Firefighters have long been associated with making large and frequent amounts of blood donations.

You too can be a hero even if you are not a firefighter by donating blood.

Blood banks have been building the nation’s supply of convalescent plasma for months from those who have recovered from COVID-19 and will continue to collect and maintain a bank for hospitals to treat patients with serious or immediately life-threatening COVID-19 infections. There are two different ways to donate convalescent plasma. It can be donated like a regular whole blood donation with the plasma portion of your blood separated and available for COVID-19 patients, or it can be collected via automation . The frequency and criteria for each donation varies. We are asking all eligible donors to come forward so as many patients can be treated as possible.

Blood from volunteer donors is needed every two seconds to help meet the daily transfusion needs of cancer and surgery patients, accident and burn victims, newborns and mothers delivering babies, AIDS and sickle cell anemia patients, and many more.

Contact your local blood bank and make an appointment to give the gift of life.