San Francisco, April 1, 2026 — Home fires claim seven lives every day, but having working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death by half. That’s why the American Red Cross is rallying volunteers to install free smoke alarms, as part of our nationwide Sound the Alarm events.
The American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region is leading Sound the Alarm smoke alarm installations and home fire safety events as part of a national Red Cross initiative in April to install 50,000 free smoke alarms with partners in more than 50 at-risk communities across the country.
While we host these Sound the Alarm events year-round, we invite you to join us at one of our nine signature period events across the Greater Bay Area in April by registering online at SoundTheAlarm.org/NCCR:
No prior experience is needed. Training will be provided to volunteer teams prior to visiting homes with scheduled appointments.
Thanks to generous donations, all services are free and available for people in need. Can’t join the event? Help by donating to the Red Cross at SoundTheAlarm.org to help people prepare for, respond to and recover from home fires — which account for most of the U.S. disasters that the Red Cross responds to every eight minutes.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS AND PARTNERS.
This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from our 2026 national partners, State Farm and FEMA and our regional partners: Pacific Gas and Electric Company; HALTER Project; Arista; Robert and Virginia Stanton Endowment with the Community Foundation for Monterey County; Michael and Gloria Ipson; Pacific Service Credit Union and Board of Directors of the American Red Cross Bay Area and Silicon Valley Chapter.
WANT TO LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOUR OWN HOME?
Did you know that if a fire starts in your home, you may have as little as two minutes to escape? Early warning from a working smoke alarm—combined with a fire escape plan that’s been practiced regularly—can make all the difference. Learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones! Register for a free virtual presentation at https://tinyurl.com/NCCRPublicEvents.
DO YOU NEED A SMOKE ALARM?
Local residents who need a smoke alarm can visit SoundTheAlarm.org/NCCR to schedule an appointment for a free smoke alarm installation during one of the region’s Red Cross Sound the Alarm events. During short home visits, Red Cross volunteers and partners will also share information on the causes of home fires, how to prevent them, what to do if a fire starts and how to create an escape plan.
2,615 LIVES SAVED AND COUNTING
Sound the Alarm is part of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which has helped save at least 2,615 lives since its launch in October 2014, thanks to working smoke alarms and fire escape planning. Across the country, Red Cross volunteers and local fire departments go door-to-door in at-risk communities to install free smoke alarms and educate families about home fire prevention.
Here in the Northern California Coastal Region, the Red Cross and its partners have installed more than 60,200 free smoke alarms and made over 22,000 households safer. In the Greater Bay Area, 33 lives have been saved where residents directly credit a Red Cross smoke alarm installation and fire escape plan for their survival.
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/norcalcoastal or follow us on social media: @redcrossnorcalcoastal.
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