Hero of the Day

By: Andrew Klein, Communications Volunteer 

Albert Jennings stood in the grass in his pajamas and bare feet watching smoke and fire spread from near his kitchen to other parts of the wood-frame house. 

Minutes ago, he and his family – his wife Alanda, his five-year-old daughter Aiden, and his two-year-old son, August – like him, were asleep in their beds.

The fire was spreading rapidly. The fire department had not yet arrived.

All photos courtesy of Albert Jennings

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“Watching my house on fire was most upsetting. But, I felt a sense of relief. My family was safe.”

- Albert Jennings

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Aiden told the story, “The hot water heater had stopped working and Dad put water on the stove so that we could have a warm bath. But, instead, we were tired and went to bed. The pot was left on the stove.” 

Prior to the fire, a smoke alarm had been installed in their home by the Baltimore County Fire Department as part of the American Red Cross “Sound the Alarm” campaign. As part of this campaign, the Red Cross teams up with local fire departments all over the country to install smoke alarms where they are missing or no longer working and provide preparedness information. The free alarms – complete with installation – come with the admonition for the family to have a fire escape plan and practice it. 

Aiden had pushed everyone in the family to develop and then practice the plan. Not knowing at the time how important this would be.

When the smoke from the fire set off the alarm, it woke Aiden. The five-year-old sprang into action. She went to her parent’s bedroom. 

“I shook Dad awake,” said Aiden. She then woke her brother. 

Following the rehearsed plan, everyone escaped. And when outside they all met in the pre-arranged spot “by a tree” outside the house. Everyone was safe.

As the fire trucks arrived that night, Albert sent Alanda and the kids down the street to Grandma’s house.

Aiden said it all.

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"We were okay... because we had a safe place to be."

-Aiden Jennings, 5
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Albert said he saw Aiden as, “the hero of the day.”

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"Without the smoke detector and an evacuation plan... who knows. 

Kitchens could be replaced, not loved ones.”

- Albert Jennings

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Every day, seven people die in home fires, most often in homes without working smoke alarms. That’s why the American Red Cross launched our Home Fire Campaign in 2014 to save lives. Sound the Alarm is a critical part of the campaign. Through our home visits, the Red Cross installed more than 2.1 million free smoke alarms and prepared more than 2.3 million people for home fires. 

Home fires claim seven lives every day, but you can help change that. You can help keep your family safe – follow these 2 simple steps to help prepare your family to escape from a home fire.

1. Practice a 2-Minute Fire Drill 

Practice your 2-minute drill (from home to a safe meeting place) at least twice a year. Everyone in your household should know two ways to escape from each room in your home. In a real fire, remember to get out, stay out and call 911. Never go back inside for people, pets, or things. Download your escape plan worksheet here.

2. Test Your Smoke Alarms Monthly

Test your smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button. You should hear three beeps, letting you know the alarm is working. Don't hear the beeps? Then it's time to change the batteries, if your model requires them. If your smoke alarm is 10 years old, it's time to get a new alarm because the sensor becomes less sensitive over time. Learn more about smoke alarms here.

My Red Cross Story: Joan Gough

By Rose Ellen O'Connor, Volunteer

On a cold afternoon this winter, Joan Gough stood with several other Red Cross volunteers outside a burning apartment in Prince George’s County, trying to comfort a little boy who was crying because he thought he’d lost all his toys. They consoled him by acknowledging it was sad, suggesting he could get some new toys and telling him he was blessed because all his family had safely escaped the fire.

Joan Gough, showing off a pillow case
 from the Pillowcase Project

When you’re on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week to respond to home fires, as Joan, 69, has been since last spring, some moments can be heartbreaking but it’s also so rewarding.

Joan, a retired Montgomery College counselor to students with disabilities, puts it simply: “I was able to help someone in distress so that makes me feel good.”

She finds it inspiring, she says.

