Atlanta, APRIL 24, 2019—This weekend, the American Red Cross is launching a two-week Sound the Alarm home fire safety effort to install 100,000 free smoke alarms in 100 high-risk communities across the country—including 12 smoke alarm installation events, in Georgia.

“Smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half,” said Jennifer Pipa, CEO for the Red Cross of Georgia.  “Every day across this country seven people die due to home fires—but working smoke alarms can be the difference between survival and tragedy. Today, we are asking for everyone’s support to help us Sound the Alarm and save lives.”

Efforts in Georgia got off to an early start, where last weekend in Tifton, nearly 60 volunteers installed more than 230 free smoke alarms to make well over 100 homes safer from home fires.

People can visit SoundTheAlarm.org to get involved with the Red Cross of Georgia’s home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events from April 27 to May 11. During Sound the Alarm events—which are part of the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign to reduce fire deaths and injuries—volunteers will go door-to-door with community partners to install free smoke alarms, replace batteries in existing alarms and help families create escape plans. Opportunities to support with a financial donation can also be found on the website.  

CONYERS FAMILY GRATEFUL FOR HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN The moment Conyers, Georgia resident, Alma Carares heard the American Red Cross would be joining forces with Rockdale Fire Rescue to install free smoke alarms in her community, she signed up to help pre-canvas the neighborhood for families in need of them. She also offered to help recruit volunteers to install smoke alarms on the day of the Sound the Alarm event.

“I wanted to help,” said Alma, whose family received two free smoke alarms during a Red Cross event last year. “This is my way of saying thank you to the Red Cross and the fire department for making me, my husband, my children and our home safe.”  Read Alma's Story

582 LIVES SAVED—AND COUNTING Since launching in 2014, the Home Fire Campaign has helped save the lives of 582 people across the country. In 2018, Red Cross volunteers in Georgia and community partners joined together to:

• Install 13,300 free smoke alarms
• Make more than 5,800 households safer by helping to create fire escape plans
• Reach more than 10,000 children through youth preparedness programs

This year, Georgia’s Red Cross, again with the help of community partners, is set to install more than 3,000 free smoke alarms. This work is only possible thanks to generous financial donations from regional partners like: UPS, Georgia Power, Northside Hospital, State Farm and Wells Fargo. Delta, a national partner of the Sound the Alarm campaign for a second year in a row, is also engaging Atlanta-based employees at a smoke alarm installation event this weekend, in Jonesboro. Additional 2019 national partners include: Airbnb, Nissan and FEMA.

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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