By Briana Phillips, American Red Cross volunteer

BRISTOL, Tenn., June 15, 2023 - While no one expects to have a home fire, preparing yourself for the worst is always a smart choice. Bristol, Tennessee resident, Tammy Alls, experienced this firsthand after surviving a home fire last year.

Alls was relieved that she took steps with the Red Cross to prepare to protect herself if a home fire ever struck. “The Red Cross came by and installed smoke alarms for me a couple years ago for my upstairs and downstairs,” Alls said. “Ever since then I have made it a habit to check my alarms a couple times a year to make sure that they are working like they should.”

On July 1, 2022, the alarms came to her aid when they woke Alls up in the middle of the night to a fire on her porch. The fire was caused by cigarette ash that had been left unextinguished on a bed comforter out on her deck. The ash lit a fire which rapidly spread from the comforter to the rug on the deck floor and then to the side of her home. “It only took a little ash,” Alls recalled. “People don’t realize that you don’t need much at all to start a fire.”

As her home was being saved from the fire, Alls remembered the Red Cross being there first thing in the morning to provide her assistance. “The nicest volunteers showed up when the sun was rising,” Alls said. “They gave me an assistance credit card to get some new clothes since I only had the clothes that I was wearing.” Having their support was crucial in helping Alls take the next steps to getting her life back on track.

Now, Alls sees the fire as being “a renewal of life” and thankful for being alive every day. She also sees her story as a prime example of home fire preparedness. Coincidently, Alls had just checked her alarms right before the fire happened. She is grateful that she took the steps to check her alarm beforehand. "I would have never guessed that they’d be utilized so soon,” she added. “That’s why it never hurts to be prepared.”

If your home needs smoke alarms, you can request a free installation from your local Red Cross chapter by going to redcross.org/Tennessee.

Find out how you can serve in your community by searching for current volunteer opportunities. The American Red Cross provides FREE disaster training for all volunteers. Training courses are both online and in-person depending on the course. To find out more about these training opportunities please contact your local Red Cross office.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/Tennessee  or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossTN. The American Red Cross Tennessee Region serves all 95 counties in Tennessee, Crittenden County in Arkansas and Desoto and Tunica counties in Mississippi. The Tennessee Region – part of a nationwide network of locally supported chapters - is comprised of the following eight Red Cross chapters: East Tennessee, Heart of Tennessee, Mid-South, Mid-West Tennessee, Nashville Area, Southeast Tennessee, Northeast Tennessee and Tennessee River.