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The Red Cross provided cash assistance for lodging until the family could reach their insurance company the following Monday.
The Red Cross was later informed by Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue that the Vesley family had attended a presentation from the Red Cross regarding preparing for disasters and emergency situations. The Vesleys had recently practiced a family emergency plan and attributed their escape from the home to the plan they had developed.
The fire started under the hood of the family car in the garage of their home. The parents and their three young boys attribute their escape to their plan to meet at the apple tree in the back of the house or the mailbox in the front of the house.
The Red Cross encourages families to discuss the following steps to respond to a fire in the home by: (1) have two escape routes from every room (2) agree on a reunion point outside of the home to meet (3) practice crawling out of the home with your eyes shut (4) make sure to sleep with bedroom doors closed.
Free Red Cross presentations about how to prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies are available for groups of 10 or more. Families can also receive a free 24-page booklet called Together We Prepare Oregon that was developed with Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, Portland Office of Emergency Management and others. Call (503) 528-5665 or visit www.redcross-pdx.org for more information. |
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