TAMPA, Fla. – May 5, 2022 – This month, the American Red Cross and community partners are teaming up to Sound the Alarm about home fires which claim seven lives every day in the U.S., most often in homes without working smoke alarms. Through targeted outreach events, local volunteers will contribute to a national initiative to install 50,000 free smoke alarms in more than 50 at-risk communities in May.
“Tragically, more than 1,000* lives have been lost this year to home fires across the country,” said Eric Corliss, Regional CEO of the American Red Cross of Central Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands. “Home fires are a constant threat to our community, and our efforts over the next three weeks will make a lasting difference to save lives.”
The Red Cross has six events scheduled across Central Florida in the coming weeks:
--5/07 at 9 a.m. in Orlando (Pine Hills) with Orange County Fire Department
--5/14 at 9 a.m. in St. Petersburg (Bartlett Park) with St. Petersburg Fire Rescue
--5/14 at 9 a.m. in St. Cloud with St. Cloud Fire Rescue
--5/14 at 9 a.m. in Venice (Country Club Estates MHP) with Venice Fire Rescue
--5/21 at 9 a.m. in South Daytona (Lakeview Estates MHP) with South Daytona Fire Department
--5/21 at 9 a.m. in Altamonte Springs with Seminole County Fire Department
At these events, Red Cross volunteers, local fire departments and community partners go door-to-door in neighborhoods at high-risk for home fires, installing free smoke alarms and sharing information on the causes of home fires, what to do if a fire starts and how to create an escape plan.
SAVING LIVES Home fire safety events are a critical part of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign launched in October 2014 to reduce home fire-related deaths and injuries. Through March 2022, the campaign has helped save at least 1,275 lives through outreach and education efforts. Nationwide, more than 2.3 million free smoke alarms have been installed, making more than 982,000 families safer, and more than 1.8 million youth have been trained in emergency preparedness.
WITH APPRECIATION This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from regional partners: Lockheed Martin, Suburban Propane, TECO and Wells Fargo.
Visit SoundTheAlarm.org to learn more, volunteer for an event or make a donation to the Red Cross to help people prepare for, respond to and recover from home fires.
*statistic compiled by the U.S. Home Fire Administration
The American Red Cross of Central Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands serves 19 Florida counties through five chapters: Florida’s Space Coast (Daytona Beach), Greater Orlando, Mid-Florida (Winter Haven), Southwest Florida (Sarasota) and Tampa Bay; and the Virgin Islands territories of St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John and Water Island. For more information, visit redcross.org. Also find us on Facebook and Twitter.
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 redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
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