By Andy Klein
Red Cross volunteers will fan out across communities nationwide this May to Sound the Alarm and make homes safer from home fires. During the Sound the Alarm campaign, volunteers and community partners will install free smoke alarms in homes, replace batteries in existing alarms and help families create a home fire escape plans that gets every member of the household out in two-minutes or less.
Across the National Capital and Greater Chesapeake Region, over 1,300 smoke alarms are set to be installed at three community events in Wilmington, DE, Brentwood, MD and Washington, DC. Nationally, 50,000 smoke alarms will be placed in homes throughout the Sound the Alarm campaign.
A fire can become life-threatening in as little as two minutes. Flames can engulf a residence in only five minutes. Fire is fast and difficult to outrun. In less than 30 seconds a small flame can turn into a major fire.
But having a working smoke alarm reduces home fire-related casualties by 50 percent. This is important because, on average and nation-wide, seven people die every day from a home fire (with the majority of those fatalities being children and the elderly) and 36 people suffer injuries as a result of home fires every day. Additionally, more than $7 billion in property damages occur every year – due to home fires.
The Red Cross launched its Home Fire Campaign in 2014. As a critical part of the campaign, Sound the Alarm installation events have helped lead to more than 2.2 million free smoke alarms being installed and at least 1,200 lives being saved - nationwide.
To help make your home safer from home fires:
Additional volunteers are needed to help install free smoke alarms across the DMV in May. To learn more and register to volutneer, please visit SoundtheAlarm.org.
For those unable to attend a Sound the Alarm event this spring, there are other ways to participate. Individuals can register for the 2-Minute Fitness Challenge and work toward raising at least $75 to support Red Cross home fire relief efforts by asking family and friends for support.