By: Kayli Perry, American Red Cross volunteer  

On a Saturday morning, 68 volunteers turned out for a successful Sound the Alarm event in Irvine. The team served 145 residents and made 93 homes safer by installing 307 free smoke alarms and providing home fire education. Partners included the Orange County Fire Authority and students from the Santa Ana College Fire Academy. Having working smoke alarms in your home increases a family’s chance of survival in a home fire by 50%. It is recommended that smoke alarms are replaced within 10 years to ensure they are functioning properly. On this early morning, organizations came together to install smoke alarms in the homes at The Groves in Irvine. The Grove’s community had been notified of the event, and many families signed up for appointments to have their smoke alarms checked, installed or replaced if necessary.

The Orange County Fire Authority and Santa Ana College Fire Academy sent their cadets to participate alongside Red Cross volunteers and firefighters. Volunteers arrived on site early in the morning, and after receiving education about their respective jobs, were divided into groups before setting off to complete their appointments. The teams were small groups of three, with one installer, educator and documenter. The installer took on the main task of installing the smoke alarms. The installer walked through the home and noted the locations of all the current alarms. Sometimes, they would find smoke alarms missing in crucial places like bedrooms, and with the owners’ consent, install a new smoke alarm in the area.

During this time, the educator informed the client of home fire safety, in the hopes of preventing future fires. They went over residents’ evacuation plans and reminded them that they should have two exits for every room and be able to exit a home in under two minutes.

The documenter assisted with recording the services given to the residents, and asking if they would like future services, such as installing a bed shaker for those who are hard of hearing. The documents are held by the Red Cross and if there is a fire, the Red Cross follows up to review if the installation and education helped the families stay safe. Overall, the teams were very efficient, and it took about 20 minutes to finish the installation.

Additionally, many community members who did not have an appointment also requested to have their smoke alarms replaced and checked. After each team finished their appointments, they were given a list of houses to inquire if the resident wished for an installation. Many residents agreed, and the same services were provided to them as the ones who had an appointment. Clients were grateful for the service. One client, Ms. Chapman, mentioned that she was always concerned whether she had enough smoke alarms, and if they were good quality and located in the right places. She felt relief that these services were available. When asked what she would tell her neighbors about the Sound the Alarm event, she said she encouraged them to take advantage of it, as these are “free things to keep [them] safe,” and urged them not to be afraid. Other residents had first-hand experience with the importance of fire safety, as there had been a house fire within the community a few years ago, and an entire housing unit had been lost. This, amongst other things, motivated them to have their alarms checked.

Home fire safety is extremely important to the Red Cross, and volunteers are needed to help with events just like this one. To sign up, please visit redcross.org/volunteer. Your help is welcome..