"We helped them when they needed it most"

Editors note: Christine Balestra is a Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteer in Tompkins County, and shared her story of a pre COVID-19 fire response:

I was dispatched with the rest of my DAT team around 3 a.m. on October 22, 2019 to an apartment complex for a multiple unit fire response. We arrived on the scene while it was still active and it was somewhat chaotic.  There were fire departments from multiple agencies fighting the blaze, and one of the agencies allowed us to use their extra fire truck to interview clients.  All 10 or so of the affected apartment units in the building were deemed unlivable.

All residents were accounted for by the fire chief when we arrived, but since it was the middle of the night, two families left the scene as we arrived (more on that below) and most people were in pajamas and didn't have much with them.  The people in the truck were visibly shaken, scared and tired, but one resident made sure as many of her neighbors as possible stayed in the truck to get interviewed.  

My team of four broke into teams of two to interview and provide client assistance.  One by one, they told us their stories - some hearing a "pop" sound and thinking it might be the wind; some smelling smoke and realizing that the fire was in the main hallway that connected all of the first floor units (all of the front doors faced the hallways).  Residents on the first floor fled through the back sliding doors onto their back patio and screamed for their neighbors to get out.  They then helped their second floor neighbors and their children jump from balconies to safety.  Everyone got out and everyone survived, albeit some with injuries.  There were two cats - one was accounted for that night and another ended up at Cornell's Veterinary hospital (I think she ended up ok).

None of the people I interviewed knew about Red Cross assistance, so they were all extremely grateful when we explained the assistance available to them.  To coordinate shelter for the group, one of the residents contacted a hotel that was located within walking distance from the fire - and the hotel offered to house the clients for free for the night.  Most of the families ended up at the hotel.

That night, we provided blankets, comfort kits, Mickey's and assistance cards to 8 families. One of my team mates also literally gave a victim the shoes he was wearing because that person ran out of his unit without putting shoes on.  This man was more concerned about getting his kitty companion out of the apartment (calmest cat I ever encountered - he sat quietly in the client's lap as I filled out paperwork). 

Two families left the scene immediately before we arrived at the fire. One sought shelter at a local church that night; the other ended up at the hotel with the rest of the group later that morning. So another team member and I followed up with these residents the next evening.  Both families were from another country and English was their second language.  One family was so grateful that they wanted to take pictures of my team mate and I to remember us by.  They also gave us hugs.

On a personal level, this DAT call was very rewarding for me.  Although it was a lot of people to serve at 3 in the morning, the level of service we could provide and the appreciation we received made it all worth it.  Some of these people lost everything they had and it made me feel like we helped them when they most needed it.

If you'd like to feel the same satisfaction from helping your community, start your Red Cross story at www.redcross.org/volunteer. You can also make a financial gift to help make our mission possible at www.redcross.org/donate.  

Fire! When DAT’s Diane Met Blood Service’s Thaddeus

It was 3AM when Thaddeus Nauden noticed the flames licking at his window. Was this just a bad dream? Unfortunately, it wasn’t. The home that Thaddeus had carefully designed and furnished — including his newly installed hardwood floors — was aflame. In minutes he was on the front lawn, filming a video in disbelief. Thankfully, help was on the way.

Across the city, Diane Sargent was springing into action, ready to help those in her community.   A twenty-year veteran of the American Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT), Diane was no stranger to late-night fire calls.   Originally, she’d thought the Red Cross was just for blood donations — something we hear quite often — and was intrigued to learn about our wider mission. Disaster action pro

Disaster Action Team volunteer, Diane Sargent, (L)
with Laurie Hagen  at the George R. Brown
Convention Center in Houston, TX during the
response to Hurricane Harvey

ved to be her calling, and now, she’s completed over 80 deployments to disaster zones across the country. You too may be familiar with the Red Cross’s response to large-scale disasters, setting up shelters and distributing supplies to affected communities. But often, our DAT volunteers face much more intimate scenes of devastation: house fires.

Volunteering with DAT, Diane says, equips her to be able to deal with large groups of people in need. Thankfully, those skills are very transferrable to one-one-one communication — so, en route to the fire, Diane called Thaddeus. She wanted to make sure he was holding up OK and comfortable meeting face-to-face. During the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining physical distancing is an important part of keeping safe. DAT volunteers have to make sure they’re not endangering anyone they’re there to help.

This wouldn’t be Thaddeus’s first encounter with the Red Cross.  In fact, he had started as a volunteer in 2010, and signed on as a Blood Services employee in 2012. In his role, Thaddeus makes sure that hospitals have enough blood for important operations. From organizing blood drives to managing the logistics that link donors to patients, Blood Services is a critical part of the Red Cross. On the night that Thaddeus’s home caught fire, these two parts of the Red Cross — Blood Services and DAT — came together when Diane arrived on the scene. One awkward, pandemic-friendly greeting later, and Diane put her DAT training into action.