“It’s seeing how the families come together to support one another and how all the neighbors try to support them as well,” Joan says. “The fire department is there and other people are on the scene. Everyone is there to help. So that’s a really great experience.”

Joan responds to fires when she can. Sometimes other people are closer and they take the call and she’ll respond to another one. When Red Cross volunteers arrive on the scene, they console the fire victims and get some basic information about the inhabitants of the home. If needed, they hand out “comfort kits,” filled with toiletries, such as soap and toothbrushes. If the house or apartment is no longer habitable, they provide the family with a voucher for short-term lodging, food and clothing. They also offer a practical guide on what to do next, such as calling to turn off utilities, and a referral guide for other services they may need.

“Most of them are very distressed because they have lost something. Sometimes, they’ve lost everything,” Joan says. “Usually, they’re so very grateful for whatever we can do to help them.”

Joan first volunteered for the Red Cross in the 1970s in Brooklyn, where she responded to house fires. She got caught up in work and slowly dropped out. She now lives in Germantown and rejoined the Red Cross almost two years ago, after she retired.

Her first volunteer effort for the American Red Cross in the National Capital Region was with the Pillowcase Project. She still helps with it about twice a month, especially during the school year. The Pillowcase Project is a free preparedness program for children in the third, fourth and fifth grades. Its goal is to increase awareness of natural hazards and home fires and teaches safety, emotional coping skills and personal preparedness. The presentations are held in schools, churches, summer camps and before Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops.

During the presentation, volunteers talk about home fires and whatever natural hazard is in season. In the winter they discuss winter storms, for example, and in the summer they discuss thunder and lightning and eventually hurricanes. The program was put together by the Red Cross and Disney after Hurricane Katrina. The children get booklets and pillowcases with Disney characters on them. The pillow cases also are imprinted with a list of items they might want to bring in the event they need to evacuate their homes. It includes a change of clothes, water, blanket, soap and a first-aid kit, among many other items. They color the pillow cases and discuss what they might want to put in them. They also talk about what the family evacuation kit might need and discuss smoke alarms and practicing home fire drills so they can get out of the home safely. Children are also taught deep breathing as a way to calm themselves if they get anxious in an emergency.

“They’re usually very enthusiastic. They ask good questions,” Joan says. “And they get to take it home and share it with their families. In this way, they become part of the Red Cross team.”

As often as possible, Joan volunteers for Sound the Alarm. Red Cross, in conjunction with the fire department and other community organizations and businesses, goes into neighborhoods with a high incidence or risk for fires and installs free smoke alarms. Many of the homes have either outdated alarms, broken alarms or no alarms at all. Volunteers talk about where a smoke alarm should be placed and where it shouldn’t. They also talk about other safety issues, advising against using space heaters when it’s cold or lighting candles when the electricity goes out. They discuss testing their smoke alarms and practicing escape routes.

“I think we’re saving lives,” Joan says. “To know that their house is safer so that they are safer and have a much better chance of escaping if there ever is a fire in their home – that’s what’s really rewarding.”

Finally, Joan has just started volunteering for a new emergency preparedness program aimed at children in kindergarten through second grade. She reads them the Prepare with Pedro Disaster Activity Book. Pedro is a penguin who goes to a friend’s house, hears three beeps and sees that the mother is testing the smoke alarm to make sure it’s working. He learns that when a smoke alarm beeps, it’s time to move quickly and follow a planned escape route out of the house and go to a pre-arranged meeting place.

The children practice evacuating from a fire, learning to get low under the smoke, which is represented by a gray plastic bag. After they get out of the fire, they go to a meeting place, which is set up in the classroom or auditorium. Joan says the children enjoy the exercise and are proud when they complete it. Volunteers also teach the children deep breathing as a way of keeping calm.

Joan is glad to be back at work for the Red Cross. She says she appreciates all the assistance she receives from other volunteers and staff who have helped her and continue to train her.

“They’re always on the front line,” she says. “They’re working with the people and their thoughts are always what can I do to help the people in whatever emergency or disaster it is.”

