SEBRING, FLA. (May 5, 2022) — American Red Cross South Florida Region will install 375 free smoke alarms for local families in Sebring, Fla. as the region has responded to nearly 300 home fires in the first four months of the year across South Florida.
The South Florida Region is leading the Sound the Alarm smoke alarm installation and home fire safety event on May 14 as part of a national Red Cross initiative in May to install 50,000 free smoke alarms with partners in more than 50 at-risk communities across the country.
“Sound the Alarm is a meaningful way to be a part of a larger movement while directly helping local families,” said Ryan Logan, Regional Disaster Officer of the Red Cross South Florida Region. “In just one day, you could help save a neighbor’s life by installing smoke alarms — which can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half.”
Because of generous donations, all services are free and available for people in need. Members of the community can help by donating to the Red Cross at SoundTheAlarm.org to help people prepare for, respond to and recover from home fires — which account for most of the U.S. disasters that the Red Cross responds to every eight minutes.
During the home visits, Red Cross volunteers will also share information on the causes of home fires, how to prevent them, what to do if a fire starts and how to create an escape plan.
1,275 LIVES SAVED AND COUNTING This Sound the Alarm event is a critical part of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which has helped save at least 1,275 lives since launching in October 2014. As part of the campaign in Sebring, the South Florida Red Cross and local partners have installed more than 38,000 free smoke alarms and made nearly 19,000 households safer since the launch of the campaign in 2014.
This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from regional partners: BankUnited, Carrier Corporation, Florida Power & Light Company, Motorola Solutions, Popular Bank, TECO Energy and Wells Fargo.
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/southflorida or visit us on Twitter at @SFLRedCross.