Beginning anew after a house fire is hard and losing everything can be catastrophic. It’s why Red Cross’s DAT teams act quickly to offer immediate assistance for those needing housing, food, and clothes. The services offered to the community by DAT, which also include emotional support and referrals to help with long-term recovery, are so often surprising that even Thaddeus, an employee of the Red Cross, was amazed at how much Diane and her team were able to provide.

We talked with Thaddeus about his plans for rebuilding. You can picture him with a smile as he verbally sketches out his next play — a new house, of course — but one that’s a little less lavishly outfitted. He loved the support he received from not only DAT, but his co-workers too, including Vicki Smith.

If you’ve just become aware of the critical work DAT does responding to house fires, consider volunteering Emergencies don’t stop, and you can help the Red Cross continue to our lifesaving mission during this public health emergency by donating at www.redcross.org.

Story by: Tim Snedden, American Red Cross

Communications Volunteer

Jewish Community Center Makes Great Partners

At about 4am the morning of Monday, June 26, the Buffalo Fire Department was called to a fire at an apartment complex on Elmwood Avenue.  Red Cross volunteers responded right away, and provided immediate emergency assistance including shelter and food for the families in the three unites that were directly affected. Later, the Western New York Chapter received a call regarding a gas leak that was preventing the entire apartment from having any hot water. After speaking with the management of the Elmwood apartment complex, it was determined that all residents needed access to hot showers as soon as possible.

Our Disaster Department reached out to the Jewish Community Center. The JCC was there when we called for help, offering residents of the Elmwood apartment use of their shower facilities from 5:30 am-8 pm for nearly a week.

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo
on Delaware Avenue

“It has been a pleasure and a great experience working with Red Cross on this, and we were happy to help,” said Rick Zakalik, the Executive Director at the JCC of Greater Buffalo.   

Zakalik said that this isn’t the first time he and his team have teamed up with the Red Cross. Aside from generally being “friendly neighbors”, as he puts it (the Red Cross and JCC buildings are directly across from each other on Delaware Avenue), the JCC and Red Cross have teamed up before to help with emergencies in the Buffalo area.

“They (the JCC) have been great, accommodating and very welcoming” says Alexis Willard, Disaster Program Specialist for the Western New York Chapter. “There have been no issues from them”.

We are extremely grateful for the partnership we have developed with the JCC. A community disaster takes a community response, and there is no single agency that can meet all the needs of a community. Without partners like the JCC, the Red Cross would be unable to alone provide relief and comfort to our neighbors in need. Partners are a huge part of our back bone and play a huge role in how we are able to fulfill our mission. Thank you to the Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo for being the answer to our call and the solution we needed to help the people who needed us. If you'd like to learn more about how to support the Red Cross, as a partner, donor or volunteer, please visit www.redcross.org/wcny. 

~Lily Kaufman

Communications Intern, WNY Chapter

"I'm grateful for the Red Cross"

This is what was left of Martinez's Bailey Avenue apartment
complex after an early-morning fire

Like all of the tenants of her Bailey Avenue apartment complex in Buffalo, Miriam Martinez was sound asleep when a fire broke out early Saturday morning.

"It all happened so fast," Martinez says. Luckily, she was awoken by a smoke alarm that had been installed by American Red Cross volunteers only three weeks earlier.

"That will save you're life," she said, explaining that she encourages others to have smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors installed. Unfortunately, Martinez knew the importance of being prepared, as Saturday's incident was the third house fire she's suffered in her life.

"I'm grateful for Red Cross, they came immediately," she told us when this latest fire broke out in her apartment. She was also pleasantly surprised to recognize some of the volunteers from her previous experience with the Red Cross as they responded to the scene of this latest disaster. She says having familiar faces around her helped her feel more at ease.

Miriam Martinez with her family and other tenants of the
Bailey Avenue apartment fire

In addition to that comfort, the Red Cross provided food, clothing and support for 17 people, including Martinez, after this fire. Volunteers also provided some residents with temporary housing, but Martinez was staying with her son and his girlfriend, who invited other tenants to stay with them as well. The residents of the Bailey Avenue complex are are one big family, all concerned for each other. Despite the tragic events, everyone was keeping a positive attitude, and in addition to the Red Cross, other community groups were also coming to help. The atmosphere was positive in a tragic event.

"This truly is the City of Good Neighbors," Martinez says.

The Red Cross Home Fire Campaign helped saved the life of Miriam Martinez and the other residents of this apartment complex. Experts say you have as little as two minutes to safely escape a burning home, and working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a house fire in half. The Home Fire Campaign offers free smoke alarms with installation as well as fire preparedness education.If you want to learn more or sign up for a free installation then you can click here.