Join Joan and support our Sound the Alarm Home Fire Campaign in our community today: redcross.org/ncrinstalls 

My Red Cross Story: Eric Coates

By Sandy Habib, Volunteer

Three hundred and fifty-four hours! When you do the math, that translates to almost nine 40-hour work weeks - essentially two months.

This is exactly how much time Eric Coates has volunteered with the American Red Cross between January 2018 and January 2019. This is an extraordinary amount of time by any measure, but it’s even more amazing given that Eric manages to give so much of himself and still work full-time.

Professionally, Eric is a Safety Director, ensuring that structures are architecturally secure for people to occupy. It is through his job that he began his work with the Red Cross. In December 2017, Eric was earning his “CPR Trainer” Certification, which includes CPR, AED and First Aid. The course instructor was from the Red Cross and informed him that the organization could really benefit from volunteers with backgrounds like his - in Safety, Engineering and Construction. Eric quickly got involved and did his orientation course on January 6, 2018.

From there, Eric dove head-first, used all of his vacation time from work and embarked on a fantastic journey of Red Cross volunteer work that has taken him across the National Capital Region and as far as North Carolina. In Fayetteville and Wilmington, North Carolina, he ensured that safety standards at Hurricane Florence relief shelters met local and Red Cross guidelines. In Maryland, he serves as a shelter associate. In D.C. and Maryland, he installs residential fire alarms as part of Sound the Alarm, a Red Cross program that educates families about fire safety and ensures that they have functioning fire alarms in their homes. He also works on the March for our Lives LSAP (Life Safety Asset Protection) Go Team, providing support services as needed.

“There are so many opportunities to do good with the Red Cross. I’m going to keep helping my community as long as I can. It’s extremely rewarding to be able to help so many people in need.”
Eric Coates, Red Cross Volunteer

The volunteer opportunities that Eric helps at most often, though, are house fires in the National Capital Region. Regardless of the hour or the wintery temperatures outside, Eric goes to help local families who are distressed after their homes and possessions have gone up in flames. After spending a few hours (usually in the wee hours of the night) helping to get the family settled, Eric heads back home to shower and goes straight to work. He may need a few more cups of coffee than usual to make it through his workday after assisting at a pre-dawn house fire, but for him, it’s worth it.

Volunteering at these house fires with the Red Cross is especially meaningful to Eric. He appreciates how the Red Cross provides those affected with hotel accommodation, food and a debit card to meet their basic immediate needs. Almost as importantly, though, he finds it very rewarding to be able to offer these distraught families much-needed emotional support. He helps them relax - and sometimes, even smile - which is quite a feat in the face of such loss.

Eric proudly explains, “The part of the Red Cross that I love the most is that we’re not a group that gives a debit card and walks away. We do a lot more to get distressed families through the crisis.”

Even talking to Eric is an inspiration. He speaks about the Red Cross and his volunteer work with such exuberance. He loves meeting so many diverse people, and he thrives on the contributions he is able to make to help others. Even more than the extra cups of coffee, it’s Eric’s passion for helping those in need that keeps him energized to continue volunteering with the Red Cross. 

Want to join us as a volunteer? Visit redcross.org/volunteer to learn more about opportunities.

My Red Cross Volunteer Story: Ursula Allen

Written by: Melanie Benson, volunteer

Ursula Allen is no stranger to the value and impact of service to the community. Over her 15-year tenure as the Director of the Adventurer Club children’s group at the Metropolitan Seventh-day Adventist Church (Metro) in Hyattsville, Maryland, she has led a variety of neighborhood outreach events.

After learning about opportunities with the Red Cross through fellow church leaders, Metro's first Red Cross event, a Community Safety Day, took place on February 18 of this year. Safety Day was full of events, not only for Ursula's youth group, but also for their families and church neighbors. Kids between the ages of 4-9 years old learned about fire safety and got to explore a fire truck up close. After learning and practicing how to exit a building, the Adventurers received their Fire Safety training award.

