Protecting Families One Alarm at a Time

By Amanda Rothenberg, American Red Cross Intern


Red Cross volunteers, Greg Jones and Lourdes Carrera, pose for a picture before a day of work

As part of our #GetAlarmedNYC initiative, American Red Cross volunteers went door to door throughout Jackson Heights to install free smoke alarms on Saturday December 5. #GetAlarmedNYC, in partnership with the FDNY, is meant to reduce home fire deaths and teach families about the importance of fire safety. Among those who received smoke alarms were Sangeeta Roy and Alexander Gonzales. After the installation they sat down with us to describe the significance of our visit. 



Roy, Carrera and Jones share a moment after the installation of her new smoke alarms.

Q: You had some smoke alarms but they don’t work?

Roy: “My home has none, I had some but they were beeping, they were malfunctioning, and I knew they served no purpose.”

Q: What inspired you to get a smoke alarm?

Roy: “I really wanted the Red Cross to come because I was really concerned about safety for my family… I have a very large family, my mom, my husband, children, brother, sisters.”

Q: What triggered this decision to get a smoke alarm installed?

Roy: “Seeing the news, seeing how many people lost their lives because of not having fire alarms, there were so many innocent lives that were gone, and I know that it was something I didn’t want for myself, for my family.”

Carrera talks fire safety with Gonzales and his two children.

Alexander Gonzales also made the decision to protect his family by installing smoke alarms. 

Q: How did you hear about this?

Gonzales: “I was at the kids’ PTA meeting and someone from the Red Cross came to the meeting and told us about how they were installing free smoke alarms and since I have the kids here in the apartment, I thought it was important for me to get the smoke detector. So I think it was wonderful that they came to the school because I really never thought about it, about having a smoke detector or making sure the ones I have are working.”

Q: We hear stories about tragedies involving homes without a smoke alarm, any thoughts on that?

Gonzales: “Yes, I have been seeing on the news about people dying because of fire, and I think it's great what the Red Cross is doing. If they hadn’t come to the school, I really wouldn't have thought about having [a smoke detector], and the guy explained to us why it was important. It’s very important not only for the kids but for everybody… it’s a way to save lives."

Q: Any message for the Red Cross volunteers?

Gonzales: “I was looking on the website and I saw about the volunteers. I thought the people who were working were part of the Red Cross, I didn’t know it was people in the community involved in this... I really thank you on behalf of my community for being here, to make sure that we are safe and that my kids are safe, and that everyone else’s kids are safe, I think they’re doing a wonderful job and it’s greatly appreciated.”

Roy left us with a parting remark, in regards to the Red Cross volunteers. “My message to these wonderful people, who have come to give their time their patience and their efforts in serving me and my family and helping to save our lives in the future. I want to thank them graciously for their continued work for the people of this country. Thank you for your time and patience.”

To make a smoke alarm installation, to volunteer, or for more information, visit our website or call 877-RedCross.

In Case You Missed It - Dec 21

You don't have to be a Jedi to be a hero! #TheForceAwakens https://t.co/nm46PIcOzy (photo: EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT) pic.twitter.com/qUz8TxAmAy

— American Red Cross (@RedCross) December 18, 2015

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 121 adults and 46 children following 71 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below).

Last Week in Review

• This weekend, our #GetAlarmedNYC team partnered with the Tzu Chi Foundation to install 161 free smoke alarms in Brooklyn.
• Big thank you to our Metro NY North volunteers who helped families displaced by a fire in Peekskill, N.Y. this Saturday.
• All week, as part of an end-of-the-year recap, we counted down our most-read blog posts of the year. See the full list here!
• Last week, our Hell’s Kitchen (NYC), Hawthorne (Westchester) and Mineola (Long Island) offices each hosted quarterly “All-Hands” volunteer meetings. Click here for some photos from the Manhattan event.
• Are you following us on Instagram? Be sure to check out our “Images of 2015” photo series we are featuring all month. Follow @redcrossny to view the daily posts.
• On Tuesday, we posted our most recent #MyRedCrossLife profile: Red Cross volunteer Rahim Chagani from Rego Park, Queens. 
• Early last week, we posted a recap of the Red Cross response to the massive fire that tore through several Bronx homes a few days earlier. Additionally, several news outlets continued their coverage of the incident and our assistance.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• Win a Deluxe Emergency Preparedness Kit by taking the online emergency preparedness training. You’ll be automatically entered to win. This contest is open to residents of New York City, Long Island, Orange, Sullivan, Rockland, Putnam and Westchester Counties. Four winners will be chosen each month (notified via email).
• Jan. 9: Our #GetAlarmedNYC campaign needs volunteers to support daily installation teams every week. The campaign also needs volunteers to support our upcoming Mega Event in Harlem. Sign up for a Home Fire Campaign shift today (link for Red Cross Volunteers).

