Red Cross to Sound the Alarm Against Home Fires By Installing 100,000 Smoke Alarms Across U.S. in 16 Days

National Event Set for April 28-May 13

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Apr 24, 2018, 10:47 ET

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross is getting ready to Sound the Alarm against home fires. From April 28 to May 13, thousands of Red Cross volunteers and partners will install 100,000 free smoke alarms in just 16 days in communities at high risk for fires.

Jimi and Stevie know the importance of having smoke alarms and a fire escape plan in place. They experienced a home fire where they lost their home, but luckily their whole family – including their two dogs – got out safe due to a visit from the Red Cross just one year before. Learn more and find out how you can help at soundthealarm.org

"Three out of every five home fire deaths happen in homes that don't have working smoke alarms," said Gail McGovern, President and CEO of the American Red Cross. "Please help lower these tragic statistics by joining us in this lifesaving effort to Sound the Alarm against home fires. Smoke alarms save lives, so we've made it our goal to install 100,000 alarms in homes that need them most."

During Sound the Alarm, Red Cross volunteers and partners will canvass high-risk neighborhoods to install free smoke alarms, replace batteries in existing alarms, and help families create escape plans. These smoke alarm installation events are part of the multi-year Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, launched in 2014 to reduce the number of home fire deaths and injuries in this country. The campaign is making a difference. As of March 31, 2018:

The Home Fire Campaign is credited with helping to save 416 lives.
Red Cross volunteers and 4,400 campaign partners have installed more than 1.2 million smoke alarms.
1.3 million people have been served through visits to more than an half-million homes.
More than a million children have been reached through specially targeted programs.

Jimi and Stevie know the importance of having smoke alarms and a fire escape plan in place. They experienced a home fire where they lost their home, but luckily their whole family – including their two dogs – got out safe due to a visit from the Red Cross just one year before. "[The Red Cross] installed the smoke alarms for us, and talked about the fire prevention, and also the fire escape plan, which was the major issue that saved our lives and got us out of the house in time," said Jimi. Watch Jimi and Stevie's life-changing story here: https://vimeo.com/265792441.

Join the Red Cross to help families like Jimi and Stevie's and fight against home fires today by volunteering to install smoke alarms in your community, making a financial contribution at redcross.org, or taking two easy steps to help save lives – practicing fire drills at home and checking your smoke alarms every month. Together, we can Sound the Alarm about fire safety and help save lives. Learn more at soundthealarm.org.

This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from national partners: Almost Family, Delta Air Lines and International Paper. The Red Cross has also received funding from FEMA through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

SOURCE American Red Cross