There will be a masked and socially distant event in Moline, Illinois on May 8^th from 10am-2pm, Red Cross volunteers will be able to provide in person education outside of homes. The Moline Fire Department will then follow up with the residents for their free smoke alarm installation. If you reside in Moline and need free smoke alarms installed in your home request an appointment here. The Red Cross encourages everyone in Moline that does not have a working smoke alarm to request an appointment.

“Home fires are the nation’s most frequent disaster, and we want to ensure everyone knows how to protect themselves and their loved ones from these everyday crises,” said Trish Burnett, executive director of the American Red Cross Serving the Quad Cities and West Central Illinois. “We are grateful for the support of our volunteers and the Moline Fire Department to help prevent needless fire tragedies.”

Red Cross volunteers continue to Sound the Alarm in Illinois as part of a national effort to educate 100,000 people about home fire safety in high-risk neighborhoods this spring. Our volunteers are also offering virtual education sessions on home fire safety for residents through May 8^th. The Red Cross always needs more volunteers, so we encourage everyone to visit SoundTheAlarm.org/Illinois to request a virtual session appointment & volunteer.

The smoke alarms the Red Cross recommends are ones with the long battery life 10-year lithium ion. One important feature is that they are tamper-proof, so you can’t take the battery out, which would render them useless. It is also more convenient for people who can’t get up on ladders or step stools to change the batteries themselves. In 2019, Illinois passed a law that smoke alarms that are not hardwired and have removable batteries will need to be upgraded to long life battery alarms by 2023.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE Help protect your family against home fires by taking two simple steps:  test your smoke alarms monthly and practice your home fire escape plan until everyone can escape in less than two minutes. 

• Create an escape plan with at least two ways to exit every room in your home. 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 knows to meet.
• Practice your escape plan until everyone in your household can get out in less than two minutes.
• Place smoke alarms on each level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas. Change the batteries at least once a year if your model requires it.
• Check the manufacturer’s date of your smoke alarms. If they’re 10 years older, they likely need to be replaced. Follow your alarm’s manufacturer instructions.

If you need assistance after a home fire or disaster, please call our dispatch line: 1-844-319-6560

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 Twitter @RedCrossIL.

There will be a masked and socially distant event in Moline, Illinois on May 8^th from 10am-2pm, Red Cross volunteers will be able to provide in person education outside of homes. The Moline Fire Department will then follow up with the residents for their free smoke alarm installation. If you reside in Moline and need free smoke alarms installed in your home request an appointment here. The Red Cross encourages everyone in Moline that does not have a working smoke alarm to request an appointment.

“Home fires are the nation’s most frequent disaster, and we want to ensure everyone knows how to protect themselves and their loved ones from these everyday crises,” said Trish Burnett, executive director of the American Red Cross Serving the Quad Cities and West Central Illinois. “We are grateful for the support of our volunteers and the Moline Fire Department to help prevent needless fire tragedies.”

Red Cross volunteers continue to Sound the Alarm in Illinois as part of a national effort to educate 100,000 people about home fire safety in high-risk neighborhoods this spring. Our volunteers are also offering virtual education sessions on home fire safety for residents through May 8^th. The Red Cross always needs more volunteers, so we encourage everyone to visit SoundTheAlarm.org/Illinois to request a virtual session appointment & volunteer.

The smoke alarms the Red Cross recommends are ones with the long battery life 10-year lithium ion. One important feature is that they are tamper-proof, so you can’t take the battery out, which would render them useless. It is also more convenient for people who can’t get up on ladders or step stools to change the batteries themselves. In 2019, Illinois passed a law that smoke alarms that are not hardwired and have removable batteries will need to be upgraded to long life battery alarms by 2023.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE Help protect your family against home fires by taking two simple steps:  test your smoke alarms monthly and practice your home fire escape plan until everyone can escape in less than two minutes.

• Create an escape plan with at least two ways to exit every room in your home. 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 knows to meet.
• Practice your escape plan until everyone in your household can get out in less than two minutes.
• Place smoke alarms on each level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas. Change the batteries at least once a year if your model requires it.
• Check the manufacturer’s date of your smoke alarms. If they’re 10 years older, they likely need to be replaced. Follow your alarm’s manufacturer instructions.

If you need assistance after a home fire or disaster, please call our dispatch line: 1-844-319-6560

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 Twitter @RedCrossIL.