Red Cross responds to 43 home fires, disasters in 12 days
The American Red Cross in Oregon and Southwest Washington has had an unusually busy December, responding to 43 home fires and other disasters in the past 12 days.
On average, the area Red Cross typically responds to approximately half the number of disaster responses it has seen so far this December – 24 disasters within a 12-day period.
“From Vancouver to Shady Cove and Coos Bay to Hermiston, when disasters strike the Red Cross is there to help,” said Amy Shlossman, chief executive officer for the American Red Cross Cascades Region. “In the past 12 days, our volunteers have assisted more than 165 of our neighbors, providing emergency assistance for shelter, food and other basic needs.”
Many of the disasters the Red Cross responds to are preventable disasters like home fires. Know the steps you can take now to keep your home and family safe.
Keep items that can catch on fire at least three feet away from anything that gets hot, like heaters or stoves.
Turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to sleep.
Check holiday light strings to make sure they are in good condition. Don’t use anything with frayed electrical cords.
Use battery operated flashlights or lanterns instead of candles during a power outage. Do not leave a burning candle unattended.
Never leave cooking food unattended. If you must leave the kitchen, even for a short period of time, turn off the stove.
Install smoke alarms on every level of the home and outside each sleeping area, placing them on the ceiling or high on the wall.
Get new smoke alarms every ten years.
Make a plan: you may only have two minutes to escape when a fire occurs. Know two ways to escape from every room and designate a safe place to meet outside the home in case of a fire.
The Red Cross responds to home fires, floods, winter storms and other disasters by helping those affected address their immediate basic needs and begin their recovery. Red Cross staff and volunteers provide disaster assistance such as help with temporary housing; food; clothing; comfort kits with personal hygiene products; information about recovery services; and health and mental health services.
The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of local donors to fulfill its mission. The Red Cross has launched its holiday giving campaign, which urges people to give something that means something through a donation to the Red Cross.
A donation of $250 provides a night of emergency shelter and meals for a family of five.
A donation of $335 helps deploy an emergency response vehicle to provide assistance to a community in need.
A donation of $500 provides comfort kits for 200 armed service members.
A donation of $1,650 enables the Red Cross to deploy a volunteer to a relief operation for 11 days — the average length of a disaster deployment.
This holiday season, people can help those who need it most through the Red Cross in four ways:
Make a financial donation to the Red Cross
Schedule an appointment to give blood
Send cards to members of the Armed Forces through the Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes program
Give the gift of time by becoming a Red Cross volunteer
DISASTER SERVICES Disasters affected thousands of people this year. From home fires to wildfires, floods, tornadoes and hurricanes, every nine minutes the Red Cross responds to a disaster across the country. Financial donations can help the 70,000 people who turn to the Red Cross every year for assistance with disasters big and small.
BLOOD SERVICES As many as 44,000 blood donations are needed every day across the country to meet the needs of hospital patients. The holiday season is a particularly challenging time to maintain a stable blood supply with schools out and regular donors away. A single blood donation to the Red Cross can save up to three lives.
SERVICE TO ARMED FORCES Many members of the military will be separated from their loved ones during the holidays. By remembering them through the Holiday Mail for Heroes program, help lift their spirits with a thank you card. Visit www.redcross.org/MailforHeroes to participate.
BECOME A VOLUNTEER One of the greatest gifts someone can give is the gift of time by becoming a Red Cross volunteer. Visit the “Ways to Volunteer” information on the Red Cross web site to learn how (www.redcross.org/Volunteer).
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/Cascades or visit on Twitter at @RedCrossCasc.