The Adventurers, along with older kids, also learned tips and tools to prepare for emergencies through the Red Cross Pillowcase Project. While encouraging kids' creativity by decorating their pillowcases, the Project taught the kids to stay safe in an emergency and to feel empowered through preparedness. Students were encouraged to share what they learned with family and friends, and to bring their new skills and pillowcase kits home.

While the children were learning safety skills, the adults also had opportunities to learn CPR training and first aid basics. Many in Metro's congregation set out, donning Red Cross vests, to install smoke detectors in neighborhood homes as part of the Red Cross' nationwide initiative to save lives, reduce injuries, and cut down on losses from home fires. Ursula emphasized the importance of this effort in advancing Metro's focus on ministry within the community. She shared an example of how Safety Day had a positive ripple effect. During the smoke detector installation sessions, she met an elderly gentleman who was on dialysis. Ursula has since returned to visit him, bringing warm meals, and introducing him to other church members.

Ursula sees the Community Safety Day as a resounding success with 65 participants, and many requests from parishioners to do it again. She notes that during Safety Day, her team was only able to reach about a quarter of the neighborhood, indicating how much more outreach is needed just in their immediate environs. She urges others to not shy away from the possibility of hosting or participating in such events, because by educating people and strengthening ties within their immediate neighborhood, communities become stronger, safer, and more self-reliant.

If you are interested in hosting a community outreach event, visit us here!

Reducing the Dangers of Fireplace Flames

by Emily Goff

There is nothing quite like the feeling of entering a toasty home after being out in the cold of winter, even if just for the single minute it takes to walk from the car to the front door. There is also nothing quite like the feeling of a nice, toasty fire in the fireplace and warming up among family and friends. However, there are many dangers that are involved when using a fireplace, and it is critical to remember the following tips if you wish to keep your house and loved ones safe.

1. Use wood that is both dry and seasoned and ensure an adequate amount of time, typically around a year, has passed since it was cut. Be mindful of the trees that burn in the safest manner – oak tends to be a reliable type for many people. Never experiment with different materials other than wood in the fireplace – a single piece of a wrong material could fill the room in burning-hot sparks or maybe even worse.
2. Chimney upkeep must be strictly regulated. Be sure to dust away the layers of ashes that accumulate at the bottom, Also, arrange to have a professional inspect your fireplace to ensure it is safe.
3. Crack open a window, even just the slightest bit, to ease the clouding of stifling smoke throughout the room while the fire is ablaze.
4. A fire screen made of glass or metal should be put up whenever a person is not tending the fire. Beware of the intense heat of fire screens.
5. Flammable items such as paper, rugs, and clothing need to remain a safe distance from the flames.
6. If necessary, mark a line at least three feet away from the hearth with masking tape that very young children cannot cross. Do not let infants, toddlers, and pets out of sight under these particular circumstances.
7. Your home must have a functioning fire extinguisher that everyone in the house knows the location of, as well as an established fire escape plan. A frenzy of panic and confusion could be fatal if the worst possible scenario, a home fire, arises. Knowing where to go, what to do, and whom to follow in the case of a fire could ultimately save your life.
8. Do not abandon the room until every last ember has died. Proceed to securely shut the glass door of the fireplace when finished.

Pretty manageable, right?

Ultimately, the peace of mind gained from following these eight guidelines is well worth the trouble and time. We have a long time until Spring, so make sure to master these tips to keep your house and loved ones safe and sound environment while staying warm in the midst of this long and chilly season!

Join the Red Cross to Help Install Fire Alarms

by Rebecca Churchill

I was a Girl Scout when I was younger, and liked “being prepared” for things; even now, having the aptitude to take care of myself and my loved ones feels good. As for fire safety, I assumed I knew enough. Guess who just failed the Red Cross fire safety quiz with a 55%? 

