volunteers staff first-aid stations at community events such as marathons, soccer tournaments and county fairs almost every weekend to assist with injuries and health emergencies.

I have always found it admirable that the Red Cross, a charitable, nongovernmental organization, is right by our side as we respond to any disaster. I don't know what we would do without the Red Cross. During this month — National Red Cross Month — I encourage us all to take the time to learn more about this organization and all that they do for the people of Hawai'i.

Reach Kenneth Silva at (Unknown address).

Kenneth G. Silva is chief of the Honolulu Fire Department. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.