A move from Las Vegas to McGill, Nevada, marked the onset of retirement for Red Cross volunteer Stephen Dexter. At 67, he says he was looking forward to a slower lifestyle in a rural area, excited about moving into his “new” 1930s-era home. And with the importance of fire safety in mind, Stephen diligently installed smoke alarms.
Yet, a few months after moving in, an electrical fire destroyed his home.
The night of the fire, Stephen was asleep when the sound of the blaring smoke alarm seemed to be part of a confusing dream. But upon fully waking, he realized one of the bedrooms in his home was already consumed by flames. Thankfully, he managed to escape the house and retreat to his car as fire responders arrived.
As he watched firefighters combat the flames, he says he was hopeful he would only lose the bedroom. However, the fire, caused by faulty electrical wiring installed during a previous remodel, ultimately destroyed the entire structure. He lost everything but a filing cabinet.
Reflecting on that experience, Stephen, a combat vet who’s worked on oil rigs, says, “Sitting in my car that night was the first time I really understood what it means to be in shock.” That’s when the Red Cross stepped in, providing vital support that Stephen will never forget.
He also remembers the well-intentioned condolences, often offered during times of crisis, such as, “At least you got out with your life.” Though true, Stephen says those types of comments can diminish the value of cherished belongings. He says he deeply mourned the loss of momentos from his time serving in the Army and Navy, as well as keepsakes from his father’s heroic service at Pearl Harbor, describing the losses as “soul-crushing.”
But Stephen did recover from the fire and rebuilt his home. He also decided to become a Red Cross volunteer, “feeling beholden” for the support the organization offered during his crisis. “They were the only ones to reach out to me after the fire.” Specifically, Stephen received Red Cross financial assistance to help alleviate his most urgent needs in the immediate aftermath of the fire. The Red Cross also offered critical stopgap support in the week following the fire, providing safe shelter, food, and necessary items while he waited to hear from his insurance company. In addition, the Red Cross connected him to much-needed resources and provided regular follow-up communication that helped him through his longer-term recovery.
Stephen’s first step to becoming a Red Cross volunteer began by reaching out to Disaster Program Manager Jill Hemenway and discovering that the organization was especially in need of volunteers in his area, White Pine County. “At first, I didn’t realize how much there was to learn,” Stephen remarks about his initial volunteer training. Since then, he’s completed multiple trainings and been called twice to help at home fires in his area.
At one incident in a particularly remote area of eastern Nevada, Stephen spoke with the resident, quickly finding common ground in their religious faith. “You have to meet people where they’re at,” is how he explains his method for comforting his clients.
Volunteering has been a comforting and fulfilling experience for Stephen, who shows up at all hours to help others, as he was helped -- lending a sympathetic ear and providing Red Cross financial support in the form of those crucial debit cards He also distributes volunteer and disaster services information in rural areas of Ely and McGill, including posting information at local churches, laundromats, and other community spaces.
“We’ve been very fortunate in our area to have only two home fires in little over a year,” he says. But he wants to be ready, especially living in a rural location. “I’m sure the needs during a crisis are the same anywhere,” Stephen says, but he thinks it’s especially important for folks to step up and volunteer in more remote places. “To me, living in a rural area means we’re surrounded by good people, real people. And I hope more of them will join me in volunteering with the Red Cross.”