Emergencies are more common than you may think. In fact, the American Red Cross responds to a disaster every eight minutes. Day and night, local Red Cross volunteers are there to provide emotional support, help families find a place to stay and assist with their recovery. During April, local Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming volunteers responded to 80 home fires to help 200 people with urgent needs like food, lodging and recovery assistance.  

Breakdown of the CO & WY 87 county service area for April 2021: 

• Mile High Chapter (MHC) responded to 45 calls for service and helped 108 people. The MHC response area includes ten counties in the Denver Metro area.
• Southeastern Colorado Chapter (SECO) responded to 13 calls for service and helped 31 people. The SECO response area includes 16 counties.
• Northern Colorado Chapter (NOCO) responded to five calls for service and helped 10 people. The NOCO response area includes 11 counties.
• Western Colorado Chapter (WECO) responded to 16 calls for service and helped 45 people. The WECO response area covers 27 counties, serving all Western Colorado and the San Luis Valley.
• Wyoming Chapter (WYO) responded to five calls for assistance and provided care to 14 people. The WYO response area covers 21 counties in the state of Wyoming. 

Our Campaign to End Home Fires 

Home fires take seven lives each day in the U.S., most often in homes without working smoke alarms. That’s why the Red Cross is working with partners to install free smoke alarms in high-risk communities and help families create escape plans through its Home Fire Campaign — which has saved at least 849 lives across the country since launching in October 2014. In Colorado and Wyoming the Red Cross and local partners have installed 26,957 free smoke alarms and made 13,492 households safer from the threat of home fires. 

To request free alarms and sign up for home fire escape planning, call 303-953-4780. 

For home fire safety resources and tips, visit redcross.org/fire or download the free Red Cross Emergency App (search “American Red Cross” in app stores or go to redcross.org/apps).  

COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic puts additional stress on families seeking support after disaster, which is why we have plans in place to reduce risks—such as social distancing protocols, face coverings, health screenings and prioritizing individual hotel rooms. The safety of our workforce and the communities we serve continues to be our priority. The Red Cross follows all CDC guidance, and we work closely with local health officials to safely provide help and hope when disasters strike.  

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 and photos, please visit https://cowyredcrossblog.org/ or visit us on Twitter at @cowyredcross.