Test your fire alarms once a month. I know that, but do I do it? No. I didn’t know you needed to replace fire alarms every ten years, and I certainly don’t change the batteries every year, just when they chirp in the middle of the night and you have to knock the alarm off with a broom. It’s a bad kind of epiphany to realize that I’ve been too casual about something as important as the safety and security of my home and family.

So it’s a new year, and I’m going to jump onboard with the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign. And I started this past Martin Luther King weekend, 2017. Their mission is to get smoke alarms installed in as many homes as possible, and to remind people to take a few minutes to check their alarms and practice exit strategies to be prepared for a fire. I was shocked to find out when there are no smoke alarms in the house, the mortality rate is nearly 60% for house fires.

The National Capital Region Red Cross is looking for volunteers to help install fire alarms for those in need, and to get out the message about the importance of home precautions. Volunteering is so easy – there’s no training required – just join us and let’s help the Red Cross make an impact right here in the DMV. Here’s the link that can get you started, whether you want more info, the fire safety quiz, or to volunteer: http://www.redcross.org/local/washington-dc/volunteer/smoke-alarm-installations

Experts say you have as little as two minutes to get out of the house in case of a fire. Do you have a plan if it happens to you? 

Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service Smoke Alarm Installation Project and Fire Safety 101

Written by: Harsha Jha, volunteer

Did you know that working smoke detectors cut the risk of dying in home fires by half?

The American Red Cross has an objective to install smoke detectors in homes in order to reduce the number of fire deaths in the US by 25% within five years. The aim of this campaign is to go door-to-door and install smoke alarms in neighborhoods at high-risk for home fires. The American Red Cross is installing smoke alarms throughout the National Capital Region and needs your help!

If you are looking for community service opportunities or simply want to help out, please register here. 

If you are unable to help install smoke alarms, please learn more with these fire safety tips:

Multi-Family Dwelling:

1. Identify two exits for every room
2. Install smoke alarms on every level of the home, including inside and outside each bedroom and in the basement 

Apartment Complex:

1. Install smoker alarms inside and outside each bedroom
2. If you are trapped, call 911 and hang a white sheet outside your window
3. Have a designated spot outside for everyone to meet

Single-Family Home: 

1. Identify two exits for every room
2. Install smoke alarms on every level of the home, including inside and outside each bedroom and in the basement
3. Have a designated spot outside for everyone to meet

Did you know that if a fire starts in your home, you have just two minutes to get out? Make sure that you have installed smoke alarms in the proper areas and check that your smoke alarms work. It is important to test your smoke alarms every month and replace batteries when needed. Also develop an evacuation plan with everyone you live with and practice the plan! With these tips and suggestions, you too can become a “pro” at fire safety. Don’t forget to give back to the community by installing smoke alarms if you can. Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

My Red Cross Story: Gretchen Neels

Gretchen (on the far right) attends the 2015 Salute to Service Gala with fellow Tiffany Circle Members

Meet Gretchen Neels, a woman of the utmost, untiring compassion. Her journey as a Red Cross supporter was sparked in 2008 when she joined the Tiffany Circle, a society of women leaders and philanthropists from regions across the U.S. As a part of this group, Gretchen carries on our founder Clara Barton’s legacy to support the Red Cross mission.

Gretchen loves how her current actions can link her to such a strong legacy. She is heavily involved in the Tiffany Circle of the National Capital Region and assumes extra responsibilities as the Co-Chair. Such a role entails raising funds at events, attending galas, steering official Tiffany circle meetings and other social gatherings. Her ultimate purpose, though, is to weave together the circle’s 30 or so members and ensure that each woman feels confident about where her donations are headed to, and why. When all is said and done, Gretchen gives about ten hours per month to this organization.  

In addition to her administrative tasks, Gretchen also nurtures a desire to directly impact the surrounding communities with her own two hands. A perfect example is her devotion to the Home Fire Campaign, a project that aims to reduce the number of fire deaths and injuries in the U.S. by 25% within five years. Along with her team of fellow humanitarians, they go door-to-door in neighborhoods that are at high-risk for fires to deliver fire safety information and install free smoke alarms.

