The Aftermath of a Home Fire

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By: img_3035Anmol Nigam, American Red Cross Communications Volunteer

Few expect a fire to destroy their home.   Wooster-area pastor, Nick Cleveland, certainly never expected his family to feel the devastation of a fire.

Nick was in the car when he received a call from his wife, Vicki.

“We’re all out of the house,” she said. “Our house is on fire. It’s bad.”

The couple tried to comprehend their loss as firefighters tackled the blaze. Thinking to the future, Nick and Vicki struggled to piece together their next steps. The fire had thrust them into a harsh reality.

“Where are we going to live?” Nick said. “Where are my kids going to be? Are they going to be okay?”

The situation overwhelmed them. They felt helpless, but they were not alone. Lara Kiefer, Executive Director of the Lake Erie and Heartland Chapter knew they would need plenty of support. She started working right away to get them the things they would need.

“The minute that immediate tangible support shows up it is a game changer,” Nick said. “Immediate support turns helpless toward hopeful.”

The Red Cross gave them shelter when they had none, provided them financial assistance to purchase food and clothing, and began solving problems that Nick and Vicki had yet to even anticipate.

“When the Red Cross showed up… it helped turn our tragedy and helpless feelings toward hopeful ones,” Nick said. “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your help when we needed it most!”

The difficulties in home fires do not end with the fire. Through the weeks afterwards, the Red Cross and our volunteers help by ensuring those in need regain some of their lost stability.

Many believe, incorrectly, that they have 10 minutes to exit a burning home. The actual time is closer to two minutes. Education and preparedness is a critical during in a home fire. Through Operation Save-A-Life, we work with local firefighters and volunteers install smoke alarms and provide fire safety education.

“I’ll never forget July the fifth. Ever,” said Nick in a sermon shortly after the incident.

For more information on Red Cross fire preparedness initiatives visit Operation Save-A-Life.

Holiday Doors Take Awards

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Disaster Service staff members got into the fun of the holiday season with an office door decoration contest.

Taylor 1st (1)Lora Taylor, Disaster Program Manager for the Lake Erie/Heartland Chapter took first place with her snowman door.

 

 

 

Tony Rivera 2nd

Tony Rivera, Workforce Engagement Manager, took second place with a gorgeous 3-D poinsettia and candles.

 

 

 

Gallagher 3rd tiePalagyi 3rd tie (2)

And there was a third place tie between Kristen Gallagher, Disaster Program Specialist for Lake to River and Renee Palagyi, Disaster Program Manager.

 

 

OToole HM (1)Honorable mention went to Tim O’Toole, Regional Disaster Officer, for his Batman door.

The contest was judged by the Crossroads Division Disaster Director, Janine Brown.

 

Click the image below to view all of this year’s festive doors!

Holiday Doors 16

Toys Help Make Holidays Happier

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“It really is all about giving.”

Sharon Foster of TravelCenters of America says employees look forward to the annual toy drive, to benefit children who have been chased by fire from their homes in 2016.

In many cases, the children and their families lost everything.

The Red Cross provides immediate financial assistance to families affected by home fires, to help them find a safe place to stay, warm food to eat, and any other needs they may have in the hours after the fire.

TravelCenters of America employees provide the children with a reason to smile. They purchase new toys to place under the tree in the lobby of the national headquarters building in Westlake.  About 400 toys were under the tree when Red Cross volunteers retrieved them on Tuesday, December 20th to transfer them to the Greater Cleveland Chapter headquarters.

The children were brought to the Red Cross the next day, to choose a toy of their own from the vast selection of teddy bears, Barbie dolls, board games, art supplies and more.

“The employees will watch which toys are being collected, to make sure there’s an equal amount for boys and girls.” Sharon said. “If someone notices there isn’t a squishy teddy bear, they buy one to place under the tree.”

This is the 18th year employees of TravelCenters of America have been collecting new toys for children who have received help from the Red Cross.  In that time, nearly 5,000 toys have been donated.

