The Red Cross in New York announced Wednesday the launch of a multi-point preparedness program in Bronx communities to prevent fire-related tragedies and have tools during one of these events.
This after reporting that during 2021 the Red Cross responded to 294 fires of one or several families in the Bronx and provided assistance to 1,859 people. Since January 1, 2022, about 29 fires have been reported in this county, among those the deadliest in three decades that occurred in Twin Parks North.
Los vecindarios seleccionados incluyen Allerton, Belmont, Claremont, Concourse, Concourse Village, Crotona Park East, East Tremont, Fordham, Highbridge, Hunts Point, Kingsbridge, Longwood, Melrose, Morris Heights, Mount Eden, Morrisania, Mount Eden, Mount Hope, North Brother Island, Port Morris, South Brother Island, West Farms, University Heights, Van Nest y West Farms,
Preparation programs will be offered both in person and virtually. Upon request, presentations can be made in English, Spanish, Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, French, German, Italian, Mandingo, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, Sussu/Susu/Soso, Twi, and Wolof.
Through this program, the Red Cross encourages all members of the community to become Preparedness Champions:
- Prepare at home: Learn how to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from local hazards, including home fires, by signing up for an in-person or virtual event with Be Red Cross Ready or the New York State Prepare, Respond, Recover program. Hands-Only CPR will also be offered, which can help buy precious time for a person experiencing a cardiac event. Virtual events can be found here: www.redcross.org/gnyprepare
- Teaching children about preparation: The Red Cross will offer educational preparation programs for students in grades K-12, including the Pillowcase Project and Get Ready with Pedro. Get Ready with Pedro is a 30-45 minute educational preparedness program for grades K-2 that teaches students how to BE PREPARED and TAKE ACTION for home fires or local hazards. The Pillowcase Project is an educational preparedness program for grades 3-5 that teaches students about personal and family preparedness and safety skills, local hazards, and basic coping skills.
3. The alarm sounds. Save a Life: In conjunction with the FDNY, the Red Cross will install FREE smoke detectors in area homes and provide fire safety education to families in their homes. To register, visit www.soundthealarm.org/nyc
- Volunteer to help others: Join your local Red Cross to help your community prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters big and small, including home fires. Volunteer opportunities are available at www.redcross.org/gnyvolunteer
“Helping to ensure that our neighbors have the knowledge and skills necessary to help prevent disasters and protect themselves is at the heart of our mission,” said Mary J. Barneby, executive director of the American Red Cross in Greater New York. . “We are so grateful to our partners the NY Yankees and the NYCFC, whose commitment to helping build resilient communities helps ensure we can support our neighbors facing emergencies.”
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