The American Red Cross, in partnership with the Turtle Creek Volunteer Fire Department, installed over 250 free smoke alarms and educated close to 550 households during a Home Fire Campaign Sound the Alarm. Save a Life. event in Turtle Creek on Saturday, July 8, 2017.

Over 70 Red Cross, Turtle Creek Volunteer Fire Department, and community volunteers spent the day going door-to-door in the community, educating residents on the importance of having and practicing home fire escape plans and installing free smoke alarms where none existed or where existing ones had failed.

This Sound the Alarm event is part of the Red Cross’ five-year Home Fire Campaign, which aims to reduce the number of home fire-related deaths and injuries by 25%.

“Seven times each day someone dies in a home fire,” noted Dan Tobin, Red Cross Western Pennsylvania Director of Marketing and Communications. “Having a working smoke alarm and a home fire escape plan that you and your family have practiced can give you the time required to escape safely should the need arise.”

The Turtle Creek event is a precursor to an August event that will be held in Coraopolis and a Pittsburgh event that will focus on Homewood, Allentown, Beltzhoover, and Knoxville in September. In total, the Red Cross hopes to install over 1,600 alarms during these three Sound the Alarm events.

The Red Cross is extremely grateful to our community partners who helped to make the Turtle Creek event possible: Turtle Creek Fire Chief Lou Lantzy and the Turtle Creek Fire Department, Turtle Creek Mayor Kelly Kelley and the Turtle Creek Borough Council, Michael Virk and the Penn Plaza Shopping Center, Propel Schools - East Charter School, Woodland Hills Academy, Electric Heights Housing Association, Turtle Creek Development Corporation, Human Services Center Corp, SERVPRO of Turtle Creek, State Farm of Cheswick, Duquesne Light, the Turtle Creek Rotary Club, Geremy Hite and the Turtle Creek Market featuring Isalys, and the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Tobin added, “We are extremely proud to be serving alongside our community partners whose effort today will ensure that people are better equipped to act quickly should a home fire strike. There is no doubt that the service provided by these volunteers will one day save a life.”