--Emma Reeve
Communications intern

"It's a blessing to be with people that care"

"It was really bad. The first thing that came to mind was 9/11, and that's exactly what it looked like."

Rose Blattenbeger had no idea that 90%
of the American Red Cross workforce are
volunteers until she came to the shelter
at Lackawanna High School

Rose Blattenberger lives in Bethlehem Park in Lackawanna, and says the massive fire that broke out at the former Bethlehem Steel plant on Wednesday, November 9 was terrifying.

"We were so lucky that the wind went to the opposite side, otherwise all those houses would've gotten on fire, and everything would've gone down like dominoes," she said. Unfortunately, the winds shifted the next day, and the thick, black smoke forced Rose and her neighbors to evacuate. She was one of 13 people who spent Thursday night at a Red Cross shelter at Lackawanna High School.

April Brough said it's a "blessing" to have
Red Cross volunteers taking care of her
and her family

"It's not home, but it's a blessing to be with people that care," Rose said of the Red Cross volunteers. "They provide us with food, beverages, and I'm lucky to be with my neighbors. It's just a blessing to be here instead of being at home, breathing that smoke."

"They go above and beyond the call of duty to be of assistance to someone who might be in a difficult situation," added April Brough, who was staying at the shelter along with her husband and three young children. April also encouraged any of her neighbors trying to stick it out to listen to the evacuation warnings: "Don't be stubborn, all that they're doing is looking is looking out for our safety. Especially seeing how well you guys have taken care of my family."

"Being here, you are with people that care. And that's the best thing that one can have is people that care, and they're nice," added Rose. "I just heard about the Red Cross, that they're all volunteers, and they don't get paid for that, and I was not aware of that. I would recommend the Red Cross sky high from now on."

Spending Summer Break Helping

Brittney Valdez (l) and Sarah Ayala came to the #LockportFire
shelter at North park Junior High School looking to volunteer

Most college students are spending these last few days of summer break getting ready to return to school. Cornell University sophomore-to-be Brittney Valdez decided she wanted to spend her Thursday a little differently.

"If someone is in a crisis and I can offer comfort, that would be really awesome," said Valdez, a Lockport resident. Valdez and her friend Sarah Ayala came to the Red Cross shelter at North Park Junior High School, looking for ways to help those affected when a large tire fire forced eight surrounding blocks to evacuate.

"This is a small community," Valdez said. "It's devastating."

"I'm travelling from Texas," said Ayala, who met Valdez about six years ago when she also lived in the Lone Star State. "Maybe I was meant to help out. I can't explain it."

Sarah Ayala (l) and Brittney Valdez help Red Cross volunteers
inventory comfort kits at North Park Junior High School shelter
for #LockportFire evacuees

Ayala and Valdez started by helping volunteers inventory the comfort kits at the shelter. Those comfort kits were surrounded by other examples of the Lockport and Western New York community coming together to help their neighbors in need: Cases of water donated by Wegmans, Wal-Mart, Tops and Lockport residents.

"I think it's a test of character, the type of person who would volunteer," Ayala says. "No matter how bad my day has been, I still have a chance to help other people."

Red Cross volunteers will continue to support displaced residents and the firefighters and other first responders Friday, providing water, food and comfort. To learn more about how you can help people after fires and other disasters, please visit www.redcross.org. 

"Thank You from the Bottom of our Hearts"

Photo courtesy: 13wham.com

On Monday, July 25, Geraldine Baylor and her family awoke as the back of their home caught on fire. Disasters never come at convenient times, and for Geraldine Baylor and her family, this was more than accurate. A few hours before, they received news that a family member passed from cancer. The family gathered together at Geraldine Baylor’s home to make the necessary preparations for memorial services. Geraldine’s home was filled with mourning family members and beloved animals that Geraldine fosters for. No one expected that things could get worse.

In a home fire, you have an average of approximately two minutes to escape safely. However, Geraldine needed more than just two minutes. Geraldine has a prosthetic leg, and often times she relies on a wheelchair. Thankfully, with the help of the fire department, Geraldine, as well as the rest of the family and animals, were able to exit the house safely.

American Red Cross volunteers, Suzanne Kowalcyk and Jim McMoil, were called at two in the morning to meet with the family at a local restaurant. Both volunteers reported that the family was in good spirits, despite their situation.

“They even tried to pay for our coffee,” Jim said as he recalled how appreciative the family was for the help the Red Cross was providing.  

The volunteers booked a hotel room for the family to stay in as they wait for their home repaired. Geraldine noted that the volunteers are still in contact with the family and continue to be a significant help.

“You guys are just amazing, and have been so generous and caring,” Geraldine stated. “My family and I would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” 

The Red Cross provides numerous educational programs on how to stay safe during a disaster. A main cause of death and injuries due to home fires is lack of smoke detectors. Thus, as part of the Home Fire Campaign, the Red Cross offers free smoke alarms to ensure community safety. To schedule a free smoke alarm installation, please email smokealarms.wny@redcross.org or call 716-878-2353.

