Red Cross Disaster Volunteer Anita Preizler
GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA, Thursday August 26, 2010
- On August 24, disaster volunteers Anita Preizler and Kathie Riedel were called out to the site of a house fire at Salem & Pacific in Glendale. Although not destroyed by the fire, the home did sustain extensive damage, leaving nine people, including several children, without a place to stay.
Preizler and Riedel arranged temporary lodging for the family at a nearby motel while they dealt with the aftermath of the fire. Fortunately, the family had closed their closet doors so that their clothing was not harmed by the fire.
Anita Preizler has first-hand experience with house fires, as her own house burned down many years ago. She says, “Most of the time when someone says, ‘I can imagine what you’re going through’ – you think, ‘Oh no you can’t.’ But I can.”
She has some simple tips for fire victims. For example, “Take a shower and wash your hair so you won’t have to smell smoke all night.”
Red Cross Volunteer Kathie Riedel at Glendale Civic Auditorium shelter
She advises clients to keep a list of things they might need to take. Most people, she observes, don’t think about small items like toothbrushes – but it’s the little things that make a difference in helping someone feel comfortable and safe.
Preizler, the Chapter’s Coordinator for Disaster Education and Individual Client Services, has been with the Red Cross for ten years. In addition to being a Disaster Services volunteer, she also teaches several Health & Safety classes.
Kathie Riedel splits her time between Glendale and a home in Arkansas. She helped staff the Glendale-CV Chapter’s evacuation shelter at Glendale Civic Auditorium during last winter’s rainstorms and floods and has participated in many other disaster responses.
Written by Bonnie Schroeder
Tags: Glendale-Crescenta Valley Red Cross, House Fire, Volunteers