Best of 2015: Red Cross NY's 6 Most Read Blog Posts of the Year

From science fiction Sharknados to real-life heroes, the Greater New York Red Cross has captured many stories in 2015. As this year comes to a close, we remember some of the happy, funny, heroic, inspiring and informative moments we shared in 2015 by counting down our most read blog posts of the year.

#6: Moving Forward in Carrefour-Feuilles, Haiti (August 2015)
As part of a trip to Haiti earlier this year, our own Michael de Vulpillieres toured Carrefour-Feuilles, one of the communities in Port-au-Prince most affected by the 2010 quake. Last July, de Vulpillieres shared his account of that visit and of the impact of American Red Cross-funded programs in Haiti.

#5: Honoring our Heroes: Blake Farber (October 2015)
See how Blake Farber took action last March after the East Village building explosion, and became a real-life hero. In October, we recognized him at our annual Honoring Our Heroes gala.

#4. Best (and Safest) in Show (February 2015)
February's annual Westminster Kennel Club show reminded us that preparing for disasters is important for your entire family, especially for our pets who can’t prepare for themselves. P.S. This winter don't forget to plan for your pets too!

#3. 13 Things You Did Not Know About the Red Cross in NYC and Beyond (May 2015)
From Ghostbusters to the Titanic to blackouts, this post might teach you a few things about the Red Cross.

#2. Lessons Learned: 6 Steps You Can Take to Prepare For and Survive Sharknado 3 (June 2015)
In preparation for the release of the third installment of this SciFi blockbuster this past June, we asked the important question, "how does one prepare for a Sharknado?"

#1. Remembering 9/11 - The First Few Hours of the Red Cross Response (September 2015)
We looked back at the early hours of the Red Cross response that continued for years after and involved more than 57,000 volunteers and employees from across the country.

In Case You Missed It - Dec 14

Red Cross Volunteer Jennifer MacNeill shares her #MyRedCrossLife story.

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 100 adults and 32 children following 44 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below).

Last Week in Review

• On Friday, Red Cross intern Silvana Espinoza shared a blog post about volunteering in her own neighborhood.
• Late Thursday night into early Friday morning, a massive fire ripped through multiple row houses on Valentine Ave. in the Bronx, leaving more than 80 residents homeless. In response, the Red Cross opened a reception center to provide emergency services for the displaced residents. Of the nearly 30 families who registered with us Friday, 19 needed emergency housing that the Red Cross provided.
• Continuing with our ongoing #MyRedCrossLife Instagram series, we featured Red Cross volunteer Jennifer MacNeill who shared with us why volunteering is so important to her.
• On Thursday, the Roslyn News ran a profile of new Long Island board co-chair Palmira Cataliotti.
• On Wednesday, the Greenwich Sentinel featured a Metro New York North Red Cross event in which board members assembled comfort kits for wounded soldiers in VA Hospitals.
• Also on Wednesday, the Long Island Red Cross held its winter volunteer appreciation event.
• Last week, Elsie Rodriguez and her mother, who lost their Brooklyn apartment of 40 years to a fire, shared with us the impact of Red Cross assistance
• Earlier this month, Congresswoman Grace Meng supported the Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign at P.S. 174 in Rego Park (Queens). School children wrote cards to active service members and veterans.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• Win a Deluxe Emergency Preparedness Kit by taking the online emergency preparedness training. You’ll be automatically entered to win. This contest is open to residents of New York City, Long Island, Orange, Sullivan, Rockland, Putnam and Westchester Counties. Four winners will be chosen each month (notified via email).
• Dec 14, 16, 18: Red Cross blood drive; 1 to 7pm; 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Schedule an appointment to donate today.
• Dec 13-15: The American Red Cross will have a booth at the National Immigrant Integration Conference (NIIC), which is an annual conference that brings together service providers, policy makers, researchers and business leaders from around the country to discuss issues concerning immigration, inclusion and integration.
• Dec 19: If you want to give back to the community and join the#GetAlarmedNYC Home Fire Campaign, attend the Home Fire Safety Academy. Trainings teaching everything you need to know to be a part of this lifesaving effort are taking place on Dec 19. Submit your application today.

