Nationwide campaign aims to reduce the number of home fire deaths, injuries

Wausau, WI… (June 12, 2015) – The American Red Cross of North Central Wisconsin will be visiting the Longfellow  and the  Southwest Jones Neighborhoods along with the Village of Rothschild as part of its Home Fire Preparedness Campaign to teach people how to be prepared for home fires and install smoke alarms where needed.

Seven times a day someone in this country dies in a home fire. Countless others suffer injuries. To combat these tragic statistics, the Red Cross has launched a nationwide campaign to reduce the number of deaths and injuries due to home fires by 25 percent over the next five years.

The Home Fire Preparedness Campaign is happening all over the country and involves Red Cross workers joining with local fire departments and community groups to visit neighborhoods at high risk for fires. Those visits include educating people about fire safety through door-to-door visits and installation of smoke alarms in some of these neighborhoods.

Individuals, teams and community groups are asked to volunteer as they are needed to reach entire neighborhoods. “The Red Cross provides the training and materials, you just have to provide the enthusiasm and as little as one morning to make our communities safer. Installing smoke alarms cuts the risk of someone dying from a home fire in half, so each home visit may save a person’s life! That’s a powerful feeling,” stated Brian Cockerham, Disaster Program Manager.

Wausau:

Wednesday, June 17^th Canvassing Event –  9:00a.m. – Noon

Volunteers should meet at the North Central Chapter office, 1602 N 2^nd Street, Wausau, then we will proceed as a group to the Longfellow and the Southwest Jones Neighborhoods to distribute door hangers which notify residents we will return on Saturday to install alarms.

Saturday, June 20^th Smoke Alarm Installation Event – 9:00a.m. – 3:00p.m; lunch provided

Volunteers should meet at the North Central Chapter office, 1602 N 2^nd Street, Wausau for team assignments, supplies & fire education training session. We will visit the homes who received notifications the week before. Volunteers can register at: https://volunteerconnection.redcross.org/?nd=form__4402

Village of Rothschild: Residents are being asked to call the Rothschild Fire Department if they would like to have their existing smoke alarms checked or have new alarms installed at715-359-5100. Callers should leave a message with their name, address and phone number and must be home between 9:00a.m. -3:00p.m. on Saturday, June 27^th.  Volunteers should meet at the Rothschild Fire Department, 211 Grand Ave, at 9:00a.m. for fire safety education, supplies, team assignments, supplies and routes. Lunch will be provided.  Volunteers can register at: https://volunteerconnection.redcross.org/?nd=form__4407

For either event, potential participants may also contact [email protected]

Simple Steps to Save Lives

The Red Cross is asking everyone to take two simple steps that can save lives: check their existing smoke alarms and practice fire drills at home,

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 that plan. What’s the household’s escape time?

The Red Cross responds to nearly 70,000 disasters each year in the United States and the vast majority of those are home fires. In Wisconsin along, the Red Cross responded to nearly 1,000 home fires last year. You can help people affected by disasters like home fires and countless other crises by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

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 or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.