“The volunteers who respond to the fires have seen the children in their darket hours,” said Renee Palagyi, Senior Disaster Program Manager for the Northeast Ohio Region.  “It’s so powerful to be able to see the children in such a happy setting.  It’s incredible.”

The toys collected by TravelCenters of America employees are distributed throughout the region, so children who have been affected by home fires in all 5 chapters in Northeast Ohio have a chance to have a happier holiday season.

Many families experience home fires during the holiday season.  Here are some ways to keep your family safe at this time of year.

Click here to see more pictures from the 2016 Travel Centers of America/Red Cross toy drive and distribution.

Annual Holiday Blood Drive a Success

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Almost 600 people came to donate yesterday at the Sheraton Suites Akron/Cuyahoga Falls blood drive and the Red Cross collected 560 pints of blood. Yesterday’s event will help ensure patients have the blood they need throughout the holiday season. We encourage donors who weren’t able to come and give at the Sheraton  to find a drive near them in coming weeks and help the Red Cross during a time of critical need.

Photo Credit: Mary Williams/American Red Cross
Photo Credit: Mary Williams/American Red Cross
Photo Credit: Mary Williams/American Red Cross
Photo Credit: Mary Williams/American Red Cross
Photo Credit: Mary Williams/American Red Cross

Tiffany Circle Members Visit Cleveland FBI Building

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Greater Cleveland Chapter Board and Tiffany Circle Member, Laurie Laidlaw, welcomed fellow Tiffany Circle members recently to an exclusive experience.

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They were gathered at the FBI building in downtown Cleveland as part of their quarterly Tiffany Circle gathering. Stephen Anthony, the Special Agent in Charge of the Cleveland Office of the FBI, spoke to the women about the special relationship of the FBI and the Red Cross, and shared information about the FBI surveillance and response during last summer’s RNC.

The group also learned about active shooter scenarios from Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Todd Werth, and how they could stay safe during such an event.

Finally, the Tiffany Circle members were given a tour of the FBI Cleveland Gun Vault.

By investing $10,000 or more annually in their local Red Cross chapters, the women of the Tiffany Circle follow in the footsteps of a long line of women leaders who have helped the Red Cross serve the American public in times of war and peace with disaster assistance, blood collection, safety training and countless other community assistance services.

To learn more about how to join our local Tiffany Circle, please call 216-431-3010 and ask for Scott Thompson.

The Globetrotters and the Great Assist

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Legendary Basketball Heroes Provide Help and Hope in the Face of Disasters

When you’re 6’ 8” tall, you don’t need a ladder to install a smoke alarm.

Unless your ceilings are REALLY high.

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Harlem Globetrotters forward Zeus McClurkin installs a smoke alarm in a home on Lawnview Avenue in Cleveland, as Regional CEO Mike Parks and Disaster Program Specialist Emily Probst observe.  Photo credit: Jim McIntyre/American Red Cross

Zeus McClurkin, a forward for the Harlem Globetrotters,  accompanied Regional CEO Mike Parks and other Red Cross workers and firefighters from the Cleveland Fire Department on Monday, December 12 to install smoke alarms in homes on Lawnview Avenue.

Residents who live in 25 homes in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood are now safer, after Zeus and the rest of the volunteers installed 75 smoke alarms.

“Having working smoke alarms cuts the risk of injury or death in a home fire in half,” said the eight-year veteran of the team.  “I’m happy to help the Red Cross with this lifesaving mission.”

Zeus McClurkin installs a smoke alarm in the home of Cleveland resident Mikael Raheem
Cleveland resident Mikael Raheem receives fire safety information from Disaster Program Specialist Emily Probst, as CEO Mike Parks and Zeus McClurkin observe
Disaster Program Specialist Emily Probst shares fire safety information with Cleveland resident Teressa Jackson, as Zeus McClurkin installs a smoke alarm
Cleveland firefighter Marco Lavender, Cleveland City Councilman T. J. Dow, Cleveland Fire Lt. Daphne Tyus, Regional Red Cross CEO Mike Parks, Cleveland resident Mikael Raheem, and Zeus McClurkin

Since 2014, the Red Cross has installed more than 500,000 smoke alarms nationwide. Nearly 13,000 smoke alarms were installed in Northeast Ohio last year. Together with the Harlem Globetrotters,  local fire departments and other community partners, our goal is to install our one millionth smoke alarm by October 2017 to help Americans stay safer from home fires.

