From June 6th to June 10th, Hawaii Red Cross volunteers along with the Honolulu Fire Department and International Brotherhood of Electric Workers, Local 1186, will be visiting homes across Oahu to install free smoke alarms and share home fire safety tips with local residents in need.

Free smoke alarm installations are for seniors, those who cannot afford to purchase smoke alarms, or for those who are physically unable to install a smoke alarm.  The goal of this effort is to continue both the Honolulu Fire Department’s Smoke Alarms for Everyone (SAFE) program and the Red Cross’ home fire campaign to reduce the number of fire deaths and injuries in Hawaii.  

Smoke alarm installations are by appointment only.  To make an appointment, please call the Red Cross office at 808-739-8111.

RED CROSS HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN Every 8 minutes, the Red Cross responds to a disaster- and the vast majority of these are home fires. Home fires can be a deadly threat because they happen so quickly,” said Coralie Chun Matayoshi, CEO of the Hawaii Red Cross. “We are urging Oahu residents to ensure that they have working smoke alarms in their homes.  In the United States, home fires kill more people each year than all other natural disasters combined.

Working with fire departments and community groups across the entire country, the American Red Cross installs smoke alarms in homes in neighborhoods at high risk for home fires. In the last two years, more than half a million smoke alarms have been installed as part of the Home Fire Campaign.

The American Red Cross is also asking every household in America to take two simple steps that can help prevent home fires and save lives. 

1. INSTALL AND TEST SMOKE ALARMS:

Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half: 

• Place smoke alarms on every level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms. 

• Test smoke alarms once a month. 

• Change the batteries at least once a year – if your model requires it.  

• Replace smoke alarms every ten years. 

2. MAKE A PLAN People may only have two minutes to escape when a fire occurs. The Red Cross recommends that households develop a fire escape plan and practice it at least twice a year. Everyone should know two ways to escape from every room and designate a safe place to meet outside the home in case of a fire. Discuss the plan with all household members and practice it until everyone – including children – can escape in less than two minutes.

DOWNLOAD RED CROSS APPS The Red Cross Emergency App includes content on how to prevent home fires and what to do if one occurs. Parents can also download the Monster Guard App, a fun game, to help their children learn what to do and how to protect themselves from hazards. Both apps can be downloaded for free in app stores, or by going to redcross.org/apps.