Tri-State Area Fires Have Red Cross Workers Working Overtime
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Red Cross volunteers who help victims of fires have had their hands full in the Tri-State Area lately.
WCBS 880's Monica Miller On The Story
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Dry and windy conditions with above normal temperatures and below normal rainfal have all contributed to an increased risk of fire.
Between a brush fire on Staten Island, a massive blaze in The Bronx, and an apartment complex fire in East Garden City, the squawk from the emergency dispatch radios never seemed to end at the communications center of the Red Cross, WCBS 880's Monica Miller reported.
Michael De Vulpillieres, who works in media relations for the American Red Cross, told Miller that, on average, they respond to seven disasters a day across the five boroughs, Long Island, the Lower Hudson Valley, and Greenwich, Conn.
"In the last seven days alone, we've responded to nearly 70 disasters," he told Miller.
They help people get temporary shelter, clothes, and food when they lose everything.
Dario Diaz, Regional Director of Mass Care and Logistics for the Red Cross, told Miller they have roughly 5,000 volunteers throughout our region.
"We also have been serving the emergency responders -- the firemen who are working on a brush ... there's a lot of smoke and they actually need some water or need some food," Diaz said.
Have you been helped by the Red Cross lately? Please share your story in the comments section below!