During a house fire, the Red Cross provides a number of services to ensure that people are safe, protected, and are on the road to recovery. If you are interest in being a part of the recovery process for those affected by a disaster, apply online to become a volunteer at redcross.org.

-Grace Carnall, Communications Intern

American Red Cross, WNY Chapter

"We will always remember the help the American Red Cross gave us"

On Saturday, June 11, at approximately three in the morning, Debra Howard was awakened by ominous crackling noises. As she peered outside her window, she saw her neighbor’s home ablaze. In seconds, the fire quickly spread to the Howard's home. With a dose of adrenaline, Debra and her husband, James Howard, ran out of their mobile home on Carefree Lane. Unfortunately, by the time the Cheektowaga Fire Department arrived, their belongings were consumed by the burning flames.

Debra, a scrapbook-enthusiast, relied on her creations to reflect on wonderful memories she shared with her loved ones. In the fire, Debra’s scrapbook collection turned into ashes, which included pictures from her wedding, vacations, and much more. With the exception of a few items, their home and memorabilia could not be recovered. Thankfully, the Howards were cared for by compassionate neighbors and the American Red Cross.

“We were working with nothing, but the American Red Cross was here to help along the way,” Debra said. Red Cross Disaster Services volunteers Betsy Crocker and Bill Miles assisted the family to find recovery and peace during their hardship by providing a hotel for the couple to stay in, as well as funding for food and clothing.

The Howards faced an incredible loss. Nevertheless, they felt it was their duty to return the favor to the Red Cross. To do so, Debra and James Howard wrote a sincere thank you card to the Red Cross enclosed with a check “to assist other Western New Yorkers in need of disaster assistance.” The severity of home fires can be devastating; therefore, the Howards felt responsible to help others who may have to undergo the tragedies of home fires.

Debra reiterated the importance of fire safety, especially in a community where the houses are close together. Home fires can be avoided by being aware of the proper safety precautions. A main cause of deaths and injuries due to home fires is lack of smoke detectors. Thus, as part of the Home Fire Campaign, the Red Cross offers free smoke alarms to ensure community safety. To schedule a free smoke alarm installation, please email smokealarms.wny@redcross.org or call 716-878-2353.

“We will always remember the help the American Red Cross gave us,” the thank you card reads. During a house fire, the Red Cross provides a number of services to ensure that people are safe, protected, and are on the road to recovery. If you are interest in being a part of the recovery process for those affected by a disaster, apply online to become a volunteer at redcross.org.

-Grace Carnall, Communications Intern

American Red Cross, WNY Chapter

Red Cross Responds to Three Weekend Fires Across Western New York

Volunteers from the American Red Cross responded to three separate fires in Erie and Chautauqua counties over the weekend, providing immediate emergency assistance for 15 people. Red Cross assistance typically includes vouchers for temporary housing, food and clothing as needed, and Disaster Mental Health volunteers are available to help with the emotional aspect of disaster. Those affected will meet with caseworkers in the coming days to work on a longer-term recovery plan.

Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteers responded to fires at the following dates and locations:

• ·         Saturday, April 9
  Brookhaven Drive, Cheektowaga
  Two adults and two children assisted
  Volunteers: Betsy Crocker and Diane Sargent
  
  
  ·         Saturday, April 9
  Newton Avenue, Buffalo
  Two adults and four children assisted
  Volunteers: Betsy Crocker and Diane Sargent
  
  
  ·         Sunday, April 10
  King Road, Forestville
  Two adults and three children assisted
  Volunteers: Christine Thompson and Mary Walker

The American Red Cross has launched an initiative to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by home fires by 25 percent over five years. The Red Cross is asking every household in America to take two simple steps: check their existing smoke alarms and practice fire drills at home. As part of the Home Fire Campaign, the Red Cross is joining with fire departments and community groups nationwide to install free smoke detectors in homes that need them. For more information or to schedule an installation appointment, email smokealarms.wny@redcross.org or call 716-878-2353.

The Red Cross relies on financial contributions to provide help and comfort to disaster victims anywhere, anytime. You can help people affected by disasters like home fires and countless other crises by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. 

"Gimmie Shelter"? Our volunteers can do that!

"Oh, a storm is threatnin'

Photo courtesy buffalobills.com

My very life today.
If I don't get some shelter
Oh, I'm gonna fade away."
-The Rolling Stones

The Ralph will be rocking Saturday, and from the sound of things, it seems like all of Western and Central New York will be at the Stadium to see "the worlds greatest rock and roll band" live. In one of The Rolling Stones best-known songs, Mick Jagger pleads with listeners to "Gimmie Shelter". Well, Mick, that's something our volunteers do for their neighbors in need each and every day.

