American Red Cross of Colorado & Wyoming, November 6, 2017 — Every day, volunteers continue to meet the needs of individuals and families who have suffered from disaster. In the past 5 weeks, 166 people needed our assistance. In addition to the response, we are also helping people prepare.
Did you know that if a fire starts in your home you may have as little as two minutes to escape? During a fire, early warning from a working smoke alarm plus a fire escape plan that has been practiced regularly can save lives.The American Red Cross announced last week that one million smoke alarms have been installed and 285 lives have been saved due to the efforts of the volunteers and community partners who have participated in the organization’s Home Fire Campaign.
“Since 2014, Red Cross volunteers in the Colorado & Wyoming Region and across the country have been working with local fire departments and community partners to reduce home fire tragedies in at-risk communities,” said Gino Greco, American Red Cross Regional CEO. “We are grateful to everyone who has supported our Home Fire Campaign and helped us reach our one-millionth free smoke alarm milestone and save lives.”
Locally, thanks to support from local fire departments and community partners, we installed nearly 1,500 smoke alarms in communities across the Region; between Sept 23 – Oct 14, 2017. We want to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to some of our partners who not only helped us with smoke alarm installations, but continually are the link between those in need and our Disaster Action Teams. When a home fire occurs, we are there because you identify the need and call us to respond. This THANK YOU goes out to our Fire Department Partners. We truly are better together!
Breakdown of the CO & WY 87 county service area:
Mile High Chapter (MHC):46 individuals received aid; more than 23 were under 18 years old. The MHC response area includes 10 counties in the Denver Metro area.
Southeastern Colorado Chapter (SeCO): 48 individuals received aid; 2 were age 65 or older while 12 were under 18 years old. The SeCO response area includes 16 counties.
Northern Colorado Chapter (NoCO): 16 individuals received aid; 4 were under 18 years old and 1 was age 65 or older. The NoCO response area includes 11 counties.
Western Colorado Chapter (WeCO): 19 individuals received aid. 10 of those helped were under 18 years old. The WeCO response area covers 27 counties, serving all western Colorado and the San Luis Valley.
Wyoming Chapter: 37 individuals received aid; 10 were under age 18 and 3 over the age of 65. The Wyoming Chapter response area covers all 23 counties that make up the state of Wyoming.
The families and individuals were provided a place to stay, money for clothes, food and medicine. Along with providing casework for the residents in a quick and efficient time frame, Red Cross volunteers will continue to provide support to these families going forward, by doing follow up work to ensure all needs are met and the individuals have a clear path to recovery from this personal disaster.
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 cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
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 cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.