Red Cross Offers Safety Tips as Extreme Cold and Snow Impact Chicagoland
Local Red Cross Volunteers Respond to 33 Home Fires in the Last Week
Local Red Cross Volunteers Respond to 33 Home Fires in the Last Week
Residents across Chicagoland continue to face sub-zero temperatures as more snow is expected in the area. The American Red Cross has safety tips to help you prepare and deal with this winter weather.
Out in the cold:
At home:
On the road:
Find more winter weather safety information here.
For information about warming centers in the City of Chicago, call 311.
DOWNLOAD APPS People can download the Red Cross Free bilingual Emergency App (English/Spanish) for instant access to weather alerts for their area and where loved ones live. Expert medical guidance and a hospital locator are included in the First Aid App in case travelers encounter any mishaps. Both apps are available to download for free in app stores or at redcross.org/apps.
Local Volunteers Respond to 33 Home Fires
During the winter, and when the weather gets extremely cold there is an increase in home fires. Just this last week, Red Cross volunteers with the Disaster Action Team responded to 33 home fires and provided helped to 106 individuals impacted by incidents in Calumet City, Des Plaines, Homewood, Park Forest, Tinley Park, Wilmette and more, with 15 of these home fires occurring in Chicago. Two of the incidents sadly resulted in the loss of lives.
Our volunteers provided 75 adults and 31 children with a safe place to stay, health and disaster mental health services, financial assistance and information about recovery services.
TWO STEPS TO PREVENT FIRE TRAGEDIES To help protect your family year-round, test your smoke alarms monthly and practice your home fire escape plan until everyone can escape in less than two minutes.
For free home fire safety resources, including an escape plan, visit redcross.org/fire or download the free Red Cross Emergency App. In addition, the free Monster Guard app teaches children how to prepare for emergencies by playing an engaging game. Download the apps by searching “American Red Cross” in app stores or going to redcross.org/apps.
If you need assistance after a home fire or disaster, please call our dispatch line: 1-877-597-0747.
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.