The American Red Cross in Greater NY is calling on residents to schedule appointments to have free smoke alarms installed as part of the organization’s Sound the Alarm. Save a Life. program. They are also seeking volunteers from communities across Greater NY to join the Red Cross to carry out this lifesaving program and bring these devices into more homes. To have free smoke alarms installed by trained Red Cross volunteers or to sign up as a fire safety volunteer, visit www.soundthealarm.org
“The reason for this program is simple: smoke alarms save lives!” said Josh Lockwood, CEO, American Red Cross in Greater NY. “And the more volunteers we have, the more smoke alarms we can install. Thank you to all of our partners including FDNY who stand with us to make fire safety such a priority in our communities.”
This URGENT call to action comes in advance of a major push of Sound the Alarm. Save a Life. home fire safety and smoke alarm installations between April 28, 2019 and May 11, 2019, when Red Cross volunteers across the country will install over 100,000 free smoke alarms.
Locally, these events come off the heels of a year in NYC (2018) that had the highest number of fire deaths in a decade. Additionally, on April 1, 2019, a new NY state law required that all smoke detectors sold in New York State must be powered by a 10-year, sealed, non-removable battery, or hardwired to the home. The smoke alarms that the Red Cross installs will comply with this new law.
In NYC, these alarms are provided in partnership with New York City Fire Department (FDNY).
During this upcoming major fore safety push, the American Red Cross in Greater NY will hold fire safety events in the following communities:
Please note that residents outside these communities can still take advantage of Sound the Alarm since the program is offered year-round.
The Red Cross responds to nearly 64,000 disasters a year across the country, including more than 2100 in Greater NY. Most of these local disasters are home fires. Working smoke alarms in a home cut the risk of death by half, and having an escape plan further improves the odds of survival. The Red Cross wants to end these tragedies and save lives, the reason why the organization launched this Sound the Alarm. Save a Life fire safety campaign in 2014. So far, it has reached more than 1.7 million people and saved more than 550 lives nationwide. It is a year-round program available to all New Yorkers.
To sign up for a free smoke alarm, to join as a volunteer or to provide financial support, visit www.SoundtheAlarm.org.
Sound the Alarm. Save a Life. Partners:
The Sound the Alarm home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events in New York City are made possible through the generous support of partners including: Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Captivate Network, Carvel, Casual Home, Dentsu Aegis Network, FDNY, FDNY Foundation, HSBC, Insider Inc., JLL, Marsh & McLennan Companies, Nassau Financial Federal Credit Union, National Grid, NYU Winthrop Hospital, New York Yankees, PSEG Long Island, Wells Fargo.
The following elected officials are champions of Sound the Alarm home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events in Manhattan: Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer; Congress Member Adriano Espaillat; Congress Member Nydia Velázquez; Council Member Diana Ayala; Council Member Mark Levine; Council Member Carlina Rivera; Council Member Margaret S. Chin; Assembly Member Al Taylor; Assembly Member Deborah J. Glick; Senator Robert Jackson; Senator Brad Hoylman.
The following elected officials are champions of Sound the Alarm home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events in Yonkers: Westchester County Executive George Latimer; Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano; NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins; Senator Shelley B. Mayer; Assembly Member Nader J. Sayegh; Westchester County Legislator Christopher Johnson, Council Member Shanae V. Williams; Council Member Corazon Pineda Isaac. Majority Leader Michael Sabatino
The following elected officials are champions of Sound the Alarm home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events in Long Island: Nassau County Executive Laura Curran; Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone; Congress Member Tom Suozzi; Assembly Member Mike LiPetri; Assembly Member Kimberly Jean-Pierre; Assembly Member Andrew Raia; Assembly Member Michaelle C. Solages; Senator John Brooks; Senator Phil Boyle; Senator Kevin Thomas
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross 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 a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @redcrossny.
Contact:
Michael de Vulpillieres
American Red Cross in Greater NY
Communications Officer
media.gny@redcross.org
646 345 2868