Environmental Committee: Red Cross Smoke Alarm Volunteers

Note: A copy of the Apr. 2022 email sent to the Harrisburg NAACP Environmental Committee follows. Internal links de-linked, attached postscript, and referenced as such.

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Apologies, <Redacted>.

I don't have the script for the educational cartoon on fire readiness yet. I failed to make the draft an earlier priority. Since the Committee update last month, I've volunteered more than 30 extra hours at work (including 10 tonight -- and not to mention 10 more on May Day tomorrow).

Between time-sensitive events i.e. replenishing my emergency savings; self-filing state/federal/local taxes; receiving dental and specialty medical care for the first time in three years; and an eight-hour training for a recertification exam (that ended the afternoon of the branch meeting a couple of days ago), I just didn't make the script a priority.

However, it's no excuse. I first committed to the active drafting of the script a few months ago.

See Environmental Committee: Research on Basic Fire Safety, Prevention below.

I want to do better. Fortunately, tomorrow is the start of a new week -- and a new month. It'll help me track my progress if I commit 10 minutes or more to the script until the next meeting.

In regard to fire readiness, the American Red Cross says it responds to home fires more than any other emergency event. It also notes that home fires -- often preventable -- claim the lives of seven people each day. Every May, the organization hosts its annual "Sound the Alarm - Save a Life" campaign for which volunteers install 50,000 smoke detectors across the country. Aside from a personal fundraising challenge, the volunteer event nearest Harrisburg is in Maryland.

The following link contains a toolkit of factoids/short videos/print-outs on testing a smoke detector every month, performing a two-minute fire drill -- and more. It may be helpful for yourself, a neighbor, or a loved one. And it's shareable on social media and via email!

See www.redcross.org/sound-the-alarm.html.

And to request a free smoke detector through the Pennsylvania Red Cross, click www.redcross.org/local/pennsylvania/greater-pennsylvania/about-us/our-work/home-fire-campaign/smoke-alarm-request.html.

In addition, I've contributed a small donation towards the organization's Home Fire Campaign. 

Until next time,

Jubalyn ExWilliams
Chair | Environmental Committee
Harrisburg NAACP
XXX-XXX-XXXX

Firefighter dousing a fire (Credit: "RAF Firefighter" by Defence Images)

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The founding Environmental Committee of the Harrisburg NAACP popularizes awareness for fire safety & prevention in the City of Harrisburg. Upon its formal conception in March 2021, the Committee has been developing a free educational product for young learners about non-arson house fires.

Would you like to join the Harrisburg NAACP and help shape the Environmental Committee, or another committee? Contact the Greater Harrisburg Area NAACP at hbgnaacp.com, its first website in 5 years.

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Related: Environmental Committee: Research on Basic Fire Safety, Prevention (Jan. 2022)
Related: Environmental Committee: Black History Month - Recognizing Former EPA Whistleblower (Feb. 2022)
Related: Environmental Committee: Women's History Month - Recognizing Wangari Maathai (Mar. 2022)
Related: Environmental Committee: Fire Safety Cartoon, I (May 2022)
Related: Environmental Committee: Harrisburg Fire Department (Sept. 2022)
Related: Environmental Committee: GHTU (Jul. 2021)
Related: Environmental Committee: GHTU, II (Aug. 2021)
Related: Environmental Committee: Proposal on Harrisburg Fire Safety, Prevention (Mar. 2021)​