Every eight minutes, the American Red Cross responds to a disaster, most of which are home fires, which claim more lives annually than all major disasters combined. The Red Cross and the Harlem Globetrotters have teamed up through The Great Assist initiative to help communities across America to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters big and small. Join with us as we raise urgently needed funds to support families during times of crisis throughout the year. Your donation can bring help and hope to those who need it most. Text ASSIST to 90999 to make a $10 donation now that will truly make a difference.

The Globetrotters played 2 games at Quicken Loans Arena on December 27th.

In addition, the team played at the Canton Civic Center  on January 27, and at the Covelli Center in Youngstown on January 28.

 

Celebrating the Holidays in NEO

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There were tons and tons of cookies.

(And, let’s be honest, isn’t that all you need to get a holiday celebration started?)

With food, friendship, board games, and – yes – cookies, staff from across the region gathered together at the Akron office to celebrate the holiday season.

There were many activities, including a holiday song game where all in attendance were paired off and encouraged to sing a snippet of a holiday classic. The highlight was surely the duet, “Baby it’s Cold Outside” as sung by Mike Parks and new employee, Garland Hairston.

In addition to cookies, singing, laughter and comradery, staff members collected toys that will be given to children who experience a home fire this winter.

Holiday Party 2016

Click on the image above to view our Flickr album.

Frozen, But Not in a Disney Princess Sort-of Way…

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True story: One frozen January day in 2013, I went to check on my parents’ home while they were out of town. As I entered the house, it was immediately clear that something was very wrong. I could still see the steam from my own breath even as I walked in to the living room. And there was a rushing sound coming from the back of the house, like I was standing at the observation deck overlooking Niagara Falls.
In their absence, my parents’ furnace had gone out and one of the pipes in the upstairs shower had burst in the frigid temperatures. Water was cascading through the ceiling of the kitchen, pouring out of the cabinets, raining through the overhead light fixture. The carpet in the dining room, just through the arched doorway, was soaked 4-feet out from the pool of water standing on the linoleum.
Everything had to be replaced.
Being prepared and informed may help you and your family avoid the messy and often expensive issue of frozen pipes. With today’s below freezing temperatures already causing concern, here is some information and suggestions around how to thaw  water pipes in the home if they do freeze and what you can do to prevent the problem.
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Why Pipe Freezing is a Problem:
Water has a unique property in that it expands as it freezes. This expansion puts tremendous pressure on whatever is containing it, including metal or plastic pipes. No matter the “strength” of a container, expanding water can cause pipes to break. Pipes that freeze most frequently are those that are exposed to severe cold, like outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines, water sprinkler lines, and water supply pipes in unheated interior areas like basements and crawl spaces, attics, garages, kitchen cabinets – or bathrooms when the furnace has been not working for who-knows-how-long. Pipes that run against exterior walls (like my parents’) that have little or no insulation are also subject to freezing.
Here’s what you can do right now:
  • Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.
  • Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
  • When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe – even at a trickle – helps prevent pipes from freezing.
  • Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
  • If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55° F.
To Thaw Frozen Pipes
  • If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out, suspect a frozen pipe. Likely places for frozen pipes include against exterior walls or where your water service enters your home through the foundation.
  • Keep the faucet open. As you treat the frozen pipe and the frozen area begins to melt, water will begin to flow through the frozen area. Running water through the pipe will help melt ice in the pipe.
  • Apply heat to the section of pipe using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, an electric hair dryer, a portable space heater (kept away from flammable materials), or by wrapping pipes with towels soaked in hot water. Do not use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove, or other open flame device.
  • Apply heat until full water pressure is restored. If you are unable to locate the frozen area, if the frozen area is not accessible, or if you can not thaw the pipe, call a licensed plumber.
  • Check all other faucets in your home to find out if you have additional frozen pipes. If one pipe freezes, others may freeze, too.
Preventing Frozen Pipes today or tomorrow (or anytime this season):

