Kentucky Red Cross and Kentucky Power Kick Off National Preparedness Month with AEP Foundation Grant

Each September, National Preparedness Month encourages Americans to be prepared for disasters in their homes, businesses and communities. Every 8 minutes, the Red Cross responds to a disaster, and the vast majority of these are home fires. One of the best ways to prepare for a home fire is to have working smoke alarms, which can reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by nearly 50 percent. On Wednesday, Kentucky Power awarded a $40,000 American Electric Power Foundation grant to the Kentucky Red Cross to support Home Fire Preparedness efforts and provide free smoke alarms in Eastern Kentucky.

“We’re making this important grant award today in recognition of National Prepa
redness Month,” said Kentucky Power President Brett Mattison. “The Red Cross responds to more than 300 home fires in Eastern Kentucky every year. This grant will allow them to help families prepare should disaster strike.”

The AEP Foundation grant will allow the Red Cross, volunteer fire departments, Kentucky Power volunteers and others to canvass low income areas and provide smoke alarms to those in need. Smoke alarm installations funded with the grant are planned for October in Greenup County and in Letcher County in spring 2020.

“With this generous donation from the American Electric Power Foundation homes will be made safer and lives will be saved,” said Debbie Ranier, executive director of the Eastern Kentucky Chapter of the American Red Cross. “Partners like Kentucky Power mean so much to this organization. We appreciate their time and generosity put into helping the American Red Cross carry out its mission daily. They are truly a part of our Red Cross Family.”

This week, a Red Cross emergency response vehicle funded with a previous $150,000 AEP Foundation grant left Ashland with the husband-wife volunteer team of Mike and Charlene Qualls for its first national disaster response. The vehicle, Eastern Kentucky’s first, was dispatched to North Carolina in response to Hurricane Dorian.

Thank you, Kentucky Power, for your generosity and your commitment to making our community safer!

Learn more about our Home Fire Campaign here.

Eastern Kentucky Chapter Receives New Emergency Response Vehicle

The American Red Cross Eastern Kentucky Chapter unveiled its newest tool today, Wed., Sept. 5th, in Ashland, KY to assist area residents during crisis – its very own emergency response vehicle. The vehicle, the first of its kind for the Eastern Kentucky Chapter, was purchased with a $150,000 grant from the American Electric Power (AEP) Foundation presented by Kentucky Power.

Photo credit: Kentucky Power

“Eastern Kentucky is no stranger to natural disasters like floods yet has never had its own dedicated Emergency Response Vehicle,” said Kentucky Power President Matt Satterwhite. “This modern vehicle will help the Red Cross quickly respond in our communities during emergencies. The devastation resulting from the recent hurricanes and the flooding and power outages that followed, show the value this vehicle will bring to our region and beyond.”

The Red Cross uses Emergency Response Vehicles with response, relief and recovery operations to provide food, water, personal hygiene kits, blankets, cots, volunteer help and other assistance to those in need. The new vehicle is a mobile feeding station capable of serving up to 25,000 meals to people affected by hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, forest fires, blizzards, ice storms or other natural disasters.

Photo Credit: Kentucky Power

“This vehicle could not have been possible without the generous grant donation from The American Electric Power Foundation,” said Debbie Ranier, executive director of the Eastern Kentucky Chapter of the American Red Cross. “We honestly see Kentucky Power and AEP as part of the Red Cross family. This vehicle will serve American Red Cross Disaster Relief well for the next 10 years and beyond, not only in eastern Kentucky, but also for our neighbors in southern Ohio, West Virginia and the nation.” 

The unveiling comes as the Red Cross, the Ashland Fire Department and others recognize National Preparedness Month. Celebrated each September, National Preparedness Month encourages Americans to be prepared for disasters in their homes, businesses and communities.