Los Angeles, March 14, 2019 — The American Red Cross seeks volunteers to help install 100,000 free smoke alarms during a two-week push of Sound the Alarm home fire safety events next month.
People can register now now at SoundTheAlarm.org/LosAngeles to volunteer at home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events in Pomona (April 27), Panorama City and Arleta (May 4), Long Beach (May 11) and East LA (May 18) and raise donations to help save lives from home fires. These crises are the nation’s most frequent disaster and kill seven people each day — often in homes without working smoke alarms.
“Neighbors vulnerable to home fires need your support today to prevent needless tragedies,” said Jarrett Barrios, CEO at American Red Cross Los Angeles Region. “You can help families by ensuring they have working smoke alarms and know how to stay safe from these everyday disasters. Please join us to volunteer and raise funds to support our free, lifesaving services.”
WHAT IS SOUND THE ALARM From April 27 to May 18, the Red Cross is rallying 30,000 volunteers and partners to install 100,000 free smoke alarms and help families create home fire escape plans in 100 high-risk communities nationwide. Services are free for all those in need and being provided in collaboration with community partners across Los Angeles County where 1,200 volunteers are needed to help install 4,000 free smoke alarms.
WHY I VOLUNTEER Karina Macias, Vice Mayor of Huntington Park, recognizes the importance of volunteerism when it comes to keeping her constituents safe. She volunteered at Red Cross smoke alarm installation event in her city earlier this year.
“I volunteer for the community,” said Macias, who went door-to-door with fellow volunteers to provide smoke alarm installation and information about home fire safety. “Volunteering provides the opportunity to deliver the importance of safety. People often see having a smoke alarm as a small thing but it is very important. Through volunteering, I deliver peace of mind, and it allows me to support and at the same time save lives.”
Macias is one of the many volunteers who comprise more than 90 percent of the Red Cross workforce. Throughout March — Red Cross Month — the Red Cross honors these volunteer heroes.
OUR CAMPAIGN TO #ENDHOMEFIRES 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 Los Angeles Region and local partners:
This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from regional partners: Farmers Insurance, UniHealth Foundation, United Way of Greater Los Angeles, Kaiser Permanente and Arconic.
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 about the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region, visit redcross.org/la or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossLA or @CruzRojaLA.