Volunteers with the American Red Cross Disaster Action Team assisted families impacted by two separate fires in South Beloit. Our volunteers provided four individuals with temporary housing, health services, disaster mental health services, financial assistance and information about recovery planning.

A fire can take a home in as little as two minutes. Therefore, escaping in less than two minutes can be the difference between survival and tragedy. The Red Cross encourages everyone to talk to their children about fire safety to help families stay safe. We want to ensure families and children are prepared.   

Sound the Alarm
Red Cross volunteers continue to Sound the Alarm in Illinois as part of a national effort to educate 100,000 people about home fire safety in high-risk neighborhoods this spring. Our volunteers are offering virtual education sessions on home fire safety for residents through May 8^th. Visit SoundTheAlarm.org/Illinois to request an appointment today or to sign up to volunteer for the Sound the Alarm initiative! The Red Cross always need volunteers. You can find more volunteer opportunities, including virtual positions at redcross.org/volunteer.

• Create an escape plan with at least two ways to exit every room in your home. Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone knows to meet.
• Practice your escape plan until everyone in your household can get out in less than two minutes.
• Place smoke alarms on each level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas. Change the batteries at least once a year if your model requires it.
• Check the manufacturer’s date of your smoke alarms. If they’re 10 years older, they likely need to be replaced. Follow your alarm’s manufacturer instructions.

If you need assistance after a home fire or disaster, please call our dispatch line: 1-877-597-0747. 

Free Virtual Event on April 29^th to Honor our Community Heroes
This Thursday, April 29^th, the Red Cross will be honoring 24 exceptional individuals from across the Illinois Region for their acts of heroism, service and dedication to building better communities. These extraordinary individuals include two standouts from Rockford.

• Division Chief Michele Pankow, Disaster Services Hero - She is responsible for all operations of the Rockford Fire Department. Michele is also the Emergency Services Disaster Coordinator for the City of Rockford. In March 2020, Michele and her team opened the Emergency Operations Center to assist with needs in the City of Rockford during the COVID-19 pandemic. She assisted with getting kids meals after schools went remote, gathered PPE for agencies in the area, and is currently assisting local COVID-19 vaccination sites.
• Sergeant Joseph (Joe) Danforth, Law Enforcement Hero - He is a member of the Rockford Police Department. In 2005, Sergeant Danforth started the Rockford Five-0 basketball training program. The program aims to give kids a better chance at a college education and college athletic scholarships.
  
  

We invite you to meet them and hear their stories this April 29^th from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. during a free virtual event to celebrate them. Visit redcross.org/heroes to register for this event. Everyone is welcome.

About the American Red Cross of Illinois
The American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion and Ralls. 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 us at Redcross.org/Illinois or visit us on Twitter @RedCrossIL.