Red Cross ‘Sounding the Alarm’ in Granite County
Shellie Creveling/Photos
GRANITE COUNTY – Seven people die in house fires every day. Many of those deaths can be prevented with the installation of a smoke alarm.
Shellie Creveling, Disaster Program Manager with the Montana Red Cross, has been in Granite County speaking with students, fire departments, and county leadership about the importance of making homes fire safe.
The Red Cross is sponsoring the free installation of fire alarms in homes around Granite County on Friday and Saturday, May 20 and 21. Families interested or individuals in having these alarms installed can call the Red Cross at 1-800-272-6668 or visit SoundTheAlarm.org/Montana to reserve a time. Installations are scheduled to take place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Creveling was on hand in both Philipsburg and Drummond this week speaking with children about smoke detectors and having a plan to escape their home in case of a fire.
In her meeting with the Valley Fire District, Creveling indicated that there are a number of programs and facilities that the Red Cross can make available in the case of various emergencies. In the event of a home fire that displaces a family either temporarily or permanently, the Red Cross has a number of programs that can offer immediate aid in the form of lodging, clothing and financial assistance.
When a county experiences an emergency that necessitates an evacuation, the Red Cross offers assistance in the form of bedding, facilities organization and other programs to help people deal with the displacement.
In the past, local fire departments have held programs from younger school children and have passed out smoke detectors. If you have one and have not installed it, the Red Cross encourages you to install it properly and check the batteries regularly.
Shellie Creveling/Photos
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