Do you feel comfortable talking to strangers? Are you engaging, a great listener and willing to work as a part of a team? If you answered yes to any of the above, consider joining the American Red Cross as a volunteer. Two opportunities that will enhance your people-facing skills are volunteering as a Home Fire Campaign (HFC) team member or a Disaster Action Team (DAT) member.

As a Red Cross caseworker, most cases I assist with pertain to a residential fire. The number one cause of home fires is due to unattended cooking, where more than 70% of people have left the kitchen momentarily. In one of my recent cases, a single-family home was destroyed because the homeowner left their electric stovetop on low to entertain guests on the patio.

What saved this resident and their guests from potential injuries, such as burns or smoke inhalation, were the free smoke alarms installed by the Red Cross during a smoke alarm installation event.

The lesson to learn from this is to keep an eye on what you’re cooking and never leave the kitchen until all your heating appliances are turned off.

Since July 1, 2022, the South Florida Region of the Red Cross has installed more than 3,351 smoke alarms and made 1,147 homes safer as part of the Home Fire Campaign. Launched in 2014, the Home Fire Campaign aims to prevent deaths and injuries from home fires, which account for most of the more than 60,000 disasters the Red Cross responds to annually. Earlier this year, the campaign met its goal of installing 2.5 million free smoke alarms and helping to make 1 million households safer. As a result, the Red Cross has documented 1,788 lives saved from the efforts of the Home Fire Campaign.

Howard Primous has been a Red Cross volunteer since 2015, participating in over 30 Home Fire Campaign events. He is also a DAT member, averaging at least one fire call per week. In the past year, the South Florida Region has responded to more than 761 home fire calls across 13 counties. DAT responders, like Howard, are local volunteers who show up after a disaster, such as a home fire, to provide comfort and care to the affected individuals. Assistance can vary and include being a shoulder to lean on, providing resources for recovery and, in some cases, financial assistance to help meet immediate short-term needs.

Howard started volunteering with the American Red Cross after spending 35 years with the Palm Beach County School System. He recently assisted after the devastating flooding in Broward County and continues to pursue other volunteer opportunities within the Red Cross. He told me, “I decided to join the American Red Cross for a variety of reasons. I feel my community has been good to me. I’m now in a position to give back to my community. I like to believe I’m setting a good example for my children and grandchildren. I am somewhat of a people person. I enjoy working with others towards a common goal. It makes me feel good to help those in need when and how I can. Hopefully, my actions will inspire others to take a more active role in making our world a better place. Last but not least, the American Red Cross helps me to stay active for my own personal well-being. I continue to volunteer for the same reasons I started volunteering in the first place. I do what I can when I can.”

Howard has seen the devastating effects of not having smoke alarms and underscores the importance of having functioning alarms in a home, “They can potentially save lives. We install them in areas to ensure that if a person is sleeping or in some other part of the home where they can’t see the fire, the [alarm] will detect both the increased heat and smoke and alert the occupant(s) to get out of their home immediately.”

The majority of fires that Howard has responded to have occurred in a kitchen or have started from dryers that collected too much lint, which blocks airflow. After continuous use, heat builds up and eventually starts a fire.

When Howard responds to a home fire, he says, “Foremost, I want to show concern and empathy because of their traumatic experience. I reassure [them] and try to create a calming experience.” He recalled a home fire he recently responded to in Belle Glades, “We arrived on the scene at 3 a.m. A family of six with an infant was sitting in the dark on the side of the road. Their house was destroyed, and the mosquitoes were thick in the very hot and muggy air. We gave them lots of bottled water, comfort kits that also included smoke soap, and financial assistance to cover their short-term needs. They were able to leave the area and find somewhere to safely stay.”

Oftentimes, when he shows up at the scene of a fire, he tells me that there is a great sigh of relief at the sight of the Red Cross. He equated the response to as if the “calvary has come to save the day.”

To conclude our conversation, Howard shared his volunteering experience so far, “It’s good to know that I was able and willing to help someone in their time of need. I’ve experienced my own traumatic event and can show genuine empathy.” The Red Cross is always looking for dedicated and compassionate volunteers like Howard. Consider volunteering to help neighbors recover from home fires, educate families about fire safety, or install free smoke alarms. Visit redcross.org/volunteer to learn more.

Written By Bret Hollander, American Red Cross Public Affairs