LOS ANGELES, May 12, 2022 — On Saturday May 14, the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region will install free smoke alarms for Baldwin Park residents. This effort is part of a national Red Cross initiative called Sound the Alarm with the goal to install 50,000 free smoke alarms in more than 50 at-risk communities across the country this May. Baldwin Park was chosen based on the number of fire incidents in the community over the past three years. The presence of a working smoke alarm in a home reduces the risk of dying in a fire by 50%.
WHAT: |
Sound the Alarm kickoff with remarks and volunteer training, followed by smoke alarm installations at area homes where volunteer teams will also discuss home fire safety with families. |
WHERE: |
Esther Snyder Community Center (4100 Baldwin Park Blvd.) |
WHEN: |
May 14, 9:30 – 10 a.m. (kickoff); smoke alarm installations at area homes to follow until 2 p.m. |
WHO: |
Joanne Nowlin – CEO for the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region Erica Frausto – Executive Director of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys Office of Mayor Emmanuel J. Estrada – City of Baldwin Park Councilmember Paul C. Hernandez – City of Baldwin Park Interviews available with speakers following the kickoff. |
VISUALS: |
Opportunities for photos and b-roll of kickoff remarks, volunteer training and volunteers installing smoke alarms and meeting with local families. |
“Our goal is to save lives,” said Joanne Nowlin, CEO for the Red Cross Los Angeles. “That’s why we want to make sure everyone has working smoke alarms, which can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half.”
In 2022 alone, Red Cross LA has supported more than 670 people following 140 home fires. Most recently, the Red Cross responded to an apartment fire in East Los Angeles during Mother’s Day weekend. The volunteers helped more than 17 people displaced by opening an emergency shelter as well as providing food, water and other services as they begin the recovery process.
“Most people don’t realize they only have two minutes to escape a home fire — and that smoke alarms need to be replaced every 10 years,” Nowlin said. “Taking action with this knowledge can be the difference between survival and tragedy.”
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Event volunteers are needed to install smoke alarms and share fire safety information with families during May. Register at SoundTheAlarm.org to join a rewarding day of giving back in Inglewood on May 20 and in Long Beach or Montebello on May 21. No prior experience is needed — training will be provided. You can also make a financial donation to the Red Cross to help people prepare for, respond to and recover from home fires.
LOS ANGELES JOINS NATIONAL SOUND THE ALARM EFFORT This Sound the Alarm event is part of a national Red Cross initiative in May to install 50,000 free smoke alarms with partners in more than 50 at-risk communities across the country. 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 since launching in October 2014. As part of the campaign in Los Angeles, Red Cross LA volunteers and local partners have installed more than 52,000 free smoke alarms and made more than 17,600 households safer.
This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from regional partners: Southern California Edison, Howmet Aerospace Foundation, SoCalGas and Cedars Sinai.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/la or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on Twitter at @RedCrossLA or @CruzRojaLA.
