Red Cross Marking MLK Day With Fire Safety Tips
American Red Cross Southern Missouri Region 1/16/2013 – During the upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, Monday January 21st, volunteers and community members in Southern Missouri will be going door-to-door talking to people about how to prevent home fires and how to escape safely should a fire occur.
Volunteers will meet at the Red Cross office, 1545 N. West Bypass in Springfield at 10:00 am on MLK Day 1/21/2013. They will be canvassing local neighborhoods passing out information about fire safety and prevention.
“Fire is the biggest disaster threat to American families—not floods, hurricanes or tornadoes,” said Kristofer Bolz, Chief Volunteer Services Officer “And home fires are one disaster that can usually be prevented when people understand how to protect their families.”
Volunteers will talk to residents who are available, and will leave safety-tip door hangers for people who are not at home. The door hangers, printed in both English and Spanish, provide cooking and heating tips, and also highlight the importance of smoke alarms and the need to create and practice a fire escape plan.
Nationally, on average, the Red Cross provides food, shelter, comfort and hope to people affected by approximately 63,000 fires every year, or about one fire every eight minutes. The Southern Missouri Regional Red Cross responded to over 700 home fires last year. Join us on the 21st as we make our neighborhoods safer and make this MLK Day a day on, not a day off!
For more information about how YOU can get involved contact Kristofer “Luke” Bolz. kristofer.bolz@redcross.org
You can help people affected by disasters like fires, as well as countless crises at home and around the world, by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for and provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance in response to disasters. Visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS. Contributions may also be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.
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