American Red Cross Assisting Windsor Locks Family Following Fire

The American Red Cross is providing assistance to a family of five — one adult and four children — with emergency food and clothing needs after a fire on Sunday, July 5, on Pleasant Street in Windsor Locks.

Stuffed animal toys were provided to the affected children, according to American Red Cross spokesman Paul Shipman.

Red Cross volunteers Ann Marie Braun, Ben Schenkman and Joseph Gavagni responded to assist the family.

The Red Cross is also providing comfort kits containing personal care items such as toothbrushes, deodorant, shaving supplies and other items a resident might not have been able to gather in the rush to escape the fire. Also provided was an envelope of information helpful to families recovering from a fire, including tips on cleanup; notification of important contacts; dealing with damaged items and more.

Read more from the press release below:

PREVENT HOME FIRES:

The American Red Cross has launched a campaign to reduce deaths and injuries caused by home fires by 25% in five years. There are two actions you can take to substantially reduce the risk of death or injury in a home fire.

Install smoke alarms: Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a fire in half. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home inside bedrooms and sleeping areas. The Red Cross offers a program to install FREE smoke alarms in your home and provide additional fire safety information. Call 1-877-287-3327 and press option one to request a home fire safety visit or register for a visit at http://www.redcross.org/ct/schedule-a-visit.

Practice fire drills at home: Fire experts agree that you may have as little as 2 minutes to escape a burning home before it’s too late to get out. Use this Home Fire Escape Plan worksheet to plan your evacuation and practice it at least twice a year as a family.

Learn more about the Red Cross home fire prevention campaign.

Fire takes everything. It takes security. It takes safety, dignity and routine. Help the Red Cross give back what fire takes – the items that provide safety and comfort.