Polk Red Cross helps Polk City man after fire

POLK CITY, FL (July 26, 2008 ) – On Saturday, July 26, American Red Cross volunteers helped a man in Polk City whose home was damaged by fire.

The American Red Cross Polk County Chapter learned at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, July 26, that a home caught fire on Deen Still Road in Polk City. The man living there had arranged to stay with friends, but Red Cross volunteers were able to provide him with emergency assistance for groceries, clothing, and shoes, as well as a personal hygiene kit.

Whenever called, day or night, Polk Red Cross volunteers respond to help people in need. Over the previous 12 months, from July 2007 to June 2008, the Polk County Chapter assisted 209 Polk County families affected by local disasters. Almost all of those were fires in houses and apartment buildings. In this month, July 2008, the Red Cross has helped another 12 Polk County families affected by home fires.

Home fires are the most common disaster seen by Red Cross volunteers. The Red Cross urges families to follow fire prevention tips and practice fire escape plans to ensure every family member escapes fire safely. Information is available at http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_242_,00.html.

Your local Red Cross will always be there to help. The Red Cross is not a government agency, and each Red Cross chapter depends on the generosity the community it serves to do its work. Red Cross workers train people how to prepare for disasters or how to respond with valuable life-saving skills in an emergency. To volunteer, take classes, or donate to the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter, visit the chapter at 147 Avenue A, NW in Winter Haven; visit online at http://polkcountyfl.redcross.org; e-mail us at polkcofl@polkredcross.org; or call (863) 294-5941.

Polk Red Cross helps Davenport family after home fire

DAVENPORT, FL (July 23, 2008 ) – On Wednesday morning, July 23, American Red Cross volunteers with the Polk County Chapter assisted a Davenport family of four whose home had caught fire.

Two members of the chapter’s Disaster Action Team drove to the home on Rodale Street in Davenport, and provided four adults with temporary shelter, comfort kits (personal hygiene kits), odor-control concentrated cleaner to help salvage items from the home, a Red Cross clean-up kit, and stuffed animal toys to help comfort them.

Home fires are still the most common disaster affecting local families – 209 families in Polk County from July 2007 to June 2008. Another 11 families have been affected in Polk County since July 1, 2008.

Please take whatever precautions you can to prevent home fires and make sure you have a plan for every member of your family to escape the home safely in the event of a fire.

Polk Red Cross helps Lakeland family after apartment fire

LAKELAND, FL (July 17, 2008 ) – Thursday night, July 17, American Red Cross volunteers helped a family in Lakeland whose home was damaged by fire that night.

American Red Cross Polk County Chapter learned at 7:58 p.m. Thursday about a one half of a duplex catching fire on New Tampa Highway on Lakeland. Fortunately, their apartment complex was able to relocate the two adults and two children to another apartment. Red Cross volunteers responded by 9:15 p.m. and provided the family with emergency assistance for groceries, clothing, and shoes; comfort kits (personal hygiene kits) and two Mickey Mouse stuffed toys to comfort the children.

Since July 1, 2008, local American Red Cross volunteers have helped 13 families: 31 adults and 29 children, in Polk and Highlands Counties. Whenever called, day or night, considerate and compassionate volunteers respond to help people in need. Over the previous 12 months, from July 2007 to June 2008, the Polk County Chapter assisted 209 Polk County families affected by local disasters. Almost all of those were fires in houses and apartment buildings.

Home fires are the most common disaster seen by Red Cross volunteers. The Red Cross urges families to follow fire prevention tips and practice fire escape plans to ensure every family member escapes fire safely. Information is available at http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_242_,00.html.

Polk Red Cross helps Lakeland family after fire

LAKELAND, FL (July 13, 2008 ) — On Sunday night, July 13, American Red Cross volunteers helped a family in Lakeland whose home was damaged by fire that night.

American Red Cross Polk County Chapter learned at 8:10 p.m. Sunday about a house catching fire on Flat Road on Lakeland. Volunteers responded and provided two adults and an infant with temporary shelter, emergency assistance for groceries and infant supplies, odor-control concentrated cleaner to help salvage items from the home, and a Red Cross clean-up kit.

Since July 1, Polk Red Cross volunteers have averaged one fire call per day. Whenever called, day or night, considerate and compassionate volunteers respond to help people in need. Over the previous 12 months, from July 2007 to June 2008, the Polk County Chapter assisted 209 Polk County families affected by local disasters. Almost all of those were fires in houses and apartment buildings.

Home fires are the most common disaster seen by Red Cross volunteers. The Red Cross urges families to follow fire prevention tips and practice fire escape plans to ensure every family member escapes fire safely. Information is available at http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_242_,00.html.

Polk Red Cross helps Winter Haven family after fire

WINTER HAVEN, FL (July 12, 2008 ) — On Saturday morning, July 12, American Red Cross volunteers helped a family in Winter Haven whose home was damaged by fire the previous night.

