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Jones County VFDs praise American Red Cross

Jan 5, 2010

— Jones County Volunteer Fire Departments are praising the efforts of the American Red Cross following a record breaking string of structure fires over the past month in Jones County.
Since the week of Thanksgiving, Jones County volunteer firefighters have battled 19 structure fires in the county with several families losing all of their possessions in the fires.
“We rely heavily on the American Red Cross when there is a structure fire that displaces a family in Jones County,” notes Jones County Fire Coordinator Dan McKenna. “Often these families have nowhere to go, no clothes other than what they were wearing and have essentially lost all of their physical possessions. We refer these families to the American Red Cross for emergency assistance and they always come through.”
Jones County Fire Council President Gordon Pitts, who is also the fire chief at Ovett VFD, comments, “What many people do not realize is that we also call the American Red Cross for firefighter support at the scene of large-scale incidents where our volunteer firefighters may be deployed for an extended period.  They bring food and drinks to keep our firefighters nourished and are of course there for victim support as well.” 
Adds McKenna, “As most people know, disasters large and small happen 24 hours a day, seven days a week and regardless of the time we call the Red Cross for assistance, they respond. They are as much a part of the emergency response system as we are and we encourage residents to please continue to donate to our local Pine Belt Chapter of the American Red Cross so that there is no potential for a shortfall in the services they provide.” 
The Pine Belt Chapter of the American Red Cross serves citizens in Jones, Wayne, Smith and Jasper counties and is headed by Peggy Owens-Mansfield.  Citizens wishing to contact the Pine Belt Chapter of the American Red Cross may call 601-426-9071.
As the largest humanitarian organization in the United States, the American Red Cross depends on volunteers to accomplish the organization's mission: providing relief to victims of disasters and helping people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.
In general, the Red Cross provides disaster relief and preparedness, international tracing, messaging to members of the Armed Forces and their families, health and safety classes, blood donations and much more. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.
Fire Chief Pitts further notes, “We could not envision life in emergency services without the support that the American Red Cross provides.  We know it’s a difficult time financially for many people, but if you can make a local donation be assured that it will be used to help fellow citizens in the four county area who are in need following a disaster such as the loss of their home and possessions due to a fire, tornado, flood or other disaster.”

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