By Eric Alves, Regional Communications Specialist, American Red Cross of Northeast Ohio

July 25, 2019- In Northeast Ohio, the American Red Cross  responds on average to three home fires every 24 hours. 

This week, the Red Cross of Greater Cleveland responded to a fire at the Cherry Tree Village apartment complex in Strongsville. The fire affected 24 apartments and more 60 individuals, including families and children, who received Red Cross assistance.

Prevention

Part of our mission is to help communities and residents prevent fires from occurring, and to reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths due to home fires.  On July 23, 2019, several employees from Wickliffe’s own Lubrizol Corporation volunteered to help install free smoke alarms and create escape plans, making homes safer and helping save lives.

During the Brooklyn installation event, Lubrizol employees installed 185 smoke alarms and 75 homes safer.

Sound the Alarm home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events are part of the Home Fire Campaign, which the Red Cross launched in 2014 to reduce fire deaths and injuries. So far, it has reached more than 1.8 million people, saved more than 600 lives, and made more than 750,000 households nationwide safer.

Response

Just as disasters do not discriminate in terms of whose lives they destroy, the Red Cross does not discriminate in terms of whose lives we help rebuild. The Red Cross does not turn away people who need assistance after a disaster. We are committed to helping everyone in need.

Lubrizol employees Josh Swift and Amber Smith help install a smoke alarm in a home in Brooklyn, Ohio

As the largest humanitarian organization in the world, the Red Cross has the ability to use your donation to reach more people in need, more quickly. Your donation to the Red Cross helps provide food, shelter, relief supplies, emotional support, recovery planning and other assistance during disasters.

To help the Red Cross provide hope and comfort to individuals in Northeast Ohio experiencing their darkest hours, please visit our Crowdrise page to provide a financial donation. Any amount donated truly helps with their recovery.

Lubrizol employee Sarah Schlicher provides fire safety information to Ramona Ortiz of Brooklyn, Ohio

Volunteer

If you cannot assist financially but would like to help residents following a disaster, there is another way you may help. Without the tremendous dedication of our volunteers, the Red Cross would not be able to serve the 22 counties and 4.5 million residents of Northeast Ohio. Volunteers make up 90 percent of our workforce. Our volunteers are without a doubt the face of the Red Cross. Visit redcross.org/neo to learn more and to apply to become a Red Cross volunteer.

To see more photos from the Lubrizol Brooklyn installation event, please visit our Flickr page.