Lives Saved: Binghamton family escapes home fire days after Red Cross smoke alarm install

“If they hadn’t come, I couldn’t even imagine.”

For months, Cassandra Simmons had been prompted to install smoke alarms in the Binghamton home she shares with her husband, daughter and three grandchildren after a recent construction project.

“I had a hard time getting them where they needed to go and then I would see something else in the mail for the American Red Cross and so I thought let me give them a call.”

This past February a team of Red Cross volunteers as part of the Sound the Alarm Home Fire campaign visited Simmons’ home to install free smoke alarms throughout her home and provide lifesaving home fire safety education, including a two-minute escape plan in the event of a home fire.

“It brings me to tears every time. It was Thursday and then that Sunday, if we didn’t have the Red Cross come in here, I don’t think myself and my grandson would be here.”

That Sunday was Super Bowl Sunday. While her 8-year-old grandson was getting ready for a Super Bowl celebration, a fire broke out in the upstairs bathroom at the top of the stairs and adjacent to the children’s bedrooms.

“We’d already had a smoke alarm in the hallway, so when the man from the Red Cross put them up, he asked if we’d like one upstairs. When I asked ‘what would you do’ he said yes, because by the time the smoke reaches the alarm we already had, it might be too late to get out of the house,” Simmons explained.

Recounting that day, Simmons isn’t sure what made her ask the question of the Red Cross volunteer, but she is thankful she did.

“He was so right. If he hadn’t put that there, I wouldn’t have heard the smoke alarm until it was too late. There would have been no room for me to get down the stairs because the fire started along the back of the bathroom door. By the time that smoke would have reached downstairs, the upstairs would have been engulfed in flames.”

Simmons, her husband, grandson and 9-year-old granddaughter, who had been upstairs in her bedroom at the time of the fire, managed to safely escape the home and call 911. 

“I was scared, I was crying, I was cold,” Simmons explained. “We were standing outside and the Red Cross came and they were so nice. The gentleman from the Red Cross put a blanket around me. They gave us enough blankets for all of us, a care package with everything you can think of that you may need. They were just very kind. And they stayed in touch with us by calling us to make sure that we were OK and reaching out to the agencies that would be able to help us.”

Now four and a half months later, Simmons and her family are finally able to move back into the home they shared with a renewed appreciation for the little things, a greater desire to pay it forward and plans to help those in need, and some invaluable advice for all those Simmons encounters from here on out.

“Once it happens there’s no going back it’s too late,” Simmons said. “Everybody I know from now on will hear from me, ‘do you have a smoke alarm?’ Because if not, call this number. All it takes is a phone call.”

Since 2014, the Sound the Alarm Home Fire Safety campaign has helped to save lives and make homes safer locally and across the country. You can schedule your home fire safety visit, which includes the installation of free smoke alarms and home fire safety education including a two-minute escape plan year-round by clicking here.

Springing ahead? Don't forget to "Turn and Test"

Daylight saving time begins this Sunday, March 12, and the American Red Cross of Western New York encourages everyone to TURN your clocks forward one hour, and TEST your smoke alarms.

Did you know that having working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half? Home fires are the nation’s most frequent disaster with Red Cross volunteers responding to an emergency every 8 minutes, on average. In the month of February alone, Red Cross of WNY Disaster Action Team (DAT) members provided immediate emergency assistance in the aftermath of home fires to 269 individuals across our region.

That’s why it’s critical to “Turn and Test” this weekend and take these lifesaving steps to keep your loved ones safe in the event of a home fire. 

·         Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas. Test alarms monthly and replace the batteries at least once a year if your model requires it.

·         Replace smoke alarms that are 10 years or older. That’s because the sensor becomes less sensitive over time. Check the date of your smoke alarms and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

·         Practice your two-minute escape plan. Make sure everyone in your household can get out in less than two minutes — the amount of time you may have to get out of a burning home before it’s too late. Include at least two ways to get out from every room and select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone knows where to meet.

·         Teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like. Talk about fire safety and what to do in an emergency.

Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including an escape plan to practice with your family. You can also download our free Emergency app by searching for “American Red Cross” in app stores. 

HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN SAVING LIVES The Red Cross responds to more than 60,000 disasters every year and most of them are home fires. To help prevent fire-related deaths and injuries, the Red Cross launched the Home Fire Campaign with community partners in 2014 to reduce fire-related deaths and injuries.

Recently, with support from thousands of community partners, the campaign met its goal of installing 2.5 million free smoke alarms and making 1 million households safer across the country. So far, the Home Fire Campaign is credited with saving more than 1,583 lives in the U.S. Because home fires remain a daily threat and the campaign has made a lifesaving difference, the Red Cross will be continuing the program with community partners as part of its standard services across the country.

 

Sounding the Alarm to Save Lives

The world looks a bit different than it did when the American Red Cross kicked off its 2021 Sound the Alarm campaign on April 8 in Buffalo.

