THE FOLLOWING IS AN AMERICAN RED CROSS RELEASE
February 6, 2023 — American Red Cross volunteers in the Central Illinois chapter responded to eight home fires in Danville, Dewey, Pekin, Peoria, Sibley, Toulon and Urbana in the past week and provided assistance to 20 individuals, through supplying them with basic items to meet immediate needs after a fire, and additional support in the form of health and mental health services and one-on-one support. If you or someone you know needs assistance after a home fire or local disaster, please call our dispatch line: (877) 597-0747.Home fires are the most frequent disaster and claim seven lives every day in the U.S. Working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death in a home fire by 50 percent. Visit redcross.org/fire to learn more.Help keep your family safe by testing your smoke alarms and practicing your two-minute home fire escape drill – the amount of time experts say you may have to get out, before it is too late. Teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like and talk about fire safety and what to do in an emergency. Download the free Red Cross Emergency app for detailed home fire prevention and safety tips. Visit redcross.org/apps or search “American Red Cross” in app stores to download the app, which is compatible with Apple Watch and Android wearable devices. Sound the AlarmHome fires claim seven lives every day – having working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death by 50 percent. That’s why the American Red Cross is rallying volunteers to install free smoke alarms across the Illinois region throughout March, as part of our Sound the Alarm events. During these events, Red Cross volunteers install free smoke alarms, create escape plans and share fire safety information. For more information, visit SoundTheAlarm.org.
About the American Red Cross of Illinois The American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion and Ralls. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at Redcross.org/Illinois or visit us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @RedCrossIL.