Unfortunately, fires have made an impact on Gretchen’s life in additional ways. Her daughter underwent the traumatic struggle of losing her condo to a fire. Not a single possession of hers could be salvaged, but thankfully an organization was committed to helping her and other individuals persevere: the American Red Cross. As Gretchen’s daughter struggled with the aftermath, the Red Cross assisted with her immediate needs, including providing comfort kit items. The Red Cross took an overwhelming experience and provided Gretchen’s daughter with compassionate care. Those tender moments etched a lasting impression of this organization on Gretchen’s mind and undoubtedly resulted in her giving back in any way possible.

The Red Cross is fortunate to have such a remarkable woman like Gretchen Neels in its Tiffany Circle society. With a seemingly never-ending supply of enthusiasm guiding her, she constantly supports the Red Cross. As Gretchen so aptly put it, “We help everybody. There’s no boundary. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, black or white, a man or a woman, we will help.” Gretchen not only says such words – she brings them to life.

After a house fire, rebuilding memories -- one T-shirt at a time

Written by Adrienne Mitchell, volunteer

On Tuesday, May 14, Deborah Strom was making dinner at her home in in Manassas, Virginia.

She was just about to call sons Eric, 15, and Ryan, 14, down to dinner when the smoke detector went off. There was a fire on the second floor.

Deborah called 911. Her husband, Ross, grabbed a garden hose and tried unsuccessfully to put out the flames.

Minutes later, they were standing in the driveway, watching as firefighters rolled out their hoses. One fell on his back as he ran backwards, battling to save their home.

They watched through the window, hearts breaking, as Eric’s pet -- a bearded dragon lizard -- died, trapped in its glass tank.

“The smoke was billowing everywhere,” says Deborah. After a while, “I had to step behind the fire trucks so I couldn’t watch,” she adds. 

By the time the flames were extinguished, Eric’s room was destroyed, and there was smoke and water damage throughout the second floor.

It’s a scene that’s repeated all too often. Every eight minutes in America, the Red Cross responds to a house fire.

Two Red Cross volunteers arrived at around nine o’clock that evening, about three hours after the fire broke out.

It was getting dark. A neighbor offered to let the Stroms meet with the volunteers in their home across the street.

They wouldn’t be able to spend the night in their own home, so the volunteers delivered toiletry bags and blankets, and asked if they needed help finding a place to stay.

They also talked about some things Deborah says she might not have thought of, like putting cable service on hold and arranging for the school bus to pick the kids up from a hotel.

It will be months before the Stroms are able to sleep in their own beds again. Now living in a hotel, they await the results of the fire investigation, and take stock of their losses.

One of the most precious things the fire took was Eric’s collection of old T-shirts. While not valuable financially, they’re irreplaceable because of the memories they hold.

A military family, the Stroms have moved three times in the past decade. The collection included one shirt from each of the schools Eric has attended and several more, a few dozen in all.

Deborah intended to make a memory quilt with them as she had done for her older son, Andrew. “It’s nice to have a large stack of them to pick out colors and designs,” she says.

She’s working on replacing them; some of the schools are sending new ones. And she’ll have one more to add to the collection -- a Red Cross T-shirt is on its way to the family.

It will join the replacement shirts in Eric’s quilt. It will be “kind of cool to put it in the quilt when I make it,” says Deborah. “It represents the T-shirts we lost,” she says.

As she works to move on from her loss, Deborah has this advice for people who may know someone affected by a house fire. “Everyone keeps asking what we need. But, living in a hotel, we don’t want a lot of stuff,” she says.

She suggests gift cards. They don’t take up a lot of space, and the family can use them to buy what they need.

Another welcome gift: an invitation to dinner, or a home-cooked meal like the one that one of her employees brought in to work for her. After weeks of eating in restaurants, Deborah says her family would really enjoy some home cooking.

