Today I receieved a phone call. It was a telephone interview for an application I placed to volunteer as a part of an Army Care Team for the Brigade we belong to. This team, even though volunteers, are being chosen because the Army wants to know that they are sending out skilled and caring people to help care for the immediate families of Soldiers who've been killed or a family member who has passed. Back in 2001 they didn't have teams like this. IT was pretty much the Soldier and his/her family were left alone or if they had a good CLT their CLT saw to it that they were taken care of by another peer and their family. (CLT= Command Leadership Team) I could be wrong but it makes sense. Anyway. I applied. I wanted to be able to be of some kind of support to other Recruiters and their families in their time of need. When tragedy happens your brain isn't always "ON" and there are things that everyone wants from you. The Care Team would be there to help you sort these things out on the military level until your family arrive to take over and assist the Soldier or the spouse further. The Care Team would be there to asses what your needs are and help you to get them accomplished. If you have young ones, to help give you a minute while you get your bearings before you try to understand your childs needs (which can be demanding in a traumatic situation). I feel that I would be a perfect person, who've been through the same situations and needs, that I could be of great assistance to the Soldier and their family if they were to ask for the help.
My ulitmate goal has always been to start a program to PREVENT Recruiters in remote locations from ever having to deal with situations like what Jason and I went through losing the girls. I want to teach Recruiters that they have rights known as TENANTS RIGHTS in every state that protect them from signing leases with landlords who refuse to take care of maintenance issues prior to entering the residence. I want Recruiters and their spouses to know that they can request the local fire departments to come out and do a basic inspection for fire hazards in a home prior to accepting a contract on any home for rent in any state. If the Fire Department is not suited for those types of basic fire hazard inspections, you can always hire a home inspector and negotiate the terms into the rental contract. It's not a common practice, but it can be done. Once it becomes common practice, then we will start to see more and more Landlords taking care of their properties because they will be held to a standard, and then less and less accidental deaths from fire related tragedies. Of course...it's a dream, but some dreams do come true and I am hoping that I am taking but one more step in the right direction in making my dream a reality.
I not only want to start this program for Prevention in the Army or Military wide, but I also want to start working with builders, since I am a Real Estate Broker, and challenging Residential Builders / Commercial Builders of Residential Properties to begin building homes with Fire Escape ladders installed. Window Box Escape ladders in second story bedrooms that not only adults can access but children can manipulate as well. For $100 a Builder can install a drop ladder on the inside of a window and save the life of a child who's life can't be measured monetarily. I want Builder's to start incorporating fire extinguishers in the kitchen where grease fires are the worst fire to put out conventionally, most uneducated people try to put them out with water and that only causes the fire to spread rapidly, not everyone knows to use baking soda, flour, or cover the grease fire with a lid to keep oxygen from it. Fire Extinguishers already in the home are the safest and easy to use and if they are already in the kitchen would solve most of our kitchen/house fire problems. We're already thinking "GREEN" when we build homes and thinking green is alot more expensive. If I could get just one builder to see that thinking "SAFE" would sell, it would be worth every penny spent and every penny earned. I just can't get any Builder to see it how I have, because they haven't been in a burning home where they couldn't get out or get their kids out. So, if you read this and you know a Builder who would be interested, or you are a Builder who is interested. Let's work together to make this happen. I just want it to be a reality in future homes built for future families.
So, this was my day today. Another step in front of the next and my ideas are coming to fruition and starting to become my reality. I always have to keep one foot in front of me so I don't fall forward because I am moving so fast some days. GOD BLESS MY GIRLS FOR CONTINUING TO HELP SEE ME THROUGH!
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