(ARC-NMI) — American Red Cross-NMI Chapter volunteers Richard Defan, and Triana Zhu responded to a multifamily home fire on Sadog Tasi Drive early Monday morning, Feb. 7, 2022.
Red Cross volunteer responders received a call of a structure fire in Sadog Tasi around 4:30 a.m. Volunteers quickly assessed the incident and were able to help the clients who were displaced from their homes due to the fire.
There was a total of two apartment units affected displacing residents of two households. Red Cross volunteers were able to provide clients with immediate assistance for food, clothing, and shelter while they begin their road to recovery. Additionally, clients were provided with clean up kits complete with mops, bleach, and other cleaning supplies along with personal care products.
“We are extremely grateful for our volunteers who make themselves available 24/7 365 days of the year to assist those in need,” American Red Cross-NMI Chapter Executive Director John Hirsh said. He went on to state that “it is also through the help of the generous donors in the community that provide our organization with the means to assist those affected by such disasters.”
Simple steps to save lives
The Red Cross is calling on everyone to take two simple steps that can save lives: practice fire drills at home and check existing smoke alarms.
There are several things families and individuals can do to increase their chances of surviving a fire:
• If someone doesn’t have smoke alarms, install them. At a minimum, put one on every level of the home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Local building codes vary and there may be additional requirements where someone lives.
• If someone does have alarms, test them today. If they don’t work, replace them.
• Make sure that everyone in the family knows how to get out of every room and how to get out of the home in less than two minutes.
• Practice the fire escape plan. What’s the household’s escape time?
What people can do
People can visit redcross.org/homefires to find out more about how to protect themselves and their loved homes from fire. They can become a Red Cross volunteer by contacting the local chapter office at 670-234-3459 or by visiting our website at www.redcross.org/nmi