“A year from now, she says, we’re all going to be fine, but the next few months are going to be difficult.” Until then, she says, she’s learning to accept help from people, and “take things one day at a time.”

Fire Safety Friday

Written by: Susan Kumah, volunteer

While many Americans think Mother Nature is the leading cause of disasters, statistics show that it is in fact homes fires that pose the largest disaster threat. In the US, 1,000 times a day, fire departments are called to home fires. In fact, out of the 70,000 disasters the Red Cross responds every year, home fires make up the majority of cases. Data shows that vulnerable demographics such as low income groups, youth populations, the elderly, and disabled are disproportionately affected by home fires.

How is it possible that there is one fire every 8 minutes in the United States? Don't statistics show that the US possesses the world's leading manufacturers in smoke detection technology? Aren't there many state laws that require working smoke detectors within houses? True and true. While accidents can happen to anybody, accidents do not have to produce devastating outcomes. Prevention takes no more than a couple of minutes every month in order to minimize the risk of home fires. Red Cross recommends installing fire alarms on each level of your home including one outside the kitchen and one outside each bedroom. Even more important to the location of the fire alarm is its efficiency i.e. checking if the device is working.  Working smoke detectors can double the chance of someone surviving a fire, so it is important that these devices are checked every month and replaced every ten years. Also everyone should practice their evacuation plan twice a year.

The American Red Cross will continue to increase its effort to decrease disaster threats caused by home fires. The Home Fire Preparedness Campaign for example, was established to educate communities about how to make their households less prone to home fires. Through community level interventions, volunteers go door-to-door teaching residents how to maintain smoke detectors, fire alarms, and install working detectors. You can get involved in a canvassing activity by signing up through Volunteer Connection.

Young people are also participating in the prevention strategies through the American Red Cross's annual Youth Preparedness week. From January 20 – 24 2014, 1,639 youth volunteers canvassed 375 neighborhoods and distributed 144,657 fire safety and “make a plan” door hangers in Spanish and English. The American Red Cross continues to pass the baton by making young people keenly aware of fire safety. The Pillowcase Project, a fire education program for 3rd - 5th graders, has educated children with information about local hazard preparedness. The Red Cross is currently looking for Pillowcase Project presenters also on Volunteer Connection.

Through these various forms of awareness, individuals throughout the country are lessening their risk of home fires. Visit redcross.org to view our Home Fire Safety Checklist, Escape Plan, and see what Training and Preparedness Education options are available to you.

Through the Eyes of DAT: Disaster Action Team

Dale City Apartment Fire, February 9, 2015

Written by: Sara Cook, Red Cross DAT Volunteer

At 10:25pm the American Red Cross in the National Capital Region Disaster Action Team (DAT) responded to an apartment fire on Boxwood Drive in Dale City, VA.

The first task for the five DAT Responders, as always, is to touch base with the Fire Department. Afterwards they reached out to four families, a total of 15 people scattered around the immediate area waiting in their cars to keep warm in the frigid and rainy night. DAT immediately offered blankets and tried to secure a warm meeting area to begin the process of getting them all a place to settle in for the night. DAT also provided Comfort Kits to all of the victims of the fire, which include a toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, tissues, soap, and other daily essentials.

It was a very long and cold night for all of the responders and residents. When the Building Inspector finished his review of the building, he allowed the unaffected residents to remain in their homes. Two other families were provided with a local hotel room for 3 nights. All of the effected individuals were provided with emergency funds for food and immediate clothing needs.

With all of the residents’ immediate needs met, DAT departed the scene at 1:30am. The next day, a follow-up team met with the family that was unable to have a household representative present at the time of the fire, which gave the DAT team an opportunity to see one of the other families from the night before. It isn’t often that DAT Responders get a chance to see their clients a second time. They had three generations of boys at the apartment working together to retrieve the contents of the house and take them to storage. They were all in very good spirits saying, “We’re just blessed that no one was hurt.” After catching up on recovery plans and talking about what to do with soaked mattresses (throw them out, they don’t dry), DAT left them to get reorganized and move on from the fire.

