American Red Cross - Central PA

As responders to disasters, the most common of which are home fires, the Red Cross is working to reduce deaths and injuries. We launched our Home Fire Campaign in 2014 to promote awareness of this “everyday disaster” and to help safeguard populations most vulnerable to home fires and their impacts. In addition to providing critical relief and recovery services, the Red Cross is delivering lifesaving tools and information to support home fire safety and prevention, specifically in at-risk neighborhoods.

Sadly, home fires are more common than most of us imagine, and these disasters are both dangerous and costly. While each fire is different, they often leave families on curbs, sometimes without shoes or coats, watching their homes burn- and sometimes, they take more.  As upsetting as this is, we see hope in the form of a simple, affordable device—the smoke alarm. A working alarm cuts the risk of death by home fire in half, and an escape plan further improves the odds of survival. That’s why we launched Sound the Alarm, a year-round home fire safety initiative that takes Red Cross volunteers and our partners door-to-door in our communities, installing free smoke alarms and helping families create escape plans. More than 2,200 people are alive today thanks to this campaign, and we’ve made some of the nation’s most vulnerable neighborhoods safer on an enormous scale.

When the Red Cross is notified of a home fire, our responders arrive on scene to work with families to assess and triage immediate needs, ranging from a safe place to stay, clothing, groceries, replacement medication or even pet food.  Financial assistance from the Red Cross averages $734 per household and is often a critical step to helping a vulnerable family recover with autonomy.  During the recovery process, Red Cross staff and volunteers continue meeting with survivors to assess emerging needs. These services—provided at no cost—bridge the gap between their current resources and those required for full recovery.  In the Central PA Chapter, more than 500 families received nearly $350,000 in financial assistance last year- and for many Pennsylvanians, this help is the only financial assistance they will receive following a disaster.

These life-threatening events don’t affect everyone equally. Low-income people, older adults and children are more vulnerable to disasters, home fires and the related deaths and injuries than other populations. As many of the clients we serve are already in dire financial straits and do not have the financial capacity to afford the impacts of a home fire. In turn, many of the people we serve could be one home fire away from financial insolvency.  For these families specifically, our services can help mitigate unique disaster-related burdens, including familial strains, emotional distress, and financial hardship.