VERO BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 26, 2020) — Together, Florida’s Coast to Heartland Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Okeechobee County Fire Rescue installed more than 180 free smoke alarms on Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Ancient Oaks community in Okeechobee, Fla.
Every eight minutes, the Red Cross responds to a disaster – and the vast majority of these are home fires. That’s why the Coast to Heartland Chapter is partnering with the Okeechobee County Fire Rescue to bring awareness to risk of home fires and the importance in working smoke alarms and preparing a fire escape plan.
On Saturday, 28 volunteers from the Ancient Oaks community, local Red Cross Chapter and fire department visited 100 homes and successfully educated 135 residents on the importance of fire safety and the steps they should take in case they experienced a home fire.
“We are grateful to work alongside the Okeechobee County Fire Rescue to make a significant number of homes safer in our community,” said Gary Pelletier, Disaster Program Manager of the Coast to Heartland Chapter. “This was a very successful event where we installed a total of 185 smoke alarms. This impact was made possible, thanks to the support of our local fire department, our Red Cross volunteers and the community.”
Nationwide, the Home Fire Campaign is helping save lives by installing free smoke alarms in homes and educating people about fire safety. As of January 31, the Red Cross and our partners across the country have saved 715 lives.
HOW YOU CAN HELP Every year, the Red Cross responds to nearly 64,000 disasters, the majority of which are home fires. Become a Red Cross volunteer to help families prepare, respond and recover from disasters year-round. Visit redcross.org/sflvolunteer or call (772) 562-2549 to learn more.
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/southflorida or visit us on Twitter at @SFLRedCross.
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