Keeping Sisters safe from home fires

Home fires are the biggest disaster threat Americans face. On average, the American Red Cross in Oregon and southwest Washington responds to two home fires every day. After home fires, residents face tremendous challenges, such as finding a place to stay, purchasing food and clothing, replacing lost possessions, notifying loved ones and navigating insurance.

On Saturday, November 14, between the hours of 12:30 and 4 p.m., trained Red Cross volunteers will canvass neighborhoods in Sisters to make families safer in the event of a home fire. Volunteers will inquire if there is a working smoke alarm in the home, install smoke alarms free of charge, review a fire-safety and home-hazard checklist, and provide information about creating a fire-escape plan. Volunteers also will share other emergency-preparedness information with residents.

Sisters residents may schedule an appointment in advance to have smoke alarms installed by trained Red Cross volunteers on November 14, by calling 503-528-5783, or by completing an online form at http://www.redcross.org/cascadeshfpc.

"People have as little as two minutes to escape a burning home before it's too late to get out," says Carrie Sammons, disaster program manager for the American Red Cross Cascades Region. "Working smoke alarms can double the chance of surviving a home fire. I encourage Sisters residents to take advantage of this free community program."

Sammons also notes that the program is part of a national campaign launched by the American Red Cross last year. So far, the Red Cross has installed more than 125,000 smoke alarms in nearly 2,400 cities and towns and saved 26 lives. In Oregon, the campaign is a partnership with the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Volunteers are needed for this important outreach effort. Individuals, faith-based groups, local businesses and organizations are welcome to participate. All training will be provided on November 14 at 9:30 a.m. For additional information or to register to volunteer, visit www.redcross. org/cascadeshfpc, email [email protected]