Volunteers and members of the American Red Cross of Central and Southwest Oklahoma and local partners installed nearly 150 free smoke alarms for families during a Sound the Alarm home fire safety event in northeast Oklahoma City.

“We are grateful to everyone who supported Sound the Alarm to help keep more than 220 of our neighbors safe from home fires,” said Loida Haffener Salmond, Executive Director of the Red Cross of Central and Southwest Oklahoma. “Home fires are a constant threat in our community, accounting for most of our disaster responses. Today’s efforts will make a lasting difference to help save lives and protect those who are most vulnerable.”

MAKING LOCAL HOMES SAFER Arthur Houston is among the local residents who received support during the Oct. 4 Sound the Alarm event, where Red Cross volunteers and partners also shared information on the causes of home fires, what to do if a fire starts and how to create an escape plan. He also spread word of the event to his neighbors.

“I heard about this at my church, and I knew this was something people needed to know about,” Houston, who grew up and still lives in the Carverdale neighborhood, said. “We appreciate the Red Cross and the work they’re doing in the community.”

SAVING LIVES FROM NATION’S MOST FREQUENT DISASTER Home fires are the nation’s most frequent disaster, including in Oklahoma City, where the Red Cross has responded to more than 250 this year.

This Sound the Alarm event is a critical part of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which has helped save 2,489 lives since launching in October 2014. Locally during this time, the Red Cross of Central and Southwest Oklahoma and local partners have installed more than 13,000 free smoke alarms and made almost 6,500 households safer.

Visit SoundTheAlarm.org to learn more and make a donation to the Red Cross to help people prepare for, respond to and recover from home fires.

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 X at @RedCross.