Media Contact:

Dana Simmons, Regional Communications Manager

dana.simmons@redcross.org

Effort is part of national Red Cross initiative in 50 at-risk communities

SAN DIEGO, May 19, 2022 — On Saturday, May 14, American Red Cross volunteers and community partners installed 567 free smoke alarms for families in El Cajon, as part of a national Red Cross Sound the Alarm effort in more than 50 at-risk communities across the country in May.

“Without everyone coming together to Sound the Alarm, we wouldn’t have been able to help hundreds of vulnerable neighbors in El Cajon,” said Melissa Altman, Preparedness Manager for the Red Cross Southern California Region. “Home fires are a constant threat to our community, and our efforts today will make a lasting difference to save lives.”

MAKING LOCAL HOMES SAFER Lindsay Hall is among those who participated in the Sound the Alarm smoke alarm installation event, where Red Cross volunteers and community partners shared information on the causes of home fires, what to do if a fire starts and how to create an escape plan.

“All of these people are really vulnerable to home fires so I’m happy to be making their homes safer,” Lindsay Hall, Red Cross Southern California Region Philanthropy Officer and Sound the Alarm volunteer.

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 1,275 lives since launching in October 2014. As part of the campaign in San Diego and Imperial Counties, the Red Cross and local partners have installed 33,795 free smoke alarms and made 12,240 households safer. Home fires claim seven lives every day in the U.S. — but having working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death by half. To learn more or to request a free smoke alarm installation, please visit SoundTheAlarm.org/SoCal.

Thanks to everyone who supported the event including: El Cajon Valley High School, Heartland Fire and Rescue, San Miguel Fire and Rescue, Jack in the Box, Chopper the Biker Dog, additional community partners and local volunteers.

This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from regional partners: San Diego Gas & Electric, Pacific Life Foundation, The Gilbert J. Martin Foundation, Motorola Solutions Foundation, Brasstech, Inc., Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo and more.

For photos from Sound the Alarm, visit the American Red Cross Southern California Region Flickr. 

About the American Red Cross Southern California Region   
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 public to perform its mission. The Red Cross Southern California Region proudly serves San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Imperial Counties. In addition to carrying out disaster preparedness and response programs, blood collection, health and safety training, international services programs and supporting the military community, the Southern California Region provides nutritional counseling through its Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program in San Diego and helps communities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters through its Prepare SoCal and Prepare San Diego initiatives. For more information, please visit redcross.org/SoCal or cruzrojaamericana.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. 

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