At 9:48 a.m. Saturday, the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter learned about the fire Friday night on Avenue H, SE, in Winter Haven. The two adults living there had already arranged to stay with family. Volunteers with the local Red Cross Disaster Action Team provided them with comfort kits (personal hygiene kits); emergency assistance for clothing, shoes, groceries; odor-control concentrated cleaner to help salvage items from the home, a Red Cross clean-up kit, and both Mickey Mouse and teddy bear stuffed animal toys to help comfort them.

Since July 1, Polk Red Cross volunteers have averaged one fire call per day. Whenever called, day or night, considerate and compassionate volunteers respond to help people in need. Over the previous 12 months, from July 2007 to June 2008, the Polk County Chapter assisted 209 Polk County families affected by local disasters. Almost all of those were fires in houses and apartment buildings.

Home fires are the most common disaster seen by Red Cross volunteers. The Red Cross urges families to follow fire prevention tips and practice fire escape plans to ensure every family member escapes fire safely. Information is available at http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_242_,00.html.

Polk Red Cross helps Loughman family after fire

LOUGHMAN, FL (July 10, 2008 ) — On Thursday evening, American Red Cross volunteers helped a family in Loughman, Fla., after  a fire destroyed their home.

At 6 p.m. Thursday, July 10, volunteers with the Disaster Action Team from the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter arrived on the scene of a mobile home fire on Old Kissimmee Road in Loughman, Fla. The fire had displaced a family of five — a mother and five teenagers — one of whom was injured while escaping the fire.

Volunteers provided the family with temporary shelter; emergency assistance for groceries clothing, and shoes; comfort kits (personal hygiene kits); landlord verification forms to assist in relocation, and both Mickey Mouse and teddy bear stuffed animals to help comfort them.

Since July 1, Polk Red Cross volunteers have averaged one fire call per day. Whenever called, day or night, considerate and compassionate volunteers respond to help people in need. Over the last 12 months, from July 2007 to June 2008, the Polk County Chapter assisted 209 Polk County families affected by local disasters. Almost all of those were fires in houses and apartment buildings.

Home fires are the most common disaster seen by Red Cross volunteers. The Red Cross urges families to follow fire prevention tips and practice fire escape plans to ensure every family member escapes fire safely. Information is available at http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_242_,00.html.

Home fires are at an all-time high for Polk County Chapter

Fires kill more Americans and affect more households each year than all natural disasters combined. Over the last 12 months, the people of Polk County have found this to be true.

In the last 12 months, the local American Red Cross Polk County Chapter has seen 209 families affected by home fires.

• Polk County saw 70 people affected by home fires in March 2008 alone.
• Highlands County had more than twice as many families affected by local home fires this year than last year.
• To date, since July 2007, both counties combined have helped more than 250 families affected by local disasters, mostly home fires.

Home fires are the most common local disaster, and the Red Cross will always be there to help. Committed, compassionate volunteers will respond at all hours, even in the middle of the night to help families, no matter the size of the fire or the family. Still, we would prefer people not experience the pain of home fires.

Practice fire prevention. Check and maintain smoke alarms. Keep working fire extinguishers in your home and learn how to use them. Develop and practice a home fire escape plan, so every family member can escape quickly and safely.

To get started, visit our site at http://polkcountyfl.redcross.org for safety tips to prevent most causes of fires and prepare your family should a fire occur:

• Fire Safety fact sheet
• Smoke Alarms
• Escape Planning
• Cooking Fires
• Children and Fires
• Candle Safety
• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Please do whatever you can to help us prevent local home fires, the most common local disaster, and please continue to support your local American Red Cross by donating your time, skills, or funds to the American Red Cross. Call 294-5941 or e-mail us at polkcofl@polkredcross.org.

Polk Red Cross helps Winter Haven family of four

WINTER HAVEN, FL (July 9, 2008 ) – On Wednesday afternoon, July 9, American Red Cross workers helped a family of four in Winter Haven after a fire damaged their home.

The American Red Cross Polk County Chapter received a call shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 9, that a fire had burned part of a home on Monroe Road in Winter Haven. They arrived on scene at 2:30 p.m. and within 30 minutes had provided the family with temporary shelter, emergency assistance for groceries and infant supplies, and a Red Cross clean-up kit.

Local Red Cross volunteers have averaged about one fire call each day for the new service year, which began on July 1, continuing a busy trend from the previous 12 months. From July 2007 to June 2008, the American Red Cross Polk County Chapter assisted 209 Polk County families affected by local disasters, almost all of which were home fires, either individual houses or apartment buildings. Whenever called, day or night, considerate and compassionate volunteers respond to help people in need.

Home fires are the most common disaster that Red Cross volunteers witness. Volunteers urge families to follow fire prevention tips and to make and practice fire escape plans to ensure all family members escape a fire safely. Information on preventing fire and planning for home fires is available at http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_242_,00.html.