SACRAMENTO,
Calif.,
Thursday, July 17, 2014 — The
American Red Cross Capital Region is targeting “high-risk” communities to raise
fire safety awareness and reduce fire risks. This Sunday, local Red Cross
volunteers will begin an effort to educate and inform community members in Calaveras County about the dangers of home and
wildfires and what they can do to prepare and reduce their risks.
“Home fires
are by far the most common disaster across the country, so it is critical that
everyone take steps to prepare and help prevent these tragedies,” said Kathleen
Weis, Chief Executive Officer of the Red Cross Capital Region. “Building awareness
and taking action is key to reducing the number of fire incidents in our
communities.”
Working with
local fire and law enforcement agencies, Red Cross volunteers will go
door-to-door, canvassing local neighborhoods considered “high-risk” for fire
emergencies, providing information directly to residents that will help them to
prepare and protect themselves, their families, and their homes from the threat
of home and wildfires.
This outreach
effort aims to reach more than 3,000 homes in Calaveras County
by October. Red Cross volunteers plan to be in the following areas on the
following dates, though the info is subject to change:
- July 20 - Central Calaveras Fire Protection District
- July 27 - Mokelumne Hill
- August 3 - West Point
- August 17 - Copperopolis
- September 7 - City of Angels
- September 21 - Valley Springs/Jenny Lind/Burson/Wallace
- October 5 - Murphys
- October 19 - San Andreas
In addition
to the canvassing events, the Red Cross also plans to participate in town hall
meetings with representatives of the Calaveras County Office of Emergency
Services, CAL FIRE, and local Fire Departments. Dates, times, and locations of
Town Hall meetings will be determined at a later date.
For more
information, please contact the West Point Fire Association at (209) 293-7005.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross
shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters;
supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides
international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their
families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency
— and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to
perform its mission. The Capital Region serves a twenty-four county territory
including Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lassen,
Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra,
Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yolo, and Yuba
counties. For more information, visit www.redcross.org/capitalregion or follow us on Twitter @RedCrossCRC..