Red Cross volunteers find unexpected bond through a home fire

A casual conversation between two American Red Cross volunteers on their drive home after a local Disaster Action Team (DAT) response created a bond neither of them could have imagined.

During the drive, Palisa Williams Rushin explained that after retiring, she was looking for something meaningful to do and was inspired by a friend who volunteered with the Red Cross.

“I wanted something where I could have face-to-face interaction with individuals in their time of need — to help them, to listen to them,” said Palisa. “The Red Cross was a good fit for me.”

She then paused before sharing a more personal reason for volunteering. Palisa had lost her own daughter in a fire, and the Red Cross had been there to help her family. Her daughter, Zephany, was 21 years old and a student at Kentucky State University when she and her roommate died of smoke inhalation in their Frankfort apartment on September 30, 2021.

As Palisa spoke, Anne felt a jolt of recognition. She had been on the scene of that very fire to offer comfort and aid as a volunteer for the Red Cross.

“When I realized her daughter had been in that fire, my first thought was, ‘Wow, maybe I shouldn’t have brought that up,’” said Anne. “I wasn’t sure whether it was going to be a good thing or not.”
But for Palisa, the moment confirmed she was exactly where she was meant to be.

“I remember your expression,” Palisa said to Anne. “It was like a God moment for me. I had really made the right decision volunteering with the Red Cross. It solidified that I was where I needed to be. It just doesn’t happen by coincidence.”

Since then, the two women have discovered other connections. For example, Anne’s late husband was a professor at Kentucky State University, and both women are proud pit bull owners.

“There are lots of things that make us easy colleagues,” said Anne.

Palisa smiled, searching for the words to describe their bond.

“Does a smile show a thousand words?” she asked.

“When she [Anne] said she was there, I felt more trust towards you, Anne,” Palisa said. “She’s very knowledgeable. It gave me comfort knowing that if Anne was there, the people she assisted were well taken care of. Even though I lost my daughter in the fire, it’s comforting to know the Red Cross was there and the survivors received assistance.”

Today, the pair continue to volunteer side by side as often as possible, coordinating their on-call schedules and responding to disasters together.

“We’re comfortable with each other,” said Anne. “We work well as a team.”

Anne encourages anyone interested in volunteering with the Red Cross to ask about the wide range of opportunities available, including joining a local DAT to respond to home fires that happen every day across the country. Over the last year, Red Cross DAT teams have responded to tens of thousands of home fires, assisting more than 217,000 people.

Stories like Anne and Palisa’s highlight not only the compassion behind disaster response but also the urgency of prevention. That’s why, this Fire Prevention Week, the Red Cross is encouraging families to take simple, lifesaving steps—like testing smoke alarms monthly and creating a home fire escape plan. To learn more about fire safety or becoming a volunteer, visit redcross.org/DAT.