Chief Disaster Officer Ken Turner
joined a team of volunteers to install
free smoke alarms in Buffalo, NY on June 8

The weather is noticeably, and thankfully, warmer; we are beginning to climb out of the pandemic and reunite with loved ones and along with that the American Red Cross of Western New York has resumed free smoke alarm installations – a cornerstone of the Sound the Alarm campaign. 

Every 8 minutes, Red Cross volunteers respond to a disaster-related incident – the majority of which are home fires. Through the Sound the Alarm/Home Fire Safety campaign Red Cross volunteers focus on helping families across Western New York to prevent, respond to and recover from home fires. From helping families to create their two-minute escape plan to installing smoke alarms, volunteers within our 27-county footprint have reached thousands of homes helping to save lives.

In a COVID-19 environment, our methods looked a bit different this year. This spring, much of the campaign focused on a virtual home fire safety education component, with limited smoke alarm installations taking place through our partners with the Gates Fire Department, Paul Davis and the West Webster Fire Department.

Despite these challenges, Red Cross volunteers rose to the occasion reaching nearly 800 homes and installing more than 1,200 smoke alarms as part of the 2021 Sound the Alarm/Home Fire Safety campaign!

Red Cross volunteer Melanie Pandich reviews a home
 fire escape plan with Rochester resident Mary Kay Smyth
during the Sound the Alarm Day of Action on May 8

As a result, since its launch in 2014, more than 12,000 homes across the Western New York region have been reached, more than 30,000 free smoke alarms have been installed and most importantly, 39 lives have been saved as a direct result of the campaign.

This lifesaving work is a testament to the dedication of our Red Cross volunteers, partner organizations and sponsors including:

Installation Partners

·         Gates Fire Company

·         Paul Davis

·         West Webster Fire Department

·         Spencerport Fire Department

·         Laurelton Fire Department

·         Geneva Fire Department

Campaign Sponsors

·         NFA, National Fire Adjustment Inc.

·         National Grid

·         Corning Incorporated Foundation

·         Lewis Tree Service

·         Dryden Mutual Insurance Co.

·         ESL Federal Credit Union

·         Geico Buffalo

·         M&T Bank

·         Linde

·         DiMino’s Lewiston Tops

·         Ingram Micro

·         Paychex

·         Phillips Lytle, LLP

·         Rich Products

When the worst happens, the Red Cross is there. While the pandemic may have impacted the approach, it only served to strengthen the resolve of the Red Cross workforce and our mission. As many of us begin to resume normal activities, we encourage families to join the Red Cross in helping to end home fires within our community by learning more or signing up for a free smoke alarm today.

 

"If it wasn't for the smoke alarms, my son would've never got out."

"The fire was very devastating. We lost pretty much everything," Margaret Phillips said of the fire that ripped through her Whitney Point, NY, mobile home in November 2018. They had just put in new rugs that had to be ripped out after the fire, and many of the walls had to be torn down.

Smoke alarms installed by Red Cross volunteers one month earlier,
and the fire safety information they provided, helped
Margaret Phillips' son, Matthew, safely escape their burning
Whitney Point, NY, home in November, 2018
Photo by: Chuck Haupt, American Red Cross

Fortunately, however, the only injury was a burned hand suffered by her son, Matthew, thanks to smoke alarms installed by Red Cross volunteers a month earlier. The alarms woke Matthew up, but he was unable to escape through the fire. Thankfully, the neighbors heard the smoke alarm and were able to contact Margaret and the local fire department, who were able to rescue Matthew.

"If it wasn't for the smoke detectors, my son probably would never have gotten out of the house," Margaret said. "Nobody would've have known it was burning, because where we live is so secluded. Nobody would've have ever known if it wasn't for the smoke alarms going off."

Margaret said the smoke alarms were still going off when she returned to the home four days later to begin the clean-up and recovery process. She also said the fire safety information provided by Red Cross volunteers during their installation visit helped Matthew stay safe until help arrived.

Since the Home Fire Campaign launched in 2014, volunteers in Western and Central New York have made more than 3,000 homes and families safer, installing more than 10,000 free smoke alarms and providing fire safety information. These efforts have saved over 625 lives across the country, including 25--like Matthew Phillips--right here in Western and Central New York.

Help us Sound the Alarm by volunteering to install alarms, making a donation to help keep this program free, or signing up for an free installation appointment at soundthealrm.org/wcny.

10,000 Homes Made Safer

Jake Pumputis learned you have
as little as two minutes to safely
escape a burning home.

10,000 homes. It's a pretty staggering number by itself. But when you consider that's the number of Western and Central New York homes our volunteers have visited since the Home Fire Campaign began in 2014, it takes on a whole new meaning.

"I learned a lot in the last ten minutes!" With home visits constantly taking place, it's hard to determine actually which home was the 10,000th our volunteers helped make safer. But Jake Pumputis' apartment in Rochester is close. He heard about the campaign from a close friend, and felt the fire safety information he was provided was just as important as the free smoke alarms volunteers installed during their late August, 2019, visit.

"I would recommend it, and everyone should take part, regardless of if you own or rent," Pumputis said.

"I think it's wonderful, I'm proud to live where the Red Cross started!" Cheryl Ingalls lives in

Disaster Program Specialist Meghan Crowley installs a
free smoke alarm in Cheryl Ingalls' Dansville, NY, home.

