Thursday's mass shooting at the Fort Hood military base in Texas that left 13 people dead and 28 wounded prompted a call to action for blood donors in and around Arkansas.
For the first time, that call arrived as a Red Cross text message, alerting potential donors that there would be a need for more blood.
The Red Cross Blood Services' South Central Division sent the text to subscribers who had signed up online to receive mobile notifications from the Red Cross. The division, which covers parts of eight states including Arkansas and Texas, immediately contributed 150 pints of blood to the emergency response. Processing blood requires 48 to 72 hours, so the donations spurred by concern for the victims will be available in another day or two.
The notification was the first time that the American Red Cross Blood Services used such a text message anywhere in the country, said Alan Gibson, a Red Cross spokesman in Little Rock.
"It's a new technology for us," Alan Gibson said from Little Rock. "We're excited about it, and the goal right now is make people aware of it. We know people want to help. It really gives us a group of ready responders."
One text alerted platelet donors that the spike in platelet usage would likely pinch local supplies. Replenishing platelets is crucial, Gibson said, because they have a shelf life of just five days and are vital to cancer treatment patients, among others.
Gibson said the text service eventually may also be used to notify emergency workers, as well as to send reminders to consistent donors. People can donate blood as often as once every 56 days.
"Arkansans are incredibly giving people," Gibson said from Little Rock. "They'll give their time, their blood - when something happens, they're there."
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