American Red Cross volunteers responded to 18 home fires in the Greater Chicago area in the past week and provided assistance to over 90 individuals, including 21 children and 4 pets, by supplying them with basic items to meet immediate needs after a fire, and additional support in the form of health and mental health services and one-on-one support. Volunteers responded to fires in Cook, LaSalle, and Lake County.
If you or someone you know needs assistance after a home fire or local disaster, please call our dispatch line: (877) 597-0747.
Home fires are the most frequent disaster and claim seven lives every day in the U.S. Working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death in a home fire by 50 percent. To help protect your household, test your smoke alarms each month and practice your escape plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes. Visit redcross.org/fire for more information.
Download our new and improved Red Cross Emergency app for detailed home fire prevention and safety tips. Compatible with Apple Watch and Android wearable devices, visit redcross.org/apps or search “American Red Cross” in app stores.
Little Village Sound the Alarm Event
The Red Cross of Illinois volunteers along with partners The Little Village Community Council and The Chicago Fire Department installed over 160 smoke alarms in Little Village on Saturday, August 27, 2022.
“Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries,” said Celena Roldán, Chief Executive Officer, American Red Cross of Illinois. “In just one day, our volunteers and partners helped save lives in Little Village by installing smoke alarms which cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half.”
IF YOU NEED A SMOKE ALARM Visit SoundTheAlarm.org to schedule an appointment for a free smoke alarm installation. During the 20-minute home visits, Red Cross volunteers 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.
1,366 LIVES SAVED AND COUNTING Sound the Alarm events are a critical part of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which has helped save 1,366 lives since launching in October 2014. As part of the campaign in Little Village, the American Red Cross of Illinois and local partners have installed over 12,000 free smoke alarms and made over 5,000 households safer.
About the American Red Cross of Illinois
The American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion and Ralls. 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 us at Redcross.org/Illinois or visit us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @RedCrossIL.
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