Events in more than 50 at-risk communities will help protect families against home fires

This May, the American Red Cross is teaming up with community partners to install 50,000 free smoke alarms in more than 50 at-risk communities, as part of its annual Sound the Alarm initiative.

Home fires are the nation’s most frequent disaster, with more than 86,000 people relying on the Red Cross for support to recover from more than 23,000 home fires so far this year. These disasters also claim seven lives every day in the U.S. — many in homes without working smoke alarms, which can cut the risk of death by half.

“Every second counts during a home fire, when you may have as little as two minutes to escape,” said Jennifer Pipa, vice president of Disaster Programs for the American Red Cross. “That’s why Red Cross volunteers and community partners are joining together this May to Sound the Alarm by installing free smoke alarms and sharing home fire safety information with families in at-risk communities.”

Visit SoundTheAlarm.org to get involved by volunteering at an event near you, making a financial donation or learning how to protect you and your family from home fires.

‘IF WE ALL COME TOGETHER, WE CAN ALL HELP’ Rob Griggs and his sister Tricia Costanzo lost their parents and brother a few years ago to a fire in their family’s Ohio home, where there weren’t working smoke alarms. After the tragedy, they began volunteering with Sound the Alarm to help other families stay safe.

“If we all come together, we can all help,” Griggs said.

Watch Griggs and Costanzo share their story and why Sound the Alarm is important to their community: https://vimeo.com/694955915

1,275 LIVES SAVED AND COUNTING Sound the Alarm events are a critical part of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which has helped save at least 1,275 lives and install more than 2.3 million free smoke alarms across the country since launching in October 2014. Visit SoundTheAlarm.org for more information about this work with community partners.