It’s 3AM and Angela’s phone starts buzzing. It’s her son, “My room is full of smoke.”  

Angela thought Logan just had a bad dream because there wasn’t smoke in the rest of the house. “I go running to his room and I open up his door and sure enough, it's full of smoke.” 

After pulling his bed away from the wall, they discover his electric hoverboard is smoking. Logan’s stepdad, Jeff, runs the toy outside just as it bursts into flames. 

They call 911 and the fire department arrives to find a destroyed hoverboard and several other charred items. After checking that the blackened flooring was not a hotspot, the fire department discovered the family’s carbon monoxide and smoke detectors were not functioning. 

Instead of a nightmare, it was a wakeup call for Angela. “The fire department pulled us aside and said, you do know that this could have been really bad.”  

They were lucky that Logan woke up and knew what to do. He had learned about home fires two years earlier when a guest speaker had come to his class as part of a Red Cross youth preparedness program called The Pillowcase Project. 

Created in New Orleans, the program was inspired by university students who used pillowcases to carry essentials while being evacuated for Hurricane Katrina. Today the program has evolved and gotten a new name, Prepare with Pedro, covering a spectrum of emergency settings children may find themselves in. 

Youth Preparedness is a key component of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which has saved more than 3,000 lives since launching in 2014. This includes the lives of people who safely escaped a home fire because children, just like Logan, learned what to do from the American Red Cross. 

Following the Red Cross training he’d received in 4th grade, Logan carefully checked the doorknob for heat. Still unsure if the hallway was safe, he prepared to climb out of his bedroom window while calling his mom to warn her. 

“That is what blew my mind, because I mean, even as an adult, I just opened the door and walked right in,” said Angela. “I didn't touch the door handle to make sure and he said the fire was in his room. So, I mean, he remembered that. I was proud of him.” 

“He retained it!” shared Brittany, the Red Cross volunteer who had presented to both Logan and his twin brother Liam’s classes. It was her first time teaching. After learning her efforts helped keep Logan and his family safe, she felt validation knowing the program works. "If I can save one life, It’s all worth it. It’s a win.” 

Through what was then called The Pillowcase Project, and now Prepare with Pedro, students learn, practice and share safety tips about disasters that can occur in their community. This includes home fires and other emergencies like tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and earthquakes. Students learn the science of disasters in their area and how to prepare. They also practice what to do during an emergency and how to cope with fear and stress. As part of The Pillowcase Project, students would receive a pillowcase to decorate and use for a personal emergency supplies kit.  “I can remember both boys bringing home their pillowcases,” said Angela. “They actually still have those pillowcases, and they are still in their bedrooms.” When asked if this education is something that all kids should have, Logan said, “Yeah. It'll help them be more prepared. It happened to me, it'll help them know what to do.” If you’re interested in bringing a Youth Preparedness course to your community’s schools, contact your local Red Cross chapter. At home, families also play a critical role. Take time to talk with your kids about emergencies, and prepare your household with three simple steps: Get a kit. Make a plan. Be informed.  Visit redcross.org/prepare for more information, including tips for creating a plan and talking with children about their feelings about disasters.