Daylight saving time ends this Sunday morning, and the American Red Cross urges everyone to test their smoke alarms when turning back their clocks.
As the fall season ushers in cold weather, it also increases the risk of deadly home fires. That’s because heating equipment is the second most common cause of fatalities from home fires—which, on average, take seven lives every day in the U.S., according to the National Fire Protection Association. But working smoke alarms can double a person’s odds of survival.
“The Red Cross wants everyone to stay safe this winter,” said Guy Triano, Regional CEO of the American Red Cross Eastern Pennsylvania. “This weekend, please take time to ‘turn and test’ to protect you and your family against the season’s life-threatening risk of home fires.” Learn more in this video.
Every eight minutes, the Red Cross responds a disaster — most often, home fires. Here in Eastern Pennsylvania, the Red Cross responded to more than 1,000 fires over the past year, providing emergency assistance to more than 5,000 residents affected.
This weekend, the Red Cross asks everyone to take these simple steps:
HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN SAVES LIVES
Through the national Home Fire Campaign, the American Red Cross works with community partners to reduce deaths and injuries from home fires, which take more lives each year than all other natural disasters combined in the U.S. In high-risk neighborhoods here in Eastern Pennsylvania and across the country, Red Cross volunteers and partners go door-to-door year-round to install free smoke alarms and help residents create home fire escape plans.
Since the campaign began in 2014, the American Red Cross Eastern Pennsylvania Region has reached more than 30,000 people in 17 counties by:
People can visit redcross.org/homefires to learn more about how to protect themselves and their loved ones, or to find out about smoke alarm installation events in their community.
People can also help families in need by volunteering their time or making a donation today to Red Cross Disaster Relief by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations to Disaster Relief will be used to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small.
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 cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross