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American Red Cross volunteers assisted 76 people in 31 households affected by home fires last year, Carol Smedberg told Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist, Sherrie Sprenger and Will Tucker during their Tuesday, March 1 meeting.

Smedberg said local volunteers teach emergency preparedness in local elementary schools, including the preparation of “go bags” for families.

“We also encourage children to have home fire drills with their families,” she said. “A new program for children in kindergarten, first and second grades teaches them how to crawl on the floor to get under smoke...