On Saturday, October 19, the American Red Cross Big Country Chapter held a Sound the Alarm event in Jacksboro, Texas. In partnership with the Jacksboro Fire Department and Concerned Citizens of Jack County, Red Cross volunteers and local firefighters visited Jacksboro residents' homes to install free smoke alarms and share home fire safety tips.

Thanks to the collaborative outreach, the Red Cross, Jacksboro Fire Department and local partners installed 147 smoke alarms in 50 homes, making 119 residents safer from home fires.

"We are thankful for our partnership with the Jacksboro Fire Department,” Executive Director of the Red Cross Big Country Chapter Kara Nickens said. “They took time out of their days to help us ensure the community of Jacksboro will be safer and more knowledgeable about the risks of home fires and how they can prevent them."

Jacksboro Fire Chief Jeremy Jennings shared, "I was surprised by how many people had smoke detectors that they didn't check if they still worked or did not have smoke detectors at all. We met a lot of good people today and brought fire safety to areas we may not have visited before. It was great to see folks calling their neighbors and friends to sign up."

Making an Impact Through a Collaboration
Through an effective collaboration with local nonprofit Concerned Citizens of Jack County, they were able to help the Red Cross spread the word about its Sound the Alarm event and even get community members to sign up. Elderly residents such as Linda Lou Richardson, Concerned Citizens of Jack County, serve the needs of the elderly and disabled in the county.

“Concerned Citizens was dropping off my meals when they told me about the event the Red Cross was doing,” Richardson said. “My smoke alarms had stopped working, and I can’t replace them myself, so I told them to sign me up. Thank you so much for taking care of me today. I feel good and can rest easier knowing something is here to alert me if a fire should break out.”

Sharon and John Inge attended a bingo game night at the Concerned Citizens of Jack County meeting hall when they signed up for a smoke alarm installation.

“It’s a great thing y’all are doing. It helps to have the date marked on the alarms. We couldn’t tell you when our old ones were installed.,” said John Inge.

For Jacksboro resident Sharon Diden, the smoke alarm installations were an answered prayer after a recent scare. One morning, Diden was warming up some grease to clean the pan she was using, and she admitted she forgot to turn the stovetop off. Diden left the pan while she took a nap in her bed. When she awoke, all Diden saw was smoke filling her house. Due to her loss of smell, Diden did not smell the grease burning on the stove.

“It scared me so bad because I thought, ‘I could’ve died because I can’t smell anything.’” Diden jumped out of bed and immediately aired out her home. Thankfully, a fire did not break out at the time.

“I knew then that I needed a smoke detector. My hearing is fine, and I would’ve heard the smoke alarm go off, but unfortunately, my loss of smell prevented me from acting sooner that day,” said Diden.

“Ever since my husband passed a few years ago, I have not been able to complete things around the house that he used to do. I prayed for something or someone to help me with a task like this. Next thing you know, I am being signed up for smoke alarms by Concerned Citizens of Jack County when I went to an event last month. The Red Cross coming here today is a Godsend. You all have blessed me with a safer home.”

Jacksboro Event Part of National Campaign
Sound the Alarm is part of the National Red Cross Home Fire campaign. Since the campaign was launched in 2014, smoke alarms installed by Red Cross volunteers and partners have helped save more than 2,165 lives.

Locally, the Red Cross has installed more than 4,643 free smoke alarms and made more than 1,792 households safer in the Big Country Region, encompassing 35 counties, including Jack County.

Home fires claim seven lives every day, but having working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death by half. That’s why the American Red Cross is rallying volunteers to install free smoke alarms nationwide as part of our Sound the Alarm events.

This year, we’ll install free smoke alarms, create escape plans and share fire safety information. Join us for a rewarding day at a Sound the Alarm event near you.

To join the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign to make homes safer from fires, visit RedCross.org/volunteer. If you cannot afford to purchase smoke alarms or are physically unable to install a smoke alarm, visit RedCross.org/NTXHMS or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to request a smoke alarm.

Check out the Jacksboro Sound the Alarm photos at the Red Cross North Texas Region’s Flickr album.