Register to volunteer, request free alarms at SoundTheAlarm.org/mndaks
RAPID CITY, SD (April 20, 2022) — On Saturday, May 21, American Red Cross serving Central and Western South Dakota, Mobridge Emergent Management and Walworth County Fire Departments will join together to install hundreds of free smoke alarms for local families vulnerable to home fires during a Sound the Alarm event in Walworth County. This effort is part of a national Sound the Alarm initiative to install 50,000 free smoke alarms in more than 50 at-risk communities across the country in May.
“Last year, Red Cross volunteers responded to 217 home fires in South Dakota, helping more than 800 people. Sound the Alarm is a meaningful way to be a part of a larger movement while directly helping local families,” said Richard Smith, Executive Director for the American Red Cross serving Central and Western South Dakota.
“In just one day, you could help save a neighbor’s life by installing smoke alarms — which can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half,” said Jeff Jensen, Walworth County Emergency Manager.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED People can register now at soundthealarm.org/mndaks to help install free 10-year lithium-ion smoke alarms and share fire safety information with residents during the local Sound the Alarm event. No prior experience necessary. Volunteers needed to install alarms and/or provide vital fire-safety education to families. Training for the in-home safety sessions will be provided before volunteer teams, along with event hosts and partners, visit area homes with scheduled appointments.
IF YOU NEED A SMOKE ALARM Residents in Walworth County who need assistance can visit soundthealarm.org/mndaks to schedule an appointment for a free smoke alarm installation. During the home visits, 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.
WHAT:
Sound the Alarm smoke alarm installations and fire safety planning with local families
WHERE:
Kickoff: Walworth County Office of Emergency Management/
Mobridge Fire Department
116 1st Ave. E, Mobridge, SD
WHEN: Saturday, May 21, 2022, 8:30 a.m. - noon
WHO: Akaska, Glenham, Java, Mobridge and Selby Fire Departments and Red Cross volunteers
1,243 LIVES SAVED AND COUNTING This Sound the Alarm event is a critical part of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which has helped save 1,243 lives since launching in October 2014. As part of the campaign Red Cross volunteers and local partners have installed more than 4,800 free smoke alarms in North Dakota and made more than 1,600 households safer. Because of generous donations, all services are free and available for people in need. Can’t join the event?
Help by donating to the Red Cross at SoundTheAlarm.org/mndaks to help people prepare for, respond to and recover from home fires — which account for most of the U.S. disasters that the Red Cross responds to every eight minutes.
This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from generous regional partners, including Ames Construction, Border States, and Scheels.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. It 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 not a governmental agency, but rather a not-for-profit humanitarian organization.
The Minnesota and Dakotas Region of the Red Cross serves 7.3 million people in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota and Douglas County (Superior) in Wisconsin. The American Red Cross is part of the global Red Cross and Red Crescent humanitarian disaster relief network around the world. This network includes the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) societies. The network is united by a shared commitment to seven Fundamental Principles, including humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. For more information, please visit redcross.org/mndaks.