The American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois completes Sound the Alarm. Save a Life campaign exceeding its goal of 2,000 smoke alarms. For the past three weekends, volunteers canvassed neighborhoods across the region, installing 2,570 free smoke alarms and helping families create fire escape plans.
“We thank everyone who supported our Sound the Alarm initiative to help neighbors protect themselves against home fires,” said Celena Roldán, CEO of the American Red Cross of Chicago and Northern Illinois. “Tragically, home fires take seven lives each day in the U.S., but thanks to generous supporters, we’re increasing the odds of survival for families by providing free smoke alarms and teaching them how to stay safe from these everyday crises.”
From April 27 to May 18, 2,570 free smoke alarms were installed across the Chicago and northern Illinois region surpassing our goal of 2,000 smoke alarms by 28%.
Through 11 local smoke alarm installation and fire safety events from Joliet to Austin to Rockford and more, the Red Cross helped make 956 homes safer. It took 340 volunteers to help accomplish this mission.
Nationwide, the American Red Cross installed more than 120,000 free smoke alarms with the assistance of 29,000 volunteers and as result more than 50,000 households are safer today.
The Chicago and Northern Illinois Red Cross is proud to have several corporate organizations supporting the Sound the Alarm program including: Motorola Solutions Foundation, Gallagher, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Grainger, Bank of America, Joan and Paul Rubschlager and USG Corporation. Together, we can Sound the Alarm about fire safety and help save lives.
The Red Cross responds to nearly 64,000 disasters a year, the majority of which are home fires.
Locally, volunteers responded to 34 fires from Monday, May 13 to today across the 21-county region including fires in Antioch, Plainfield, DeKalb, Romeoville, Rockford with 22 of those fires taking place in Chicago.
The Red Cross helped 143 individuals, including 86 adults and 57 children. Our volunteers assisted those affected with comfort kits with toiletry items, clothing, food, temporary housing, information about recovery services, and health and mental health services.
Working smoke alarms in a home cut the risk of death by half and having an escape plan further improves the odds of survival. Since the launch in 2014 of the Home Fire Campaign, 593 lives have been saved.
To learn more about the Home Fire Campaign, visit redcross.org. Please help us Sound the Alarm by volunteering to install smoke alarms, making a financial contribution, or taking steps to protect your own family from home fires.
About the American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois:
The American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois serves 9.5 million people in 21 counties including Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Jo Daviess, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Putnam, Stephenson, Whiteside, Will and Winnebago. 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/il/chicago or visit us on Twitter @ChicagoRedCross.