BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, NJ, April 21, 2023 — Volunteers with the American Red Cross New Jersey Region, Manitou Park Volunteer Fire Company, and other community partners will join together to install more than 700 free smoke alarms for older adults vulnerable to home fires during Sound the Alarm home fire safety events in Holiday City on April 28 and 29.

“A working smoke alarm can be the difference between survival and tragedy when a home fire strikes,” said Rosie Taravella, CEO, American Red Cross New Jersey Region. “That’s why the Red Cross is teaming up with Manitou Park volunteer firefighters to help ensure Holiday City residents, especially those most vulnerable, have these lifesaving devices.”

Red Cross volunteers and firefighters will go door-to-door in teams throughout the active retirement living communities of Holiday City West, Silver Ridge Park North, Silver Ridge Park West and Silver Ridge Park Westerly between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Friday, April 28 and Saturday, April 29, 2023. The teams will install free smoke alarms in homes that need them and will 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.

HOLIDAY CITY EVENT PART OF NATIONAL CAMPAIGN Local Sound the Alarm events like this one in Berkeley Township are a critical part of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which has helped save at least 1,723 lives since launching in October 2014. During this time, the New Jersey Region and local partners have installed more than 48,000 free smoke alarms and helped make more than 23,000 New Jersey households safer.

This work is made possible thanks to financial donations from regional partners: Suburban Propane, PSEG, Barbara C. Noyes Charitable Foundation, Inc., Atlantic City Electric, Belmont Consulting, Franklin Mutual Insurance, State Farm, New Jersey Devils and the Devils Youth Foundation.

“It’s thanks to generous donations that these services are free and available to help make families safer,” 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 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 SoundTheAlarm.org/NJ 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.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

About the American Red Cross in New Jersey:
The American Red Cross provides programs and services to a population of 9.2 million in New Jersey. The Red Cross trains and mobilizes more than 4,200 volunteers who support the delivery of services throughout the state. In New Jersey last year, the Red Cross responded to 1,012 local disasters, mostly home fires, helping 2,137 displaced families; collected 84,836 blood donations and 9,726 platelet donations from generous donors through blood drives and Red Cross Blood Donation Centers; provided more than 7,271 military family case services with emergency messages, helping families find assistance and/or get counseling and referrals; and trained 87,945 people with life-saving skills in preparedness, CPR, AED use, first aid and aquatics. For more information, please visit redcross.org/NJ and follow us on Twitter @NJRedCross.

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