The American Red Cross in Connecticut and Northeast Corner Towns are joining together to offer free smoke alarms and installations to resident on February 24 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The smoke alarm installations are part of the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign to reduce the number of home fire deaths and injuries, this event is in partnership with the Northeast Connecticut Medical Reserve Corp and Northeast Corner Fire Departments.

Residents in the Northeast Corner can schedule a visit by visiting www.soundthealarm.org/Connecticut or by calling 877-287-3327 and choosing option 1 on the menu to request a smoke alarm installation.

Teams making visits to homes will share fire safety and preparedness information and install smoke alarms in homes as requested. Volunteers will help families understand the importance of fire safety and help them develop personalized family escape plans to use in the event a fire breaks out in their home.

“Our mission at the American Red Cross is to prevent and alleviate human suffering caused by disasters,” said Mario Bruno, CEO, American Red Cross Connecticut and Rhode Island Region. “Home fires are the biggest disaster threat faced in the U.S. On average, in our region, we respond to about two home fires each day. Our goal is to reach as many homes as we can with this program to help ensure people know what to do and are prepared in the event they experience a home fire. We want people to be safe.”

In addition to providing free smoke alarm installations and education, the Red Cross is also looking for volunteers to help install smoke alarms for this event and in their community throughout the year. Home Fire Campaign Volunteers are trained by the Red Cross, can volunteer during the day or on weekends and can help make a difference in their community.

For more information on volunteering visit: http://www.redcross.org/local/connecticut/volunteer.

Since October of 2014, the Red Cross has worked with fire departments and community groups across the country as part of a multi-year campaign to reduce the number of home fire deaths and injuries by 25 percent; home fires remain the biggest disaster threat to individuals and families in the United States. 60 percent of house fire deaths occur in homes with no working smoke alarms. This campaign is in direct response to that dire threat, with the Red Cross committing to install 2.5 million free smoke alarms in neighborhoods at high risk for fires, and to educate those residents about fire prevention and preparedness. As of January 2018, the Red Cross and partners have saved more than 330 lives and have installed more than 1 million free smoke alarms as part of this campaign.

WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO People can visit redcross.org/homefires to find out more about how to protect themselves and their loved ones from a fire. They can become a Red Cross volunteer. They can also help by donating to Red Cross Disaster Relief by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations to Disaster Relief will be used to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small.

About the American Red Cross:

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. For more information, please visit http://www.redcross.org/ct or visit us on Twitter at @CTRedCross.