Just last week, when flash floods washed through parts of Syracuse, our volunteers set up a shelter at the Westcott Community Center in the early morning hours, before later moving to St. Lucy's Church, ensuring evacuated residents had a safe, warm place to stay. In November, when the area around Ralph Wilson Stadium was covered in as much as eight feet of snow, Red Cross volunteers operated or supported 19 different shelters, providing over 600 overnight stays for travelers stranded by Thruway and other road closures.

This is probably not what Mick Jagger had in mind, but
our volunteers operated or supported 19 shelters during
"Snowvember 2014"

It's not always a storm that forces someone to need shelter. An average of three times a day across the Western and Central New York Region, a family is forced from their home after a fire. Our volunteers are there then too, offering a place to stay, food, clothing and support, as they did for eight people who lost everything after an Elmira fire Thursday.

So whether it's because "a storm was threatnin'" or "a fire was sweepin'", the Red Cross volunteers are always ready to "Gimmie Shelter", even while thousands of us will be listening to the Stones sing one of my all-time favorite songs live.

Do you want to help answer Mick's call? Learn more about becoming a Red Cross volunteer on our website.

"Get out of the house! The house is on fire!"

It was 1:30pm on December 2, 2013. Michael Cuerton was alone in the kitchen of his Buffalo home when the smoke alarm

went off.

“I smelled smoke, but I didn't know where it was coming from,” Michael said. “I went to different rooms but I didn't see any smoke.” The next thing he knew, there was more smoke and it was coming from a back room.

“A neighbor was yelling, ‘Get out of the house! The house is on fire!’, and I knew I had to get out fast.”-Michael Cureton

Meanwhile, someone had called the police and the fire department. “The house was still standing, but it was a total loss,” said Michael. He was approached by some neighbors who told him that the Red Cross would be able to help him out.

Red Cross volunteers responded to 1,160 home fires
and other disasters in the Western and Central
New York Region last year

“Two Red Cross volunteers came up to me. They were friendly, very nice, very informative and they told me everything I needed to do,” he explained. The volunteers put Michael up in a hotel and gave him funding for some food and clothing to help him get back on his feet. He then met with our caseworkers, who helped him navigate through the recovery process. Thankfully, Michael had insurance, because he stayed in that hotel until moving into his new home on July 31 of the following year.

“Until you have an incident, you kind of take things for granted. I always hear that the Red Cross is about blood drives, but I never knew you get yourselves involved with people who lost their homes in fires like I did and put things in motion to help out like what you did for me.”-Michael Cureton

Last month, Michael made a surprise visit to our Buffalo office.

“My mother always said, show your appreciation,” Michael said.  “You guys helped me out, so I figured hey, you guys could always use a donation. So I came in to make a donation. That’s the way I was raised!”

On an average day in America, seven people die and 36 suffer injuries in home fires, and $7 billion worth of property is damaged every year. The American Red Cross and its partners have launched an initiative that aims to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by home fires by 25% in five years.

Fire experts agree that people may have as little as 2 minutes to escape a burning home when a fire breaks out but many Americans have a false sense of security about surviving a fire. The Red Cross is asking every household in America to join us in taking two simple steps that can save lives: checking or installing smoke alarms, and practicing fire drills at home.

“Smoke detectors are a must,” Michael says after his experience.

As part of the Home Fire Campaign, the Red Cross can install free smoke alarms in homes that need them. Contact your local Red Cross Chapter (in Buffalo, 716-878-2356 or pearliemae.hargro@redcross.org) to schedule an installation.

Red Cross Responds to Six Weekend Fires in WNY, Greater Rochester

UPDATE: Since this release was issued Monday morning, volunteers Jeanie Shiffer and Jason Carmen helped six people after a fire on 10th St in Jamestown, and Jessica and Suzanne are on the way to a fire on Saltvale Road in Wyoming to help 3 adults and a child. Eight fires, 56 people since Saturday. Thank you, volunteers!!

Volunteers from the American Red Cross responded to six separate fires in Western New York and Greater Rochester, providing immediate emergency assistance for up to 47 people. Red Cross assistance typically includes vouchers for temporary housing, food and clothing as needed, and Disaster Mental Health volunteers are available to help with the emotional aspect of disaster. Those affected will meet with caseworkers in the coming days to work on a longer-term recovery plan.

Greater Rochester Chapter volunteers Doug Scarson and Malachi Rundgren responded to the scene of a fire on East Wautoma Beach Road Hilton, providing food and clothing for one person. Early Monday morning, Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteers Greg Langen and Lucille Frisicano were called to a fire on North Goodman Street in Rochester, providing temporary housing, food and clothing for one person, and food and clothing for another family of five.

