Due to potential thunderstorms on Saturday, April 18, the Home Fire Campaign event has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 2, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

On that day, Red Cross volunteers and members of the Henderson Fire Department will be installing FREE smoke alarms and educating families about home fires.

Home fires claim seven lives every day in the United States, but working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half.

Community Volunteers Needed
The Red Cross invites community members to join in this effort. Training will be provided before teams head out into the community. On Saturday, May 2, volunteers will gather and depart from Bodega Market, 207 Letcher St., Henderson, Kentucky. Those interested can register here: https://rdcrss.org/4bQEx7S

How to Protect Your Family

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas.
• Test alarms monthly and replace batteries at least once a year if your model requires it.
• Create a home fire escape plan with at least two exit routes from every room.
• Practice your plan until everyone can escape in under two minutes.
   

The American Red Cross installs free smoke alarms year-round. To request an appointment and learn more about home fire safety, please visit redcross.org/inhomefire.

Thunderstorm Safety Tips
With thunderstorms in the forecast for our area, we want to share a few safety tips to help keep you and your loved ones safe.

• Watch for storm signs, such as darkening skies, lightning flashes, and increasing wind.
• A WATCH means be prepared, and a WARNING means take action.
• If thunder roars, go indoors.
• Seek shelter inside a sturdy building and go to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor. Stay away from glass windows and doors.
• Lightning can be dangerous even when you’re inside.
• Avoid using devices connected to electrical outlets.
• Avoid running water as lightning can travel through plumbing and water lines.
   

No place outside is safe when thunderstorms are nearby.

• Sheds, gazebos, dugouts and bleachers don’t protect from lightning or high winds.
• Avoid taking shelter under a tree as they’re often hit by lightning, and you could be injured.
• Being in a vehicle is safer than being outside; however, if you have time, drive to the closest sturdy building, and take shelter inside.
• If you’re driving and can’t get to a sturdy building, pull off the road and park in a place where failing trees and power lines won’t hit you.
• Flash flooding happens quickly. Move to higher ground before floodwaters reach you.
• Never walk, swim or drive through floodwaters. Turn around, don’t drown.
   

Visit redcross.org/thunderstorm for full severe weather safety information.

About the American Red Cross Indiana Region:
The American Red Cross of Indiana Region serves 6.9 million people in 104 counties in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio through its chapters: Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, and Greater Indianapolis (Regional Headquarters). 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/Indiana or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X @indianaredcross.