Fire Prevention Week Oct. 7-13:

Red Cross Urges Georgians to Practice Home Fire Drills, Install Smoke Alarms

Atlanta, October 5, 2018 — Fire Prevention Week begins October 7, and the American Red Cross of Georgia reminds everyone to take two simple steps – practice fire drills at home and test smoke alarms monthly – to stay safe from the nation’s most frequent and deadliest disaster.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

Experts say that today’s home fires burn faster than ever, leaving people with only as little as two minutes to escape a burning residence. But many mistakenly believe they have more time, according to a Red Cross survey last year. During Fire Prevention Week, the Red Cross of Georgia urges everyone to:

• Develop a fire escape plan with everyone in your household and practice it at least twice a year. Need help with your plan? Use these free Home Fire Campaign resources.
• Install smoke alarms in your home, on every level and outside each sleeping area. Test them once a month and replace the batteries at least once a year if required.
• Teach children what smoke alarms sound like and what they should do if they hear one.
• Make sure all household members know two ways to escape from every room.
• Establish a family meeting spot outside.

HOME FIRES KILL 7 PEOPLE EVERY DAY

On average, seven people die every day from home fires, which take more lives each year than all other natural disasters combined in the U.S., according to the National Fire Protection Association. Additionally, in the state of Georgia, the Red Cross responds to more home fire emergencies than any other Red Cross region—more than 2,900 last year alone. But working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half.

That’s why the Red Cross is working with community partners to install free smoke alarms, help families create home fire escape plans, and provide public fire prevention and safety resources through its Home Fire Campaign, a nationwide effort to reduce fire-related deaths and injuries. Since the campaign began in October 2014, it’s reached more than 1.6 million people and is credited with saving 472 lives nationwide.

WORKING WITH PARTNERS TO SAVE LIVES

Last year in Georgia, through Home Fire Campaign Sound the Alarm events, Red Cross volunteers and partners:

• Made more than 6,000 homes safer from home fires
• Installed nearly 13,400 free smoke alarms
• Installed more than 150 free smoke alarms for the deaf and hard of hearing community
• Reached more than 11,500 children through youth preparedness programs

The Red Cross depends on the generous support of the American public to fulfill its crucial mission. If someone would like to help, please consider making a donation today by visiting www.redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 gift.

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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