Western New York Chapter volunteers Phil Baker and Deborah Miller first responded to a fire in Ellington, Chautauqua County Friday night, providing three adults with vouchers for food and clothing. Early Saturday morning, DAT volunteers Dominic DiGioralmo and Bob Shook responded to an apartment fire in Cuba, Allegany County, where they opened four cases, providing immediate emergency assistance for six people. Also Saturday, volunteers Diane Sargent, Metrice Jenkins and Luona Yang helped five adults and two children after a fire on Fillmore Avenue in Buffalo. Early Monday morning, Sargent and fellow volunteers George Ortiz and Gwen Gonzalez responded to the scene of a fire on 19^th Street in Niagara Falls, providing housing, food and clothing for seven people from two families. A third family of 17 is expected to seek assistance later today.

The American Red Cross has launched an initiative to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by home fires by 25 percent over the next five years. The Red Cross is asking every household in America to take two simple steps: check their existing smoke alarms and practice fire drills at home. As part of the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign, the Red Cross is joining with fire departments and community groups nationwide to install free smoke detectors in homes that need them. For more information, please contact Individual and Community Preparedness Specialist Veronica Chiesi Brown at 585-241-4405 or veronica.chiesibrown@redcross.org.

To support home fire survivors across the country, the American Red Cross has launched a new social media campaign called #GiveWhatFireTakes. Donors nationwide have the opportunity to support Red Cross relief efforts. For every amount raised, the Red Cross is able to provide not only recovery items for home fire survivors, but also critical fire safety training and smoke alarm installations to help prevent deaths and injuries. Visit our Crowdwise campaign page, make a direct donation on redcross.org and share what moved you to join the campaign on social media with #GiveWhatFireTakes.

Volunteers helping nine people after two fires in SWNY

Volunteers from the American Red Cross responded to two fires in Chautauqua and Allegany Counties Friday night and Saturday morning, providing immediate emergency assistance to nine people. Red Cross assistance typically includes vouchers for temporary housing, food and clothing as needed, and Disaster Mental Health volunteers are available to help with the emotional aspect of disaster. Those affected will meet with caseworkers in the coming days to work on a longer-term recovery plan.

Disaster Action Team (DAT) volunteers Phil Baker and Deborah Miller first responded to a fire in Ellington, Chautauqua County Friday night, providing three adults with vouchers for food and clothing. Early Saturday morning, DAT volunteers Dominic DiGioralmo and Bob Shook responded to an apartment fire in Cuba, Allegany County, where they opened four cases, providing immediate emergency assistance for six people.

The American Red Cross has launched an initiative to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by home fires by 25 percent over the next five years. The Red Cross is asking every household in America to take two simple steps: check their existing smoke alarms and practice fire drills at home. As part of the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign, the Red Cross is joining with fire departments and community groups nationwide to install free smoke detectors in homes that need them. For more information, please contact Individual and Community Preparedness Specialist Veronica Chiesi Brown at 585-241-4405 or veronica.chiesibrown@redcross.org.

To support home fire survivors across the country, the American Red Cross has launched a new social media campaign called #GiveWhatFireTakes. Donors nationwide have the opportunity to support Red Cross relief efforts. For every amount raised, the Red Cross is able to provide not only recovery items for home fire survivors, but also critical fire safety training and smoke alarm installations to help prevent deaths and injuries. Visit our Crowdwise campaign page, make a direct donation on redcross.org and share what moved you to join the campaign on social media with #GiveWhatFireTakes.

"Smoke Detectors Save Lives"

I woke up this morning and saw this Tweet from WKBW-TV in Buffalo:

The story of a home fire is all too familiar. Volunteers Diane and Fred helped five people after that early morning fire on Ideal Street, hours after Diane and Nicole provided for the immediate emergency needs of one person after a fire on Best Street. Volunteers responded to three disasters in Syracuse overnight, and on Tuesday DAT members responded to separate fires in Olean, Jamestown and Ripley.

Here's what made this story a bit different: "A fire official told 7 Eyewitness News smoke detectors in the home were working and 'saved their lives'." 

The American Red Cross has launched a campaign to reduce the number of deaths and injuries from fires by as much as 25% over the next five years. The Red Cross is calling on everyone to take two simple steps that can save lives: check their existing smoke alarms and practice fire drills at home.

Unfortunately, not every home has a working smoke detector. Seven times a day, someone in the United States dies in a fire. The Red Cross is joining with fire departments and community groups nationwide to install smoke alarms in communities with high numbers of fires.

For more information about how you or a loved one can have a free smoke alarm installed in your home, contact Individual and Community Preparedness Specialist Veronica Chiesi Brown. Together, we can help change the statistics and wake up to more success stories.

