Media Contact: Sherry Nicholson

ATLANTA, OCTOBER 29, 2020 — When turning back your clocks this Sunday, the Red Cross urges you to test your smoke alarms to help protect your family from home fires — which continue to be the nation’s most frequent disaster during COVID-19.

In Georgia, alone, Red Cross volunteers have responded to 533 fires affecting 1,091 families from July through September, including residents of nearly a dozen apartment buildings. Along with emotional support, they helped 2,766 neighbors who lost everything with essentials like temporary lodging, food, clothing, personal care items, and recovery planning.

“The need to protect ourselves from home fires hasn’t stopped during COVID-19,” said Danella Hughes, who leads the Red Cross disaster program in Georgia. “It’s critical to have working smoke alarms, which can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half. This is the perfect weekend to take a few minutes to ‘turn and test’ to help keep you and your loved ones safe,” she added.

HOW TO ‘TURN AND TEST’ Press the button on your smoke alarms, following the manufacturer’s instructions, and replace the batteries if needed — at least once a year, if your model requires it. Also, follow these steps:

• Replace smoke alarms that are 10 years or older. That’s because the sensor becomes less sensitive over time. Check the manufacturer’s date of your smoke alarms and follow the instructions.
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas.
• Practice your two-minute escape plan. Make sure everyone in your household can get out in less than two minutes — the amount of time you may have to escape a burning home before it’s too late. Include at least two ways to get out of every room and select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone can meet.

Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including an escape plan to practice with your family. You can also download the free Red Cross Emergency App (search “American Red Cross” in app stores).

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.