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.