Being a Red Cross volunteer is a family tradition for Glendale resident Sue Rothhammer.
Rothhammer, a nurse, is a third-generation volunteer who has been giving her time to the Glendale-Crescenta Valley Chapter of the Red Cross for more than 15 years.
"I just walked in and said, 'What do you need me to do?'" Rothhammer, 51, said.
Rothhammer, who has worked in the health industry her entire career, jumped at the opportunity to put her nursing skills to use for the organization.
"I've been in the nursing field forever," she said. "I started working as soon as I was out of high school."
Rothhammer's duties at the Red Cross vary.
Whether it's working the Red Cross booth at a health fair or assembling an emergency response team, Rothhammer is always able and willing to participate.
She also has experience responding to disasters, be it a fire, car accidents or earthquakes.
"We do community events and respond to emergencies," Rothhammer said.
During her tenure as a volunteer, Rothhammer has worked as a Disaster Action Team captain and now is an on-call duty officer.
The Disaster Action Team provides medical and housing assistance for displaced victims during emergency situations, such as fires. As the duty officer, she gets the call to coordinate and assist the team's volunteers when there is an emergency.
"I'm on-call all the time," Rothhammer said. "I sleep with one eye and ear open."
But helping people in times of need is just one of a few of Rothhammer's responsibilities.
Volunteering with the Red Cross also requires educating the public about the services the organization provides, she said, adding that a lot of people are not aware of all the services the Red Cross provides.
"If I can touch one person with information that they don't have, that's fulfilling," Rothhammer said. "Any time we can get out there and educate the community about our services is what it's all about."
One of the misconceptions people have about the Red Cross is that the organization takes blood donations only for disaster victims, she said.
"She is always willing and very able to help out any way she can," said Robert Reynoso, director of emergency services. "She is a great leader. People respect her and follow her advice and wish they can do as much as she does."
But being a Red Cross volunteer does have challenges.
Despite her hard work and dedication, Rothhammer still faces some setbacks.
"Being a female out in the field, to a certain extent women get snubbed," she said. "We have to get out there and prove ourselves. We are constantly re-proving ourselves."
Rothhammer sees herself as setting an example for other women who respond to the call of duty.
"I've had to prove myself and I've been able to do it and encourage others to step up," Rothhammer said.
