Emergency Assistance

The American Red Cross is located in Building 1B and provides Naval Station Rota with health and safety education as well as emergency services. Several volunteer programs and opportunities are also available. What we do:

• We help the command and service members make emergency leave decisions
• Upgrade your Space Available Transportation for emergency leave
• Work with the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society to provide assistance
• First Aid and CPR training
• Lifeguard certification and swimming instruction
• HIV/AIDS education
• Babysitter training
• Volunteer work in our Operations Office, Naval Hospital, library and the David Glasgow Farragut Schools
• We provide Red Cross health and safety instructors

We are an independent non-profit organization. We receive our funding through course fees from health and safety courses, sales of first aid kits and books, and donations through the spouses clubs, religious ministries and the Combined Federal Campaign. Our normal office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. We can be contacted at DSN 727-2333 or Rota@redcross.org

After-hours emergency service is also available 24 hours a day by calling the Naval Station Rota Quarterdeck at 011-34-956-82-3560.

Emergency Leave Information

1. The American Red Cross is not part of the federal government. The American Red Cross is a private not-for-profit agency but we do have a charter from Congress that tells us we must provide assistance in times of disaster and we must be the official communications link between service members and their families.
2. Some of you may have received a Red Cross message in the past. It could have dealt with the death of a family member, a serious illness of a family member, maybe a birth announcement or it could have even been someone, usually a spouse, needing funds.
3. Please be sure that your loved ones know where you are and how to get in touch with you. A good idea is to make sure at least three different people know your mailing and unit address. Your parents, siblings and a close friend should all know how to get in touch with you. Communicate with them on a regular basis, either by telephone, e-mail or letter. If not, you may get a call from this Red Cross office with a health and welfare request that someone from your family back home has filed with the local American Red Cross office. So, keep in regular contact with your family back home. One more note on this matter, if you go on temporary additional duty and it's not a secret, let your family know where you are going and when you are scheduled to return.
4. Many times, service members or their command will ask the Red Cross to obtain a doctor interpretive statement. It includes a diagnosis, prognosis, present condition, life expectancy and recommendations for presence. Your command will use this information to assist them in making a leave decision. You can request a DIS be sent from this office and we will send a message to the local Red Cross for them to obtain a DIS. Your family back home can also contact the local Red Cross and that office will contact the physician and then send the information to this office.
5. Loco Parentis and Non Loco Parentis. That is Latin for "in the place of the parent" or "not in the place of the parent." Our parents raised most of us and we visited our grandparents, uncles, aunts or others on the weekend or holidays or during summer vacation. That is a NLP situation, but someone else raised some of us for whatever reason. Grandparents, uncles, aunts or someone else. That is called LP or Loco Parentis. That is important to know because the military will fund emergency leave in overseas locations for death, imminent death, serious illness or surgery that could result in the death of a father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, anyone who stood in loco parentis and spouse or the spouses father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister or anyone who stood in loco parentis. The military will not fund emergency leave for something that occurs to a Non Loco Parentis family member. If you or your spouse think they have someone who fulfills the requirements for Loco Parentis status, please contact your noncommissioned officer in charge to have that information put in your records so that if something happens to someone who is Loco Parentis, there will be no questions asked.
6. If you have family members who live in other countries, the American Red Cross may be able to verify an illness or death of a family member. We can verify things in countries where we have an American Red Cross office assigned to a U.S. military base. Such as here in Spain. If you have family members in England, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Kuwait, Japan, Korea, Okinawa, American Samoa, Guam, CNMI (Saipan) or the Azores, we may be able to obtain information as we have American Red Cross offices in those locations. If you have family members anywhere else in the world (an example would be the Philippines or Panama where we once had bases and American Red Cross offices but no longer), we are usually unable to obtain information. At this time, the American Red Cross has agreements with Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, United Kingdom, Costa Rica, Columbia, Dominican Republic (only in Santo Domingo Area), Finland, France, Hungary, Jamaica (limited to Kingston, Montego Bay and St. Catherines), Panama, Poland, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Africa (limited to Pretoria, Johannesburg and Capetown), Spain, Thailand (limited to Bangkok area only), and Trinidad and Tobago. Please be advised that obtaining information from other Red Cross Societies may take longer than would occur in CONUS. The U.S. military can fund emergency leave to any location and have the service member or family member bring back a death certificate or DIS. If you bring back a statement, then there's no problem. If you don't bring back a statement, then the cost of the flight will come out of your next paycheck.
7. If you have a problem at night or during weekends and the after-hours caseworker can't assist you to your satisfaction or your command may need some assistance in the leave decision process, please feel free to contact the Red Cross Station Manager cell at 34-659-90-1321.

