In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, the City of Asbury Park, the Asbury Park Fire Department, and community organizations all partnered with the American Red Cross to honor the life of Dr. King and help save lives.

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More than 100 volunteered during this Sound the Alarm smoke alarm installation and fire safety event. Firefighters and volunteers with Red Cross and numerous community groups went door-to-door in Asbury Park neighborhoods, installing free smoke alarms and providing fire safety information as they visited homes. More than 90 homes were made safer.

“We are proud to honor the legacy of Dr. King by joining together again this year with the City of Asbury Park, Fire Chief Kevin Keddy, Fire Official Tawheshia (Tee) Gates and all of the firefighters and volunteers from the amazing community groups she brings together every year to help save lives,” said Kim Goetz, Interim Regional Executive, American Red Cross New Jersey Region. “This event is so meaningful. Last year’s event saw two smoke alarm installations ultimately result in a life being saved!”

Life Saved in August

During last year’s MLK Day of Service event in Asbury Park, two smoke alarms were installed in a home on Prospect Avenue. Seven months later, those smoke alarms are credited with helping save a life during a fire in that home. The smoke alarms are clearly audible in police body cam footage of a rescue during an August 25 home fire in Asbury Park available in a YouTube video.

To help reduce the number of home fire-related injuries and fatalities, the American Red Cross launched the Home Fire Campaign in New Jersey and across the county in 2014. The Red Cross is partnering with municipalities, fire departments and community organizations to help families be better prepared for and take important steps to prevent home fires.

To date, Red Cross and partners have installed more than 3.2 million free smoke alarms nationwide with 59,000 installed in New Jersey homes. More than 2,500 lives have been saved through the campaign, including 21 in New Jersey.

The Red Cross would like to express our sincere appreciation to the following: City of Asbury Park, Asbury Park Fire Department, Asbury Park Police Department, Monmouth - Ocean Police Athletic League, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Interfaith Neighbors, The Cazzeek Brothers, Asbury Park Quality of Life Committee, Encounter Christ Global Fellowship, Welcome Home Foundation, The Rebirth Church, St. Stephen AME Zion Church, Delta Sigma Theta Monmouth County Alumnae Chapter, KaiNE's Project No Name, Inspire Life, Servants of All Foundation, Rock. Your. Smile., and Triumphant Life Church.

SIMPLE STEPS TO SAVE LIVES As part of the Home Fire Campaign, the Red Cross is calling on everyone to take two simple steps that can save lives: practice fire drills at home and check their existing smoke alarms.

There are several things families and individuals can do to increase their chances of surviving a fire:

• Create a home fire escape plan that includes at least two ways to escape each room and a meeting spot to reunite after escaping.
• Practice the plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes.
• If someone doesn’t have smoke alarms, install them. At a minimum, put one on every level of the home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Local building codes vary and there may be additional requirements where someone lives.
• If someone does have alarms, test them today. If they don’t work, replace them.

People can visit redcross.org/PrepareNJ to find out more about how to protect themselves and their loved ones from fire, access free fire safety resources, and learn more about how to become a volunteer.