-Jay Bonafede, Regional Chief Communications Officer

Red Cross Opening or Supporting Additional Storm Shelters Across WNY

The American Red Cross is opening or supporting partner shelters across Western New York in response to the ongoing lake effect snow event. Volunteers will have food, water, blankets, cots and additional support available at the following locations:

·         Alexander Fireman’s Recreation Hall
10708 Alexander Road, Alexander

·         Cheektowaga Senior Center (providing blankets only)
3349 Broadway, Cheektowaga

·         Depew Senior Center
85 Manitou Street, Depew

·         Fredonia High School
425 East Main Road, Fredonia

·         Lackawanna Senior Center
234 Martin Road, Lackawanna

·         Lancaster Fire Department (providing food only)
525 Pavement Road, Lancaster

·         Orchard Park Fire District
30 School Street, Orchard Park

·         Ripley Fire Hall
11 South State Street, Ripley

As this lake event snow event continues, Red Cross staff and volunteers remain in contact with emergency officials from across Western New York and are ready to respond as needed. 

The Red Cross urges everyone to heed travel warnings and stay off the roads if possible. Additional winter storm safety tips are available at www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/winter-storm. 

Volunteers also responded to two separate fires in Monroe County on Monday, November 17, providing immediate emergency assistance to four people. Our Disaster Action Team volunteers provided lodging for one survivor after a fire on Creekview Drive in Chili. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy, the 30^th fire-related death in the 17-county Western New York/Finger Lakes Region in 2014. Our volunteers also provided food and lodging for two adults and a child after a fire on Boughton Hill Road in Mendon.

The American Red Cross, Western New York Chapter provides an average of just over $1,000 in direct financial assistance when responding to a single family house fire affecting a family of four. Anyone wishing to help people affected by fires, winter storms or other disasters is asked to consider donating to the Disaster Relief Fund by calling 1-800-REDCROSS, visiting www.redcross.org, or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to charge a $10 donation to their cell phone bill.

Accentuate the Positive

You may have seen and heard some negative stories surrounding the two-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy's landfall. The American Red Cross has responded to the reporting done by ProPublica and NPR (some of those responses can be found here, here and here), but it is still very difficult for those of us who were there not to take these stories personally. As my friend and volunteer Pete Swales, who spent 39 days working on the Sandy response, told me, "What ProPublica and NPR claim hurts terribly, and brings back all the ruination we witnessed and the amazing gratitude of the New Yorkers, even those that were not affected!"

What was left Michael O'Hanlon's Breezy Point home
after Superstorm Sandy

The last part of that sentence is what I want to focus on, the incredible work that I personally witnessed during my two weeks in NYC in November 2012. I think back to Miss Cynthia in the Rockaways, who was so grateful for the efforts of the nearly 17,000 volunteers who worked on the Sandy response that she told my colleague Katie and I, "You shouldn't be called the Red Cross. You should all be called angels." Or being interrupted while speaking to a union meeting by Michael O'Hanlon, who said, "The Red Cross is awesome!" He later showed my colleague Julie and I the pictures of what remained of his Breezy Point home, explaining that we had provided the only hot meals his family had eaten since swimming out of their home three weeks earlier. I am so proud to have been just one of the hundreds of Western and Central New Yorkers who have their own stories of traveling to help our downstate neighbors in need, and each of those incredible volunteers should remember the millions of people who were so grateful they were there to help them.

You may have also heard that the Red Cross is currently undergoing a transition in order to meet the growing demand for our services. While this will allow us to help even more people because we are operating more efficiently, changes such as these are never easy. But thanks to our amazing volunteers and supporters, the great work of the Red Cross continues in our communities each and every day. Last Tuesday, for example, two hours after arriving on the scene of an early-morning apartment fire in Niagara Falls, our volunteers had opened a shelter for the dozens of displaced families, without ever having stepped foot in the Niagara Falls office.

An Emergency Response Vehicle distributes supplies and
information to areas around Penn Yan hard-hit by flooding
in May

We know this new structure can work because it has already. In September 2013, the Yates County Chapter in Penn Yan was closed. Less than a year later, that area was affected by massive flooding. "We weren't happy when the office closed," Yates County Deputy EMO Diane Cabes told me. "But you were there when you needed to be, providing very beneficial services that were very appreciated." Those services included opening a shelter at the Penn Yan Academy in the initial hours after the storm's impact, then providing a total of 34 overnight shelter stays, serving serving over 600 meals and snacks, distributing 238 clean-up kits and providing emotional support and referrals to help the community get back on its feet in the weeks that followed.

"Disasters don't always happen where offices and staff are," said volunteer Donna Davis, who was among the first to respond in Penn Yan while water was still running through the streets. "Staff and volunteers know what to do. Regardless of where a disaster happens, if there's a need, the volunteers will be there."

That's the message that I hope everyone remembers moving forward. The Red Cross has the most incredible volunteers and supporters, and thanks to them, each of our communities will be able to count on us to provide these vital services tomorrow and for years to come.

