PRINCETON — The Bureau County Red Cross had a busy 2011-12 fiscal year, assisting 27 area families in emergency situations, responding to 15 fires since July, supporting 208 first responders, and sheltering 55 individuals following the Tiskilwa train derailment.

On top of that, the Bureau County Red Cross assisted nine military families and trained 976 people in lifesaving skills during the last fiscal year. Also, local residents donated 1,026 units of blood through Red Cross blood drives.

By the end of the current fiscal year, the local Red Cross office expects to have another 1,000 people trained in lifesaving skills and another 1,100 units of blood collected, Bureau County Red Cross Director Lori Compton said.