On Saturday, May 14, volunteers and members of the American Red Cross serving Western North Dakota and the Minot Fire Department will join together to install hundreds of free smoke alarms for local families vulnerable to home fires during a Sound the Alarm event in Minot.

This effort is part of a national Red Cross 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 more than 160 home fires in North Dakota, helping more than 540 people. Sound the Alarm is meaningful way to be a part of a larger movement while directly helping local families,” said Richard Smith, Interim Executive Director for the American Red Cross serving Western North Dakota.

Minot Fire Department Chief Kelli Kronschnabel added, “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.”  

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Volunteers are needed to install alarms and to provide vital fire-safety education to families. 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. 

Training for the in-home safety sessions will be provided at the Red Cross chapter office in Minot before volunteer teams with members of the Red Cross, Minot Fire Department and partners visit area homes that have scheduled appointments.  

IF YOU NEED A SMOKE ALARM Residents in Minot 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: Red Cross Minot office, 2021 4th Ave. NW, Minot, ND  

WHEN: Saturday, May 14, 2022, 8:30 a.m. - noon   

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, including 25 in our Minnesota and Dakotas region, 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 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 Scheels and Ames Construction.