PANORAMA CITY, CA, April 30, 2019 — In an effort to curb the deadly impact of home fires on vulnerable communities, the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region will hold a smoke alarm installation event in Panorama City and educate local residents on home fire prevention and safety this upcoming Saturday, May 4^th. The Sound the Alarm event is as part of a national four-week effort to install 100,000 free smoke alarms and will pick back up in Long Beach (May 11) and East LA (May 18).

WHAT:              Sound the Alarm

WHERE:           Sepulveda Recreation Center

                          8825 Kester Ave.

                          Panorama City, CA 91402

WHEN:             Saturday May 4, 2019. 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

                          Event Kick-off at 9 a.m.; smoke alarm installations to follow until 4 p.m.

Home fires are responsible for more fatalities in the U.S. than all other natural disasters combined. In a typical year, home fires kill an average of seven people every day. Most of these deaths occur in homes lacking working smoke alarms.

To prevent these needless tragedies, the Red Cross is rallying more than 300 local volunteers to install free smoke alarms in Panorama City as is part of a national push of Sound the Alarm events in 100 high-risk cities from April 27^th to May 18^th (visit SoundTheAlarm.org/LosAngeles for details).

Sound the Alarm events are part of the Home Fire Campaign, which the Red Cross launched in 2014 to reduce fire deaths and injuries. So far, it has reached more than 1.7 million people and saved more than 500 lives nationwide. In 2018, the Red Cross of Los Angeles:

    · Installed more than 10,400 smoke alarms

    · Reached more than 8,600 youth through preparedness programs

    · Made more than 3,350 homes safer through home fire safety visits

People interested in helping can register now at RedCross.org/sta-panorama to volunteer and raise funds for lifesaving services.

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 @RedCrossLA or @CruzRojaLA.