Binghamton Family's Story on Today Show Highlights Importance of Fire Prevention Week

This week marks Fire Prevention Week in the United States. Many organizations, including the American Red Cross, use this week to remind people of what they should be doing every day of the year.  One such story that highlights this is out of Binghamton. The Aissa family shared their heartbreaking story on the Today Show Tuesday. It highlights the importance of being prepared in case of a fire so you know what to do if one does happen in your home. 

Research shows fire departments respond to about 366,600 home fires a year across the United States. In those fires, more than 2,500 people die every year and about 13,000 others are hurt. The most common cause of these home fires is cooking.  

In our region, we have had a number of fires during the past few weeks. Some of these fires could have been prevented, while others may have not been. Accidents do happen, but you can take steps to drastically reduce the chance of a fire in your home.  Included in these steps is having a working smoke detector. Smoke detectors save lives and are available through the Red Cross and/or local fire departments as well as retail stores.   You can find more safety tips here:  http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/home-fire

Now that you have read the safety tips, just how fire safety savvy are you? Take the quiz to find out! 

Preparedness doesn't end with September

As we get ready to turn flip the calender from September to October, we also prepare to close the book on another National Preparedness Month. That doesn't mean our focus on preparing our families for emergencies should be closed with it, however.

Just look at what happened last weekend. Disaster Action Team volunteers responded to 16 fires across our 17-county Region between Thursday and Tuesday. None of those families knew ahead of time that an emergency was about to turn their lives upside-down. But of course, we do know what happens as we continue to flip calendar pages towards the winter months. You may not want to think about "Polar Vortexes" when the sun is shining and temperatures are in the 70s, but now is the time to prepare for the inevitable winter weather.

The American Red Cross has partnered with New York State to offer the Citizen Preparedness Corps training, a free one-hour session that provides a comprehensive overview on how to prepare for, respond to and recover from both natural and man-made disasters. A number of sessions have already been scheduled across the region, including next Saturday, October 4, during the North Tonawanda Fall Festival and Craft Show. Thanks to the support of the East Hill Foundation, every family that attends either the 1pm or 3pm session will receive a free fire extinguisher, smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector!

If you can't make it to North Tonawanda, a full list of Citizen Preparedness Corps trainings will soon be available on our website. You can also schedule a free, one-hour training at your business, school or organization by contacting Justin Pitts or calling (716) 878-2238. You may not get some of the freebies at the other sessions, but you will receive information that could save your family's life, and isn't that reason enough?

Another unfortunate first

Every time I respond to a disaster, be it a single-family house fire here in Western New York or a massive response like Hurricane Sandy, chances are I'll see or experience something completely new. That's the nature of disasters: no two are completely alike, and yesterday was no exception.

Monday afternoon, fellow Disaster Action Team member Julie and I drove to the scene of a fire in Hamburg, Erie County. The fire department had already done its job, so we were looking at house numbers to find the correct location. As we pulled up, I said to Julie, "Oh man, it's the one with the 'sold' sign in front." As we began talking with the current resident, we found out he had just moved in and was still in the process of closing on the home. Thankfully, he and his son were not injured, but he was understandably devastated as the "perfect" home he had searched long and hard for was suddenly uninhabitable.

Thanks to your support, we were able to provide this man and his son with food and lodging so they could take a couple days to catch their breath, and the Red Cross will continue to provide support and referrals as they figure out the next steps in their recovery. As always, I am so proud to be a part of an organization that provides a glimmer of hope to people in their darkest hours.

This situation also proves that disasters are never convenient. They can happen anytime, anywhere, so please take the time to prepare now and keep your loved ones as safe as possible.

Team Firestopper

On March 29th, at eight locations across the Western New York/Finger Lakes Region, the American Red Cross-along with Project Paradigm and the Children's Fire & Burn Fund-presented Team Firestopper, a fire prevention fair, to residents in "at risk" communities. The first one hundred visitors to each location were given a smoke detector. This smoke detector lasts for ten years without needing to change a battery.

At the fair, several stations were set up to focus on various parts of fire prevention and first aid. Members of local fire departments gave demonstrations on how to properly use a fire extinguisher, medical personnel taught visitors how to do hands on CPR in the case of an emergency and bank representatives spoke about fire insurance. Red Cross volunteers provided tips on how to develop an escape plan and a first aid/fire prepardedness kit for homeowners. Volunteers also provided similar materials catered to children about fires and fire safety.

An average of $1,000 is spent for a family of four after a house fire. That money includes vouchers for food, clothing and shelter for those requiring those services. All of the money used to support these families is made possible through the generosity of donors.

For more on fire safety tips, visit:  http://www.redcross.org/prepare/location/home-family/prevent-home-fires