Category Archives: Disaster Services

The Fight Against Fire Fatalities Ongoing

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Icon Disaster

 

By Tim O’Toole
Regional Disaster Officer, Northeast Ohio

121 people lost their lives in Ohio last year due to accidental fires, according to information provided to the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Prevention Bureau.

Unfortunately, two counties within the Northeast Ohio Region top several lists.

  • Cuyahoga County in the Greater Cleveland Chapter led the state with 14 accidental fire fatalities. This is twice as high as the counties with the second highest number.
  • Jefferson County in the Lake to River Chapter led the state in per capita deaths, with 7 fatalities. Although these deaths occurred in just 3 events, it still is still an alarming number.

Fire deaths continue to impact the very young and the senior community.  Nearly half of the fire victims were over 60 years of age.

Smoke alarms were present in only 25% of the fire locations.  This number indicates only that they were present, and not whether they functioned correctly.

The takeaway is that the mission of the American Red Cross is an important one.  And one that isn’t going away.

4 people lost their lives last night (1/11/16) in Summit County.  Every Day, tragedy strikes our communities. But our Disaster Cycle Service processes of Prepare, Respond and Recover align perfectly with the problem these numbers dictate.  Our education and prevention programs can reduce the number of future fires and prepare people to respond appropriately when they do occur.  Daily, our response teams and caseworkers continue to provide support for those who do suffer the effects of hostile fires and help them recover from the impact.  And finally, Operation Save-A-Life, our Home Fire Preparedness Campaign will continue to help prevent the fatalities that too often occur as a result of those fires.

These numbers indicate not only the importance of our mission, but also the fact that we must increase our efforts to insure we impact them positively in the future.

I thank all Disaster Service volunteers and staff for their dedicated and sincere support of the mission.

I am proud to be part of it.

Tim O’Toole
Regional Disaster Officer
Northeast Ohio Region

Learn more about Operation Save-A-Life, the Red Cross effort to reduce fire fatalities in Northeast Ohio by providing fire safety education and FREE smoke alarm installations, at redcross.org/neoosal.

Read more about volunteer opportunities with the Red Cross here.

NEO Volunteers Respond to 11 Home Fires Over Weekend

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Across the nation, every 8 minutes the American Red Cross responds to a Home Fire.

This weekend Red Cross volunteers across northeast Ohio responded to 11 home fires, and helped 43 displaced individuals find shelter and nourishment for the first few days following the event.

Each and every day Red Cross volunteers respond to home fires in our communities – Beloit, Willowick, Conneaut, Warren, Cleveland, Akron, Sandusky, Mansfield, Canton and every point in-between. We know the devastation that such a disaster can bring to a family. And that is why local volunteers get up at 1 a.m. or whenever their phone rings. They get out of their own nice, warm beds to provide hope when it is needed most.

That hope is available thanks to the kindness of northeast Ohio community members. Thanks to you, we were able to provide the families who experienced home fires this weekend with over $9,500 in aid to help them with a place to stay for a few nights, a few meals, to replace winter wear and a few clothing items.

“I want to thank our disaster team members for the generosity they display each and every time they respond to a home fire,” said Tim O’Toole, Regional Disaster Officer for Northeast Ohio. “But especially during this, the Holiday season. It’s a time when most people reflect on their good fortune and find ways to contribute to their community, either through volunteerism or by financial donations, and I thank our team for choosing to give through the Red Cross.”

The winter months are when a majority of home fires occur – between holiday candles, Christmas trees, heating units and holiday cooking. To make sure your home is prepared for colder temperatures visit our website, http://www.redcross.org/prepare.

Volunteers Offer Valuable Respite to Responders

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Provide Canteen Services at Crash Site

Local, state and federal investigators on the scene of the crash of a corporate jet in Akron have a place to go, just a few steps away, to receive food and drink.  The Red Cross stationed an emergency response vehicle stocked with sandwiches and snacks, coffee and water just a few feet away from where the jet crashed into a four-unit apartment complex.

Volunteer Chuck Victor Outside the Emergency Response Vehicle
Volunteer Kim Strawman Inside the Emergency Response Vehicle

15 adults who lived there and in two neighboring residences have been displaced by the crash, and received initial financial assistance from the Red Cross for food, lodging, and other immediate needs.  Continuing assistance available includes help with recovery plans, mental health services and referrals to appropriate agencies.

Note the wording on the Emergency Response Vehicle: “All American Red Cross Disaster Assistance is Free.”  The Red Cross responds to about 70,000 disasters every year, thanks to the power of our volunteers and the generosity of our donors.  Interested in becoming a volunteer?  Apply online here. You can donate online to help others who suffer a disaster, or call 1-800 RED CROSS.  Or text the words red cross to 90999 to make an automatic $10 donation.