American Red Cross/Fire Safety

As a board member of my local American Red Cross chapter, I wanted to mention that the month of March has been proclaimed as American Red Cross month by President Obama. You can learn more about this, and the American Red Cross at www.redcross.org.

Disaster relief is a large part of the Red Cross mission. One thing that local chapters respond to are house fires within their service area. The Red Cross may provide for temporary lodging to families and/or other immediate necessities.

We should all be pro-active with engaging fire safety in our homes. There are a number of items to always consider. Here are a few that tend to be a common theme with fires: 1.) Outdated electrical wiring (consult a certified electrician if you have such concern) 2.) Mis-use of space heaters. 3.) Unkempt wood burning fireplace (Inspect chimney for cleanliness annually) 4.) Mis-handling of combustibles (ie. fuel, varnishes etc.) 5.) Dirty dryer vent (Clean out dryer vents at least annually)

Equally important, have a fire escape plan for your family, with a meeting place in case
of separation. Keep those smoke detectors operating properly by replacing batteries at least annually.