The American Red Cross of Upstate South Carolina serves Greenville, Abbeville, Anderson, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, and Pickens Counties.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Home Fires Burnin'

Posted by Brian Scoles, PR Director for the Upstate Chapter

Our Red Cross chapter is an integral part of the emergency response system in the Upstate. When called, volunteers are ready to provide immediate help any time of the day or night.

Home fires are considered to be "silent" disasters because many of them do not make the evening news and therefore often go unnoticed.

Losing a house or an apartment to a fire is as traumatic for the family who calls that dwelling “home” as if it had been lost during a highly-publicized natural disaster. Personal loss to these fires may be less newsworthy when a single-family dwelling is destroyed, but the need for emergency assistance is just as great to those individials and the Red Cross will be there to aid in recovery.

Why so many fires? The use of alternate heating sources, population growth in Anderson County, aging structures with faulty wiring, and our elderly parents and grandparents who are struggling to live alone, are just some of the causes.

We may not think of individual fires as having the same impact as a wide-spread disaster, but the shock is just as tremendous. Victims of house fires need immediate emergency assistance—a place to stay, food, clothing, medicine, crisis counseling, and a plan for recovery. Each person is helped to regain control of their own recovery. Flexibility and respect for cultural differences is part of the client assistance and recovery plan.

Our Red Cross plays critical role in neighborhoods throughout the Upstate before, during and after a disaster strikes. Due to the rise in local disasters, resources have been tapped in unprecedented proportions, but our work continues. This past year, our Red Cross responded to over 205 disasters, providing food, clothing, shelter and other emergency necessities to more than 900 people in Greenville, Greenwood, Abbeville, Anderson and Laurens Counties. During the ice storm, another 500 people were cared for in 5 shelters that operated for a full week.

Assistance to disaster victims totals more than $353,000, exceeding our annual budget by over $156,000 with two months still remaining.

The Red Cross helps people respond when disasters strike, but you will always be the first and best resource in an emergency. The Together We Prepare program teaches children and adults first aid techniques and simple steps to prevent or mitigate tragedies, including developing family communication plans and disaster supplies kits. I urge you to call the Red Cross and prepare for an emergency that could impact your family at any moment.

Many thanks to our volunteers and staff, United Way, individuals, corporations, and foundations for your support and involvement in helping the Red Cross help our community. The Red Cross is not a government agency and depends on contributions from you and me. Please continue to be generous where resources are urgently needed.