MEDFORD, Mass., (April 4) –Most of us don’t realize we have just two minutes to escape a home fire —which is the nation’s most frequent disaster. Home fires claim seven lives every day in the U.S. —but having working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death by half. That’s why the American Red Cross is rallying volunteers to install smokes alarms in five cities across Massachusetts as part of our Sound the Alarm events to install 50,000 free smoke alarms nationwide in May.
While you may know the American Red Cross for blood donation, CPR training, or our work in national and international disasters, home fires actually represent most of the emergencies we respond to on a daily basis. In Massachusetts alone, the Red Cross responded to more than 700 home fires between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022.
National Grid has once again partnered with the Red Cross in Massachusetts to limit the number of fatalities due to home fires.
“National Grid is proud to partner with the American Red Cross in Massachusetts to help make homes safer through the “Sound the Alarm” campaign,” said Stephen Woerner, President, National Grid New England. “This collaboration helps National Grid further our commitment to the communities we serve, and together with the Red Cross, we can make a significant difference in helping to prevent home fires and saving lives.”
Home fires also claim seven lives a day in our country -but a working smoke alarm can cut the risk of death by half.
Home Fire Prevention Events
To help keep families safe, the Red Cross is partnering with fire departments and community partners to install hundreds of free smoke alarms in at-risk communities across Massachusetts.
Installation events will occur in Boston on April 29, Salem and Springfield on May 6 and Leominster and New Bedford on May 13.
During these installations, volunteers will also share information on the causes of home fires, how to prevent them, what to do if a fire starts and how to create an escape plan.
There is no cost for this service -but we do ask that interested residents make an appointment in advance by calling 1-800-564-1234 or visiting soundthealarm.org/MA. The Red Cross is also seeking volunteers to assist in the five community installation events in May.
About National Grid
National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a path to a more affordable, reliable clean energy future through our fossil-free vision. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
For more information, please visit our website, follow us on Twitter, watch us on YouTube, like us on Facebook and find our photos on Instagram.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% 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 redcross.org/MA or CruzRojaAmericana.org. Follow us on social media: Red Cross of Massachusetts on Facebook and LinkedIn, @RedCrossMA on Twitter, @AmericanRedCross on Instagram and TikTok.