By Cristina Maisel

Sarah Slep was working from home on Jan. 21, 2021, when she was startled by noises coming from the apartment above her. 

“I was just about to take my lunch break when I heard a commotion upstairs – running back and forth and yelling – and then smoke started coming out of the heat ducts,” Slep said. “So I called 911 right away and ran outside with my cat. I was just outside with my phone and my cat. That's all I had.” 

Slep’s partner, Annemarie Harb, was at work and didn’t see the calls coming in on her cellphone. 

“Sarah had called me like 15 times,” Harb said. “I call her back, and she says, ‘I think you should come home. Our apartment's on fire.’ Those are not the words I was expecting.” 

Their apartment was on the second floor of an old home converted into apartments in the Friendship neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The third floor apartment was destroyed in the fire. The others, including Slep and Harb’s apartment, suffered extensive water and smoke damage. Everyone who lived there escaped safely, but the entire house was condemned. 

“I remember feeling my heart pounding and I just couldn’t believe it was all happening,” Slep said. 

Unsure of what to do next, Slep and Harb were approached by two American Red Cross volunteers. 

“Like angels, they just appeared and took control of the situation,” Harb said. “It was this moment of, like, where are we going to stay? What are we going to do? And the Red Cross showed up like angels and said, ‘Here’s exactly what you’re going to do.’” 

The volunteers were members of the Disaster Action Team who provide support to people after local emergencies like home fires. They gave Slep and Harb immediate financial assistance to help them get back on their feet. They also provided resources for emergency housing, including helping the couple find a pet-friendly hotel. 

“We would have stood there, probably looking around, not knowing the next step,” Slep said. “So to have somebody tell you what you’re going to need to do and to have that [financial assistance] to use for whatever you needed, that just took a lot of the worry out of the next steps.” 

Financial assistance from the Red Cross can help families with any number of urgent expenses such as clothing, lodging and transportation, to longer-term essentials such as replacing lost items, security deposits and home repairs. Slep and Harb used their financial assistance to replace essential items for themselves and their cat, as well as pay for some comfort meals at a local restaurant. 

The Disaster Action Team also connected the couple with Red Cross health services volunteers to assist with replacing prescription medication that was lost in the fire. 

“They continued to follow up,” Slep said. “We would get phone calls. They even offered somebody to talk to, like counseling.” 

All Red Cross disaster relief services are provided free of charge thanks to generosity of the American public. The couple shared their appreciation for the swift action of the Red Cross during their time of need. 

“The Red Cross is doing really needed work. They are rolling up their sleeves and out there helping community members in really difficult times,” Harb said. “Before this, my understanding of the Red Cross was blood drives and large disasters, like hurricane relief, but certainly never a seemingly small house fire that displaced a couple of people in Friendship, Pittsburgh.” 

“The Red Cross is there when you need them, even if you didn’t know they existed,” Slep added. “We’re just very grateful.” 

After their experience, Harb and Slep encouraged people to be aware of their surroundings and have a home fire safety plan. 

“It’s the situation where you’re thinking that’s never going to affect me,” Harb said. "It’s something that’s on the news and affects other people, but that’s not the truth. Anyone could be affected by [a home fire] at the drop of a cigarette ash.” 

Most people don’t realize that you only have two minutes to escape a home fire. It is the nation’s most frequent disaster which is why the American Red Cross is preparing families to act quickly through our Home Fire Campaign. Through targeted outreach, we are working with community partners to connect with families, share home fire safety information and install free smoke alarms. Visit redcross.org/fire for free resources, including a home fire escape plan to create and practice with your family.