Written by Dariana Molina, American Red Cross Public Affairs

Every day, seven people die in home fires, most often in homes without working smoke alarms. That’s why the American Red Cross launched the Home Fire Campaign in 2014 to save lives. Sound the Alarm is a critical part of the campaign. Through our home visits, we’ve installed more than 2.5 million free smoke alarms and made more than 1 million households safer across the country.

Meet Exon Velazquez and his grandmother, Violeta Molina, who live in the heart of the Westgate neighborhood in West Palm Beach, Fla. For years, they never gave too much importance to their smoke alarms, as they had never considered the possibility of a fire impacting their home. Now, thanks to the generosity of their community, they are living with an added layer of protection.

"I'm very happy and thankful that they came by and let me know the smoke alarms needed to be replaced in our home," said Violeta.

Exon, a 24-year-old boilermaker, has always been protective of his grandmother. Violeta, who is in her early 70s, depends on him for support, and he has always done his best to make sure her needs are met. But when it came to installing a smoke alarm, it was never brought to their attention that theirs needed to be replaced and therefore, they never gave it too much thought.

When the Red Cros came knocking, offering free smoke alarm installations, Exon and Violeta were initially skeptical and didn’t think it was necessary but when given the statistics of home fires in the U.S., they quickly changed their minds.

The process took no more than 15 minutes. Several Red Cross volunteers arrived at their home, assessed their current smoke alarms, and installed a new, working smoke alarm in just a few minutes. The volunteers also provided fire safety education, including a fire escape plan, and tips on how to maintain the alarm and when to replace the batteries.

"It makes me feel safer," Violeta says. "I know that if something happens, we'll have time to get out. That means everything."

The Home Fire Campaign is about making families like Exon and Violeta feel safer in the face of home fires. To learn more about the Home Fire Campaign, visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including a home fire escape plan to create and practice with your household.