Palm Springs, Calif. – November 19, 2019 – Looking to make a difference in someone’s life heading into the holiday season? The local American Red Cross is seeking volunteers to help install free smoke alarms during an upcoming Sound the Alarm home fire safety and smoke alarm installation event in Palm Springs on November 30.

Registration is open at SoundtheAlarm.org/DTS to sign up to volunteer at the Palm Springs event on Saturday, November 30, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. No experience is necessary, and all training and tools will be provided by the Red Cross.

Home fires are the nation’s most frequent disaster and kill seven people each day—often in homes without working smoke alarms. 

“So far this year, we’ve responded to over 100 home fires in our region. They are our community’s most common disaster,” said Lois Beckman, executive director of the American Red Cross serving Riverside County. “Those looking to give back this holiday season can help us Sound the Alarm against crises like these by volunteering to support our lifesaving efforts.”

The holidays and cold weather bring an increased risk of home fires due to heating equipment and decorations including trees, lights and candles. Working smoke alarms in a home cut the risk of death by half and having an escape plan further improves the odds of survival.

A few hours of a volunteer’s life can change someone else’s forever. According to a recent Red Cross survey, one in ten people did not buy a smoke alarm due to cost, but 98 percent of people surveyed believe smoke alarms can save lives. Since the program began in 2014, it has saved more than 640 lives nationwide, including one life in Palm Springs earlier this year.  

To register as a volunteer for this event or to request a smoke alarm installation, please visit SoundtheAlarm.org/DTS. For more information about the American Red Cross serving Riverside County, please visit redcross.org/dts.

About the American Red Cross Desert to the Sea 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 American public to perform its mission. The American Red Cross Desert to the Sea Region has proudly served Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties for more than 100 years. For more information, please visit redcross.org/dts  or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossDTS or Facebook at facebook.com/RedCrossDTS.    

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