Community Service and Fire Safety

Did you know April is National Volunteer Month? Fortunately, it's not too late to get involved and we're here to help you out with some awesome ideas of how to give back to your community and promote fire safety at the same time.

• Many local fire departments and/or Red Cross organizations are always seeking volunteers to go door-to-door installing and testing smoke alarms. Volunteers can also provide community residents with fire safety/preparedness information and more. Contact a local branch to volunteer in your neighborhood.

• Do you have an idea for a group of people that would benefit from seeing a live burn demo? Contact your state sprinkler coalition and try to coordinate one. Check out some examples here and here.

• You may surprised to learn that approximately seven out of every ten firefighters and emergency responders are volunteers. Get involved in a local volunteer fire department if there is one in your community. To learn more about volunteering and to find out if there's a nearby station looking for help, check out the National Volunteer Fire Council.
  

• The effects of home fires can be devastating and, in some cases, families lose everything. The Red Cross has set up a Disaster Relief program that you can dontate to by vistiing redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations are used to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small--including home fires.