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Joined Forces
American Red Cross and Northeast CT Medical Reserve Corps volunteers joined forces during Home Fire Campaign Installation Day to provide fire safety education and free smoke detectors for 34 homes in northeastern Connecticut. Courtesy photo.


BROOKLYN — Volunteers of the Northeast Connecticut Medical Reserve Corps (NECT MRC) and the American Red Cross (ARC) Territory 4 recently partnered to support the Red Cross “Home Fire Campaign,” a program that provides fire safety education and free installed smoke detectors to any requesting residence.
Feb. 24 the combined teams installed 94 smoke detectors in 34 homes in 11 towns in northeastern Connecticut. The partnership between the two emergency response organizations was recognized by the Red Cross as the first in Connecticut.
The Home Fire campaign is an ongoing program. Any resident who wishes to receive a home fire visit and free smoke detectors installed in their home or apartment can call the Red Cross at 877-287-3327.
“We had good interactions with the public and I think all the volunteers had a positive experience,” said Derek May, a longtime ARC volunteer and coordinator for the NECT MRC. “It was great to see this local collaboration between disaster volunteer agencies. Working side-by-side with partner organizations on everyday initiatives like this will make us much more effective when it’s time to respond to disasters.”
The NECT MRC is the volunteer component of the Northeast District Department of Health (NDDH). It provides a means of organizing and pre-credentialing volunteers who would provide emergency support and staffing during a public health emergency. May also serves as the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for NDDH.
Several of the 25 volunteers who participated in the Home Fire Campaign Install Day in northeast CT are cross-affiliated with Red Cross, MRC, volunteer fire department/Emergency Medical Service, and Amateur Radio Emergency Services. May also commented that this cross-training and cross-affiliation makes for a better educated and experienced volunteer workforce.