Dansville, NY, where Clara Barton founded the first American Red Cross Chapter in 1881. Volunteers visited her home a day after helping Pumputis learn more about fire safety.

"I heard from a friend, and it helped since I couldn't get them myself," Ingalls said of the free smoke alarms volunteers installed in her home.

Working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half. 25 lives in Western and Central New York have been saved thanks to the free smoke alarms installed by Red Cross volunteers over the past five years. We know that with your continued support, we can have the same impact in the next 10,000 homes we visit.

Help us Sound the Alarm for fire safety by volunteering to help install alarms, making a donation to help keep this lifesaving program free, or by registering for a free installation appointment. Visit soundthealarm.org/wcny to learn more.

-Jay Bonafede, Regional Communications Officer
American Red Cross, Western and Central New York Region

MVPs Sound the Alarm to Save a Life

At about 6:30 p.m. on May 16, 2019, Merlene Jackson's daughter picked her up. 20 minutes later, she received a call from her son. Merlene's Ravenwood Avenue, Rochester, home was on fire. "The kitchen was destroyed, part of the dining room," Jackson says. "Smoke is through the whole house, we can't stay there with the smoke." Her son, Tyrese Bryant, and 13-year-old granddaughter, Liberty, were home sleeping when the fire started. Thankfully, just one week earlier, a team of volunteers from MVP Health Care--Tim Reidy, Paul Bottazzo, and Mark Shipley--joined Red Cross intern Sara Ward from SUNY Brockport and visited Merlene's home as part of the Red Cross Sound the Alarm campaign. The team from MVP Health Care and Red Cross interns and volunteers who helped Sound the alarm on May 9 "They removed my old smoke alarms, and gave me three new ones," Jackson said. "My son was asleep, that's what woke him up. Two of them were going off, one in the dining room, one upstairs in the hallway. That's what got my son up." "It could've been a lot worse, I'm not even sure the other ones worked." Jackson also says the education and escape planning the volunteers provided helped Tyrese and Liberty know what to do when the alarms went off. Red Cross volunteers visited Merlene again after the fire, providing her family with funding for temporary housing, food, and clothing. However, it was that visit by the Red Cross volunteers from MVP Health Care that helped her son and granddaughter to still be here today. "Sunday, I shared my story with our entire congregation at church," Merlene says. "I said, 'If you don't have a smoke alarm in your house, call the Red Cross, it's very important.'" "If it wasn't for the smoke alarms...they were sound asleep!" Since launching in 2014, the Home Fire Campaign has saved over 580 lives nationally, including 23 in Western and Central New York. Learn more about our campaign to #EndHomeFires at soundthealarm.org/wcny. -Jay Bonafede, American Red Cross

"Sharing the Love of Saving a Life" with M&T Bank

"You can't put a price on someone's life," says Lashanna Walker from M&T Bank. "So if it's as little as making sure they have smoke detectors, and for free, that time invested is absolutely priceless."

Walker was one of four volunteers from M&T Bank who invested some of their time on Valentine's Day helping Sound the Alarm, joining Red Cross volunteers from the Western New York Chapter to install free smoke alarms for families while providing them with important fire safety information. Walker regularly volunteers with Buffalo Promise Neighborhood, but when WNY Chapter Board Chair Susan MacDonald presented this opportunity to her colleagues at M&T, Walker was eager to sign up.

"There was a fire right before Christmas Eve on Shirley Avenue. I have a girlfriend who lives on Shirley, and my heart dropped because I thought it was her house," Walker said. "I confirmed she was safe, but then I heard the story, two kids died in the fire plus an adult. It was so sad, literally a few streets over from where I live at. So when the email popped up about Sound the Alarm, I was like, absolutely. I want to make sure something like that doesn't happen again."

After some training over coffee and donuts this morning by Red Cross instructor Dennis Scott, Walker and fellow M&T Bank volunteers Vincent Gagliano, Scott Maciejewski, and Joan Polanowski joined Red Cross volunteers and visited 18 households in the Buffalo area. Together, they made those families safer by installing 43 free smoke alarms, helping them create escape plans, and teaching them about fire safety.

"The gentleman at the first house was worried because they didn't clean up or anything," Walker said of her first installation experience. "We just explained to them, we could care less about any of that, what we're doing is more important than if you have some clothes on the floor. We're here to put the smoke detectors in, save lives."

This was the beginning of what will be an ongoing partnership, as M&T Bank volunteers will be participating in Sound the Alarm installation events on a quarterly basis. Walker already has her calendar cleared for the next time.

"It's one of those where you may not see the immediate results, but you never know when this little effort and no matter how many hours were invested are going to pay off," Walker said. "It just made me feel good to know, on Valentine's day, we're out there sharing the love of saving a life."

If you'd like to help share that love by volunteering, making a donation to help keep Sound the Alarm free, or if you or someone you love needs working smoke alarms, visit www.soundthealarm.org/wcny for more information.

-Story and Photos by: Jay Bonafede, Regional Communications Officer