Ride for the Red Wrap Up

Red Cross disaster volunteers in Johnston County have seen fire assistance escalate to an 86% increase this year through the month of April compared to last year. The first annual Ride for Red raised $6,700 to support victims of disasters in Johnston County. “The money raised is critically needed to help with the escalating costs of providing emergency assistance to fire victims in Johnston County,” stated Donna Whitman, American Red Cross Coordinator for Johnston County. “The Red Cross is not a government agency and completely depends on financial contributions from their citizens to give back to their neighbors affected by disaster. We are so pleased with the outstanding participation from all the Johnston County motorcyclists who raised money to help their neighbors.”

In the first 10 months of this fiscal year, nearly 150 disaster victims in Johnston County have been given financial assistance following the devastation of losing everything in a fire. “Because of generous donations from neighbors, the Red Cross goes to the scene of the fire and provides immediate shelter, new clothing, food and medications,” said Donna Whitman, Johnston County Red Cross Coordinator. “We work with each family to develop a recovery plan and the Red Cross provides rent assistance, beddings and referrals to help families relocate. Red Cross mental health volunteers stand ready to provide counseling and medical volunteers can help with essential medical needs such as replacement of medications, eyeglasses, false teeth and other medical needs.”

The American Red Cross urges families to learn how to prevent home fires. According to a recent poll by the Red Cross, four out of five Americans are unaware that home fires are the most common disaster in the United States, and only 26 percent of families have actually developed and practiced a home fire escape plan. Since fires kill more Americans each year than all natural disasters combined, the Red Cross urges families to use Red Cross resources to develop a fire escape plan and to take steps toward fire prevention and safety.

According to the NFPA, home fires are more likely to start in the kitchen than any other room of the home, and the leading cause of home cooking fires is unattended cooking. To prevent kitchen fires, the Red Cross recommends that you keep all potential fuel sources, including potholders and food wrappers, at least three feet away from heat sources while cooking. In addition, stoves and ranges should be turned off if the responsible adult leaves the kitchen.

In addition to smoke alarms, one of the easiest ways you can prepare is to develop and practice a home fire escape plan so that every family member can escape quickly and safely. The Red Cross suggests that a fire escape plan include at least two escape routes for every room in the home, and a convenient meeting place at a safe distance from the fire. Families are encouraged to pay particular attention to developing and regularly practicing escape plans for children and the elderly because of their increased risk of injury or death from fire. According to the NFPA, children and adults 65 and older are twice as likely to die in a home fire as the American population at large.

For more information on disaster preparedness, please visit www.trianglearc.org