By: David Damsgaard
Did you know heating equipment is the second leading cause of home fires during the colder months? Chilly temperatures often bring an increased risk of home fires caused by space heaters and fireplaces. The American Red Cross is striving to help prevent home fires and raise awareness in our local communities at every turn possible.
The Red Cross set out earlier this fall to provide Greeley, Colorado with the preventative tools needed to avoid a home fire emergency and help illustrate the best procedures in the unfortunate event of an emergency. On average, you may have as little as two minutes to escape a home fire, so every second counts. Specifically, during a fire, early warning from a working smoke alarm plus a fire escape plan that has been practiced regularly can save lives.
Therefore, updating smoke alarms on every level of your home (inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas) is a critical first step towards protecting yourself and your loved ones.
With the assistance and collaboration of the Front Range Fire Department, Red Cross volunteers made ten homes safer and installed 18 smoke detectors throughout the Greeley area. We can proudly say that 40 individuals received help and learned about the implementation of a fire escape plan in the event of a home fire.
We would like to say a special thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who came out to make a difference. Thank you – Chelsea Aragon, Marty Kennedy, Dianne Neie, Maria Renquist, Yasmin Shumate-Chandeck, Becky Rasch, John Walsh, Jessica Schwindt and Tony! We couldn’t do it without wonderful volunteers as yourselves.
If you or someone you know cannot afford to purchase smoke alarms or are physically unable to install one, the Red Cross may be able to help. Contact the Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming for help. Visit our website to schedule your home safety evaluation and secure your free smoke detector today.