Getting Alarmed In My Own Neighborhood

By Silvana Espinoza, American Red Cross

In late September, I was given the opportunity to “ride-along” with Red Cross volunteers during a disaster response shift, an experience that provided me with better insight into the values and work of the Red Cross. A month and a half later, in mid-November, I saw firsthand another part of the Red Cross mission, the #GetAlarmedNYC campaign. The event took place in the Highbridge section of the Bronx, a few blocks from where I live. The Red Cross’ goal that day was to install hundreds of free carbon monoxide and smoke alarms in area homes. Not only did the experience allow me work with many other dedicated volunteers to help save lives, but it allowed me to do so in my own community.

The event began early Saturday morning at Yankee Stadium. Bronx Council Member, Vanessa Gibson and Josh Lockwood, Regional Red Cross CEO were among some of the speakers who provided encouraging words to Red Cross volunteers. After the briefing session, we were geared up, provided with all the necessary equipment and training to head out into the community.

I was teamed up with Ashley DeLuca, an experienced and enthusiastic Red Cross volunteer who had participated in previous smoke alarm installations in the City. Throughout our 3-hour trip, we visited five different homes. Our job was not only to install free smoke alarms, but to also interact and inform residents about fire safety and prevention. In total, we were able to install seven smoke alarms.

Living only a few minutes away from Highbridge, I was able to value and appreciate the commitment of Red Cross volunteers in trying to create a safer environment for families and residents in my community. About two months ago, a 4-alarm tore through an apartment building just blocks from my home, displacing nearly 60 families. The Red Cross was there then helping victims of the fire, and now they were once again back in the Bronx with an army of dedicated volunteers spreading the message of fire-safety and trying to prevent future fire tragedies from reoccurring.

In Case You Missed It - Dec 7

Red Cross helped dozens of families after a 5-alarm fire in the Bronx.

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 109 adults and 51 children following 49 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities (see below).

Last Week in Review

• On Saturday, the #GetAlarmedNYC campaign made its way to Jackson Heights (Queens), where 20 Red Cross volunteer teams canvassed the neighborhood to serve over 700 community residents by installing more than 350 free smoke alarms (photos by Syncere Zakee).
• Saturday also proved to be a busy day for the Metro New York North Red Cross. First up was the annual Battle of the Badges Blood Drive in Greenwich, Conn. where local police, fire and EMS personnel held a friendly competition to see which group could donate the most units of blood.
• There were also two Holiday Mail for Heroes events that took place later that day in Metro NY North: one at the Jefferson Valley Mall and another at Greenwich Hospital.
• On Thursday, volunteers from the Long Island Red Cross supported the Holiday Mail for Heroes program by sorting cards to be given to service members and veterans throughout the region.
• After a terrible 3-alarm fire gutted three homes on Clove Road in Staten Island late Tuesday night morning, Red Cross volunteers worked late into the night to provide emergency housing and emergency financial assistance to one of those families.
• On Tuesday, the Red Cross met with Manhattan Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright who expressed her appreciation for the Red Cross and its readiness to assist her district in the event of an emergency.
• On Monday, the Red Cross helped dozens of families affected by a 5-alarm blaze on Montgomery Ave in the Bronx. Thank you to all who worked late into the night to support this response.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• Win a Deluxe Emergency Preparedness Kit by taking the online emergency preparedness training. You’ll be automatically entered to win. This contest is open to residents of New York City, Long Island, Orange, Sullivan, Rockland, Putnam and Westchester Counties. Four winners will be chosen each month (notified via email).
• Dec 7: Red Cross blood drive; 1 to 7pm; 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Schedule an appointment to donate today.
• Dec 12, 19: If you want to give back to the community and join the #GetAlarmedNYC Home Fire Campaign, attend the Home Fire Safety Academy. Trainings teaching everything you need to know to be a part of this lifesaving effort are taking place on Dec 12 and 19. Submit your application today.
• Dec 13-15: The American Red Cross will have a booth at the National Immigrant Integration Conference (NIIC), which is an annual conference that brings together service providers, policy makers, researchers and business leaders from around the country to discuss issues concerning immigration, inclusion and integration.