ON Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, the American Red Cross partnered with the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Team, and the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to kick off the Home Fire Campaign in the CNMI. October has been designated as Fire Prevention Month and this year’s theme is “Plan your Escape, Fire Won’t Wait.”
Most of us don’t realize we have just two minutes to escape a home fire which is the nation’s most frequent disaster. That’s why the American Red Cross and its partners are preparing families to act quickly through the Home Fire Campaign. “Through targeted outreach and strategic partnerships, we are connecting with families across the islands and educating kids about the importance of home fire safety and general disaster preparedness,” said JD Tenorio, disaster program manager of the American Red Cross.
“In our line of work, every second counts…installing smoke alarms in homes gives families a greater chance of surviving home fires” said Robert Mojica, DFEMS public information officer. “We encourage families to create home fire escape maps and have a designated meeting place outside away from the home where they can wait for firefighters to arrive,” he added.
John Hirsh, executive director of the American Red Cross-NMI chapter, stated: “We are extremely grateful for the strong partnerships we have with DFEMS, HSEM, and ARFF. He said “it is through these partnerships that the Home Fire Campaign has been extremely successful in the CNMI.”
Since 2017, the local American Red Cross and its partners have installed over 1,000 smoke alarms across Saipan, Tinian, and Rota effectively making over 450 homes safer.
The Red Cross along with its partners plan to continue installing smoke alarms throughout Saipan, Tinian, and Rota in the coming months through next year.
For more information on how to avail oneself of the free smoke alarm installations, call the American Red Cross-NMI chapter office at (670) 234-3459. Or email nmichapter@redcross.org/. Type “Free Smoke Alarms” on the email subject line and provide name, contact number, address, and village in the email.