Before the onset of cold weather, prevent freezing of these water supply lines and pipes by following these recommendations:

  • Drain water from swimming pool and water sprinkler supply lines following manufacturer’s or installer’s directions. Do not put antifreeze in these lines unless directed. Antifreeze is environmentally harmful, and is dangerous to humans, pets, wildlife, and landscaping.
  • Remove, drain, and store hoses used outdoors. Close inside valves supplying outdoor hose bibs. Open the outside hose bibs to allow water to drain. Keep the outside valve open so that any water remaining in the pipe can expand without causing the pipe to break.
  • Check around the home for other areas where water supply lines are located in unheated areas. Look in the basement, crawl space, attic, garage, and under kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Both hot and cold water pipes in these areas should be insulated.
  • Consider installing specific products made to insulate water pipes like a “pipe sleeve” or installing UL-listed “heat tape,” “heat cable,” or similar materials on exposed water pipes. Newspaper can provide some degree of insulation and protection to exposed pipes – even ¼” of newspaper can provide significant protection in areas that usually do not have frequent or prolonged temperatures below freezing.
Future Protection:
  • Consider relocating exposed pipes to provide increased protection from freezing.
  • Pipes can be relocated by a professional if the home is remodeled.
  • Add insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces. Insulation will maintain higher temperatures in these areas.
  • For more information, please contact a licensed plumber or building professional.

Let the Annual Weather Games Begin

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May the forecast be ever in your favor….

If you like snow and cold, you are REALLY in luck this week. According to our partners at the Weather Channel, Northeast Ohio is in for some outstanding winter weather with snow giving way to freezing temperatures and then back to an icy, wintery mix over the next 10 days.

But we’ll leave the forecasting to the professionals.

Let’s chat about some things that you and your family can do to prepare for the winter weather that is upon us. But first, please remember your friends and neighbors – especially those who may have functional or access needs – and check on them. Help them get prepared as well, if you are able!

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Smoke Alarm Requests Spike

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Red Cross, Partners Hard at Work to Fulfill Requests Following Fatal Akron Fire

In the immediate aftermath of the devastating fire in Akron’s North Hill neighborhood on Saturday, December 3, hundreds of Northeast Ohio residents called the Red Cross to request free smoke alarms.

The Red Cross offers free smoke alarms, free installation, and free home fire safety inspections for every residence in need in Northeast Ohio.  This initiative, known locally as Operation Save-A-Life, began in Cleveland in 1992.  It has since been rolled out nationwide, with the goal of reducing serious injury and death due to home fires by 25% over a five year period.

On Tuesday, December 6, the Red Cross and the Akron Fire Department went door-to-door in the neighborhood where the fatal fire occured, offering to install smoke alarms in every home.  Many media outlets covered the effort, including the Akron Beacon Journal, WEWS, WJW, and WOIO.

Bob Jones of WEWS coversing the installation of smoke alarms in Akron
WJW Photographer Jim Pijor records John Gareis installing a smoke alarm
Lacey Crisp of WOIO covering the story
Akron resident Rodney Bowden was interviewed by WJW reporter Maia Belay
Rachel D’Attoma, Executive Director of the Summit, Portage, and Medina Counties Chapter was interviewed by Maia Belay of WJW

“It’s very unfortunate that it takes something like this for the community to say, ‘Yes, we need smoke detectors,’ ” Rachel D’Attoma, Executive Director of the Summit, Portage, and Medina Counties Chapter told the ABJ.

If your home doesn’t have a working smoke alarm on every floor, log onto the Operation Save-A-Life page on the Red Cross website, or call 330-535-2030 in theAkron area, 216-361-5535 in Greater Cleveland, or 866-319-7160 in the Youngstown area.