Every 8 minutes, the American Red Cross responds to a home fire or other emergency. You don't have to be a DAT team member to help home fire victims in your community. #GiveWhatFireTakes to install smoke detectors, provide clothes, or financial assistance.

See more of Sara Cook’s photos.

New Year’s Resolutions, Red Cross Style!

Resolve To Be Prepared

By Lisa Newman, Volunteer Contributor 

Welcome to 2014!  For many of us, the new year is a time for self-reflection, renewal and goal setting.  Maybe we commit to exercising regularly, changing careers, volunteering in the community, or all of the above.  I don’t know about you but my resolutions seem much more doable in January, than say, June!   

Last year I took a very different approach and included my top resolutions as monthly reminders in my Gmail and iPhone calendars.  Well, this simple change made all the difference!  In addition to enrolling in a yoga class and partnering with public/private organizations on a homeless fundraising initiative, my list also included working with the American Red Cross in the National Capital Region - and here I am!  

The calendar approach might also help you improve emergency preparedness in your home.  Every year, the Red Cross responds to over 70,000 disasters in the U.S. so we know being prepared for the unexpected can save lives.  Try including simple preparedness resolutions as action items on your calendar right there next to learning a foreign language, traveling, or meditating through my - I mean your - child’s teenage mood swings!  Did I mention my 14 year-old daughter?

So let's get started! Below is a list of Red Cross emergency preparedness action items for inclusion on your digital organizers and mobile phone calendars. Be sure to take a look at the entire list and click on the links to start protecting your family and your homes today. Here's to a safe and happy 2014!

Click and prepare away! 

Prepare for a disaster by making a plan so you know what do in case of an emergency. 

Purchase of make an emergency kit for your home, office, and vehicles.

Change batteries in smoke alarms and review fire prevention tips since home fires account for the majority (over 93%) of disasters. Use this fire prevention checklist. 

Give blood at your local Red Cross donation site and help save a life. 

Download the Red Cross Mobile Apps for immediate access to help during an emergency.

Take a Red Cross class including First Aid, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and AED (automated external defibrillator).  Help your family and community with lifesaving skills.

Register on the Red Cross Safe and Well website and stay in touch with loved ones during an emergency.

Volunteer with your local Red Cross and make a difference in your community.

Donate funds to help make an impact on lives.

Share this list!

For more information about emergency preparedness, volunteering with your local Red Cross, or giving blood, visit the Red Cross online. 

Hello 2014!

My New Year's Resolutions

By Squiggy the Squirrel

Happy 2014 everyone! I'm excited for the year ahead and to share more stories and tips with you. I thought long and hard about my resolutions for the new year and I'm confident I came up with a good list!

• Master the art of cupcake making. I promise I'll share! I'm thinking my first batch should be Red (Cross) Velvet.
• Donate Blood. This is the gift that keeps on giving. More than 40,000 blood donations are needed every day and I want to help out! I can even schedule my donation online.
• Read War and Peace. I can get through 1,296 pages pretty fast, right?
• Take a Red Cross training course. Did you know that each year more than 9 million people take a skills class through the Red Cross, including First Aid, AED, and CPR training? I want to try a new one this year to gain new skills. Search for a class today!
• Learn to juggle. I do enjoy the circus! And I think this would be a lot of fun! 
• Check my smoke alarms frequently. To practice fire safety skills, I'm going to use the test button to check each smoke alarm in my tree house once a month. I'll also frequently check the batteries in the smoke alarms.
• Visit a new state. There are a few that I would love to visit. Maybe I should go to California this year?
• Donate coins. I have a jar in my room full of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. I'm going to count them all and donate the money to Red Cross. Helping others in need is a great way to kick of 2014!

Did you make any New Year's resolutions? What goals do you have for 2014?

xo,

Squiggy