Several days after four people were displaced from their home on Spencer Street, the local Red Cross continues to monitor the needs of those individuals.
“Myself and another first responder met with two of the residents completing a needs analysis. We looked at if they required assistance and determined food, lodging and clothing for them,” Marian Templeton of the St. John’s Red Cross said Tuesday afternoon.
“This came together quite quickly. We have 72-hours after the early morning fire to help them get settled,’’ she added noting they were attended to by medical personal at the scene and taken to a public building for a meeting with the Red Cross.
Each situation is analyzed on a case-by-case basis and the extent of their needs is determined by each personal scenario.
“These things tend to happen to the people that can least afford it,” Jillian Mullowney, disaster co-ordinator for the Red Cross in Newfoundland and Labrador said.
“These people are the ones that this happens to. We have a team of volunteers who would be onsite at 3 p.m. — not me — but I’m available for a phone call and have made connections on their behalf as we try and advocate for everyone that needs or help,’’ she added.
Mullowney said she has been on the phone at 4:30 p.m. on a Friday afternoon trying to negotiate services for those dealing with a troubling situation. She said she tries to make all the connections she can.
She said the 72-hour window gives those impacted by the tragic events they are facing some breathing room. Many of these people had to flee their residence without car keys, cellphones or their wallet so all the services in the 72-hour period such as food, clothing and lodging are a vast help.
There are a host of organizations who partner with the Red Cross across the country, the first being the Salvation Army. Mullowney said it is likely their volunteers and the Salvation Army will be on the scene at the same time.
They do a number of things to deal with displaced residents and many times put those residents in touch with The Gathering Place and Thrive who can offer them services after the 72-hour period winds down.
“People that come in here, they meet with the team of support workers. They know the individuals in question who need help and make sure those with the greatest needs would be more prioritized,’’ Joanne Thompson, executive director of The Gathering Place said Wednesday.
“We are doing the same thing here (for them) as we do every day. They come here for a whole series of reasons and are seen to by medical staff, seeking clothing or housing. They get comprehensive services,’’ she added.
“It is up to the individuals we met with to assess their own situation and from what we saw, those two should be able to transition easily (back to normal life),’’ Templeton said.
Two men had to be rescued from the roof of their Spencer Street home in St. John’s early Monday morning after a fire broke out inside the house.
When firefighters arrived on scene, smoke and flames were coming from the home.
firefighters found two men on the roof, and a ladder was immediately deployed to rescue them. Two other people were also rescued from the home as firefighters entered the house.
The blaze was brought under control within about 10 minutes. At one point, firefighters threw a charred mattress out a second-storey window.
None of the four people who had been in the home were seriously injured, but St. John’s Regional Fire Department platoon chief Bob Hiscock said one of the people rescued from the roof, an elderly man, was slightly overcome by smoke.
The house was extensively damaged on all three floors, including the basement.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Calls were made to Thrive and the Salvation Army, but it was after hours and no responses were available. In addition The Telegram has made ovations to reach the four displaced residents, but were unable to do so as of our news deadline.