Volunteers with the American Red Cross New Jersey Region, the City of Paterson, Paterson Fire Department, MIRA USA, and other community partners will join together to install more than 1,000 free smoke alarms for families vulnerable to home fires during Sound the Alarm events in Paterson on Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22. 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.

"Sound the Alarm is a meaningful way to be part of a larger movement while directly helping Paterson families,” said Andre Sayegh, Mayor of Paterson. “We'll be ensuring our residents have working smoke alarms and know how to stay safe."

The Red Cross and partners will be out in neighborhoods in Paterson’s 5^th Ward on the weekend, teaching fire safety and helping families create home fire escape plans. Services are free for all those in need.

“Working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half,” said Rosie Taravella, CEO, American Red Cross New Jersey Region. “It’s thanks to generous donations that these services are free and available to help make families safer.”

RED CROSS CAMPAIGN TO #ENDHOMEFIRES Sound the Alarm events are part of the Home Fire Campaign, which the Red Cross launched in 2014 to reduce fire deaths and injuries. So far, it has reached more than 1.8 million people and saved 1,275 lives nationwide. In New Jersey, Red Cross and partners have:

• Installed more than 47,000 free smoke alarms,
• Made more than 22,400 households safer,
• Saved 20 lives in New Jersey.

This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from regional partners: PSEG, Suburban Propane, Barbara C. Noyes Charitable Foundation, Inc., and Belmont Consulting.

“We are grateful for the support from our partners,” said Taravella. “Everyone can get involved by volunteering to help neighbors vulnerable to home fires prevent needless tragedies or by taking simple steps to make their own homes safer.”

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/SoundTheAlarmNJ to find out more about how to protect themselves and their loved ones from fire, access free fire safety resources, and learn more about the Home Fire Campaign.