American Red Cross volunteers and community partners will Sound the Alarm in the Fall Creek Place neighborhood by installing free smoke alarms and providing home fire safety education this Saturday, June 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Since launching in October 2014, the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign has saved at least 1,583 lives nationwide — including 35 people in the Indiana Region — from the threat of home fires, which claim seven lives every day in the U.S. Most often, these tragedies occur in homes without working smoke alarms.
We are grateful to our esteemed community partners for their invaluable support in building stronger and more resilient communities, while also ensuring the safety of our fellow neighbors against the peril of home fires," stated Terry Stigdon, Regional Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross of Indiana. "Within our community, home fires persist as an ongoing threat, constituting the majority of our disaster response efforts. Each smoke alarm diligently installed in homes by our dedicated volunteers serves as a lasting testament to our collective commitment to saving lives and safeguarding the most vulnerable among us.”
From the beginning of the Home Fire Campaign, locally Red Cross volunteers and partners have:
Home fires account for most of the more than 60,000 disasters that the Red Cross responds to annually in the Indiana Region and across the country. So far in 2023, Red Cross volunteers have helped more than 1,800 people affected by disasters, including home fires in the Indiana Region by providing emergency lodging, financial assistance for urgent needs like food and clothing, and one-on-one recovery support for navigating next steps and connecting with community resources.
Home Fire Survivor Wendy Wilson
In October 2021, Indianapolis resident Wendy Wilson suffered smoke inhalation and burns on over 34% of her body during a home fire. On that faithful day, she said that there was one smoke alarm in her home, but it did not go off. Wendy wants to remind people about the importance of having working smoke alarms adding that “people need to check their smoke alarms.” Wendy spent 60 days at the Richard M. Fairbanks Burn Center receiving treatment for her injuries. Read more about Wendy’s story here.
For interview requests, please contact Isis Chaverri at 317.914.5744 | isis.chaverri@redcross.org.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED Help save lives by becoming a volunteer or making a financial donation to prepare, respond and help families recover from home fires. Learn more at redcross.org/volunteer. You can also help your family by testing your smoke alarms monthly and practicing your two-minute home fire escape plan. Additional safety tips are available at redcross.org/fire and on the free Red Cross Emergency app (search “American Red Cross” in mobile app stores).
This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from regional partners: Allegion, Allied Solutions, Elevance Health Foundation, Eskenazi Health, Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, Hays + Sons, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Jasper Holdings, Inc., NTT Indycar Series, United Way of Central Indiana, UPS and WTHR (channel 13).
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 six chapters: Central, 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, Twitter @INRedCross and Instagram @indianaredcross.