News : NCCC- FEMA Corps team helps the American Red Cross in Portland, Maine

By: Kathren Gonzalez

On Saturday, February 9, AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA-Corps team Spruce 2 helped the American Red Cross of Maine launch their Home Fire Preparedness Campaign in Portland, Maine. The purpose of the event was to go door to door in a neighborhood and supply residents with free smoke alarms and installations. In addition to installations, the home visits also involved educating the residents on fire safety and helping create a fire escape plan for their home.

Spruce 2 was directly involved with gathering volunteers, setting up, cleaning up, creating and presenting a safety briefing for volunteers, and mapping out desired neighborhoods. The team also hosted two trainings for volunteers to attend before the event. The training allowed for the volunteers to become familiar with the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign and the individual roles involved with the event.

Spruce 2 Corps member Mariah Verzal, said, “It was evident that the hard work we put into this event was worth it. The installations went well and we were able to get into several homes. I had numerous volunteers tell me that they appreciated how well planned the event was and how smoothly the day went. I am so grateful for my team, and so appreciative of the hard work that they were willing to put into planning this event.”

This is one of many events that the American Red Cross plans to execute. The Home Fire Preparedness Campaign, a nationwide initiative, has a time frame of 5-years. Spruce 2 was privileged enough to help Maine launch this initiative and plan for future successes.