The Fleet and Family Support Center offers emergency assistance programs.

If you have been sexually assaulted, call the 24-hour crisis hotline at 34-646-407-871 or call the Department of Defense SafeHelpline at 877-995-5247. A Sexual Assault Prevention and Response  advocate will be assigned to you. The advocate will provide you with the information you need, explain to you the required procedures, assist you throughout the course of the process and answer your questions.

Information and Referral is one of the key functions in the Fleet and Family Support Centers. The Naval Station Rota FFSC has an I&R Specialist who can assist you if you have a question, are curious about classes that may be available or have a problem you need to solve even in an emergency situation. Our I&R Specialist can tell you about a wide variety of military and civilian activities, organizations and services available on and off base. If you have a problem or need information and don't know where to start, try us. We'll point you in the right direction. The Fleet and Family Support Center is an efficient way to find information or services that are right for you. For more information on Information and Referral, friend us on Facebook or call us at DSN: 727-3232 off-base: 956-82-3232.

Contact your sponsor or the admin section of your receiving command via letter or telephonically to inquire about reporting procedures. Each command or department has its own reporting procedures. Emergency services are available by calling 911 on base or 956-82-2911 from off base locations. Mental health emergencies are handled by the U.S. Naval Hospital Emergency Room at 956-82-3307/3308.

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Volunteer Program

While the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society volunteers help people in need, they also have opportunities to make new friends, develop new skills and share talents in a variety of fields. Some of these include budget for baby counseling, client greeting, casework, public speaking and volunteer management. Volunteers can also help in office administration, publicity or work in the Society Thrift Shop. In return, eligible volunteers can get reimbursement for transportation and child care expenses. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, contact the office at DSN 314-727-1614.

Contact:

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Rota
PSC 819 Box 23
FPO AE 09645-0054

Hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Phone: 011-34-956-82-1614
DSN: 314-727-1614
Base Number: 956-82-1614
Email: rota@nmcrs.org
Building 1B, Naval Station Rota

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society provides financial, educational and other assistance to service members of the Naval Services of the United States and their eligible family members and survivors when in need. Counseling, loans, grants, various services and referral to other community resources are available to help families.

Programs

Financial Assistance

When you're having trouble meeting urgent financial needs, we may be able to provide an interest-free loan or grant. Through financial counseling, we'll also help you plan for better financial stability. From everyday bills to unexpected expenses, our caseworkers are ready to help. They understand the unique challenges of military life and they're ready to listen and suggest options to bring you needed relief. Our services are completely confidential. Your caseworker will review your financial situation and guide you through helpful resources and budget planning. If you're approved for a loan or grant, you'll get funds right away. There's no application fee and the appointment is completely free. If you need $500 or less, you may be eligible for our Quick Assist Loan.

Quick Assist Loans

Get the urgent funds you need today. When you need money fast, you may qualify for emergency financial assistance through an interest-free loan.

Use it for basic living expenses, temporary needs and family emergencies.

There's no application fee and no appointment needed. You can get up to $500 in minutes. Get the money you need quickly so you can get back to your responsibilities.

To get a Quick Assist Loan, you must:

• Be an active-duty Marine or sailor
• Have enough time left on your contract to repay the loan
• Have no outstanding Society loans
• Have no disciplinary actions in the past six months or pending that impact your pay or rank

Budget for Baby - schedule an appointment for a budget or attend one of our monthly classes for Baby's First Seabag. All attendees, even non-military personnel, who attend the class will receive a handmade sweater or blanket.

Layette - Baby's First Seabags for all Marine Corps and Navy personnel who are perspective or new parents. It consists of $120 worth of baby items.

Coupon - save money with the coupon program. Coupons are valid for six months past the expiration date at overseas commissaries.

Thrift Shop - enables service members and their families to stretch their budgets and purchase used clothing, uniforms and household items at a nominal cost.

Spouse Tuition Aid Program - offers interest-free student loans to eligible spouses of active-duty Marines and sailors stationed overseas who are certificate, undergraduate or graduate degree seeking students.

Visiting Nurse - Nurses are available to make home visits to clients to improve their quality of life by supporting the individual's health issues. Visits are commonly made to new mothers and infants as well as to patients recovering from surgery.