Carolyn George is a soft-spoken woman—but when she talks about the Sound the Alarm event, her voice carries a deep sense of gratitude and urgency. It’s a reminder that a simple decision can change everything. Thanks to smoke alarms installed in her home on March 22, 2025, Carolyn is alive today to tell her story.

It all began with a door hanger from the Red Cross, offering free smoke alarm installations as part of the Sound the Alarm initiative. Carolyn initially forgot to schedule her installation. But just in time, she remembered to call.

“I thought about it right before they were supposed to install them. I called, and they scheduled me,” Carolyn says. That last-minute decision would set off a chain of events no one could have predicted.

Volunteers on a Mission: The Heart of Sound the Alarm

In the two weeks leading up to the Sound the Alarm event, volunteers from the Red Cross and the fire department canvassed the neighborhoods, knocking on doors to inform residents about the free smoke alarm installation. April Ward, Fire Chief of the Cotile Lake Fire Department, and Roger Ramos, a veteran firefighter, were ready to help. They knew this event wasn’t just about installing smoke alarms; it was about protecting lives.

Roger even took time off work to participate. But getting people to accept help wasn’t always easy. 

“We had complaints,” April remembers. In a tight-knit community where trust is hard to earn, many were suspicious of the volunteers’ intentions. Though faced with resistance, April, Roger and Red Cross volunteers stayed focused on their mission.

A Day to Remember: How the Alarms Saved Carolyn’s Life

On installation day, Carolyn was the second stop on April’s list.

April arrived at Carolyn’s home and installed three smoke alarms—one in the living room, one in the hall and one in a back room that Carolyn had almost skipped. It was that extra alarm in the back room that proved to be the most important.

Less than 12 hours after the alarms were installed, at 10:30 p.m. that same night, Carolyn was suddenly jolted by the blaring sound of one of the newly installed alarms. She initially thought it was a malfunction.

“It couldn’t be,” she thought. “I just installed them today.” But soon, all three alarms blared, and her skepticism turned to alarm. Carolyn immediately called April.

At the fire station, April, Roger and several other firefighters had stayed behind, just in case any of the smoke alarms malfunctioned.

When April answered Carolyn’s call, she didn’t hesitate. “Get out of the house!” she urged Carolyn.

The fire department rushed to the scene. Though they didn’t see flames, the house was filled with smoke. Using thermal imaging, they discovered the culprit: a malfunctioning freezer that had caused the walls to overheat. Thanks to the timely installation of those smoke alarms, Carolyn was alerted before a potentially deadly fire could break out.

The Impact: One Life Saved, Many More to Go

That day, the Red Cross and fire department volunteers installed 48 smoke alarms in Cotile Lake. When asked why the Sound the Alarm event was so important, April answered, “I think it’s an excellent program. These alarms are actually saving people’s lives. This event definitely saved Carolyn’s life.”

Roger summed up the importance of their mission: “We could have gone out that day and seen a hundred people. A hundred people could have turned us down. But that one person for whom we can make a difference... makes it all worth it.”

The Sound the Alarm event is making a real impact, thanks to the amazing volunteers who give their time and energy to help save lives. By installing smoke alarms and raising awareness about fire safety, these volunteers are doing more than just protecting homes—they’re giving families like Carolyn’s the chance to stay safe from the devastating effects of fire.