The American Red Cross of South Central and Southeast Kansas, Wichita Fire Department and several other partners teamed up for a successful Sound the Alarm home fire safety event.
Volunteers hit the streets in several Wichita neighborhoods at high risk of home fires. They installed more than 300 free smoke alarms, helped residents create escape plans and provided home fire safety information.
As a result, nearly 165 Wichita homes in these neighborhoods are now safer.
“A working smoke alarm can cut your risk of dying during a home fire in half,” said Shannon Wedge, Executive Director for the Red Cross of South Central and Southeast Kansas. “We’re grateful for the volunteers and partners who spent a day with us to help ensure some of Wichita’s most vulnerable residents can be safer in their homes.”
Some homes had no smoke alarms. Others had alarms that were not working. Wichitans helped included a couple expecting their first child, a single mom, a veteran and an elderly woman whose husband recently passed away.
“This reminds me why we do this work,” Wedge said. “I’ll always remember those installs and people.”
Volunteers participated in community events and canvassed Wichita neighborhoods in the weeks before Sound the Alarm to get residents signed up for appointments and build awareness of the installation event.
Thank you to the many partners that joined us in Wichita:
Check out event photos on our Flickr page!
WICHITA EVENT PART OF NATIONAL CAMPAIGN Local Sound the Alarm events like this one in Wichita are a critical part of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which has helped save at least 2,284 lives and made 1.1 million homes safer since launching in October 2014.
Ready to join us in this movement? Visit SoundTheAlarm.org/kansas to volunteer for an event near you, donate to the Home Fire Campaign or request smoke alarms.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.
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