Family and Home

Home Fires The toll of home fires on American families and communities is staggering. Each year nearly 400,000 families are affected by home fires. Every two hours someone in the United States dies in a home fire, totaling roughly 3,000 people. Young children are the most at risk as fire is the leading cause of unintentional death for those under the age of five.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, the number of residential fires has increased 4 percent since 2000, and the average cost of a home fire is more than $17,000, up 21 percent since 2000. The Red Cross response to home fires has increased even more dramatically, rising 10 percent since 2000.

Tragically, all of this loss, suffering, and even death are caused by a disaster that can often be prevented. As America’s partner in preparedness, it is essential that we continue to raise community awareness about how the American Red Cross can help families prevent and prepare for fires, and our critical role in providing aid and comfort in the aftermath of home fires.

Be Red Cross Ready at Home

Terrorism Preparation

Business

Every year emergencies take their toll on industry and business - in lives and dollars.  An emergency is any unplanned event that can cause deaths or significant injury to employees, customers or the public; or that can shut down your business, disrupt operations, cause physical or environmental damage or threaten the facilities financial standing or public image. 

Prepare your business

We can assist your business in preparing for the unexpected by offering training to your employees on preparing their home for disaster, making them more likely to be available for work.  We can also train how to shelter employees and customers in place.  Upon request we have additional information about how to write your company's own disaster plan.

School

Masters of Disaster® is a disaster safety curriculum integrating disaster safety into Kindergarten to 8th-grade students' daily lesson plans nationwide. Children will learn how to prevent, prepare for, and respond to a disaster in their home, school, or community.  There are three separate curricula—one for K-2, one for 3-5, and one for 6-8.

While strengthening students' core academic skills, the Masters of Disaster curriculum educates them about hazards that cause injury, death, and damage in the United States. The curriculum focuses on--

• General disaster preparedness
• Hurricanes
• Floods
• Tornadoes
• Lightning
• Earthquakes

If you school would like to use Masters of Disaster please contact the chapter office at 573.335.9471.

Church

The faith community is a powerful force in any community.  The Red Cross would like to partner with churches to offer members education on preparing their homes for disaster.  We would also like to work with your church by preparing to shelter community members if there is a disaster.  Your building can become a Red Cross shelter offering safe harbor from the storm and the members of your church can be trained how to safely staff that shelter.

Pets

The American Red Cross understands the importance of pets to their owners. We are working with public and private organizations, as well as individuals dedicated to animal care in local communities, to assist concerned pet owners during disasters. In addition to community-based organizations, there are national organizations that can be valuable resources to owners and communities in planning for pet care during disasters.

In 2006, Congress passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act, requiring state and local governments to incorporate pets and service animals into disaster planning. This unique legislation provides a wonderful opportunity for Red Cross chapters to join local community partners in preparing for the full scope of a disaster response. The success of this initiative depends on both the proper coordination between between agencies and a full understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each agency.

Links

• February is Earthquake Awareness Month