Media Contact: Aileen Blomdal
(669) 209-5266 | NCCRPublicAffairs@redcross.org
SAN FRANCISCO, April 30, 2026 — In April, volunteers, donors and partners of the American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region installed more than 1,128 smoke alarms free of charge for 1,502 residents during the Sound the Alarm “signature period”, hosting home fire safety events across 9 counties across the Greater Bay Area.
“Learning just this week that the program helped save one more life in our region is a powerful testament to its impact,” said Justin Mueller, chief executive officer for the American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region. “Having the opportunity to attend multiple Sound the Alarm events this signature period reinforced just how meaningful this work is I saw firsthand the dedication of our volunteers, the impact of strong community partnerships and the difference these efforts make for families across our region. I am incredibly proud of our teams and am grateful to everyone who helped bring this lifesaving mission to life.”
MAKING LOCAL HOMES SAFER Patty Richards and her dog, Zeus, were among local residents who received support during the Dixon, Calif. Sound the Alarm event, where Red Cross volunteers and members of Dixon Fire Department also shared information on the causes of home fires, what to do if a fire starts and how to create an escape plan.
SAVING LIVES FROM NATION’S MOST FREQUENT DISASTER This Sound the Alarm event is a critical part of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which has helped save at least 2,640 lives — including 34 in the Greater Bay Area — since launching in October 2014. Locally during this time, the Northern California Coastal Region team and local partners have installed more than 62,900 free smoke alarms and made 23,000 households safer across 15 counties.
Visit SoundTheAlarm.org to learn more and make a donation to the Red Cross to help people prepare for, respond to and recover from home fires.
This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from our 2026 national Sound the Alarn partners, State Farm and FEMA, and our regional partners: Pacific Gas and Electric, HALTER Project, Arista, Chevron, Robert and Virginia Stanton Endowment Community Foundation for Monterey County, Michael and Gloria Ipson, Pacific Service Credit Union, and the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter and Silicon Valley Chapter Board of Directors.
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 or CruzRojaAmericana.org.
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