Events to be held across the U.S. and its territories in an effort to save lives from the nation’s most frequent disaster

ST. CROIX, USVI – May 5, 2022 – This month, the American Red Cross is teaming up with the Virgin Islands Fire Service to Sound the Alarm about home fires which claim seven lives every day, most often in homes without working smoke alarms. Through targeted outreach events, local volunteers will contribute to a national initiative to install 50,000 free smoke alarms in more than 50 at-risk communities in May.

“Tragically, more than 1,000* people have lost their lives this year as a result of home fires,” says Tina Beazer, Executive Director, American Red Cross of the U.S. Virgin Islands. “These everyday tragedies are a constant threat to our community, and our efforts over the next three weeks will make a lasting difference to save lives.”

There are five events scheduled in the territory in the coming weeks:

At these events, Red Cross volunteers and the VI Fire Service will go door-to-door in neighborhoods at high-risk for home fires, installing free smoke alarms and sharing information on the causes of home fires, what to do if a fire starts and how to create an escape plan.

SAVING LIVES Home fire safety events are a critical part of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign launched in October 2014 to reduce home fire-related deaths and injuries. Through March 2022, the campaign has helped save at least 1,275 lives through outreach and education efforts. Nationwide, more than 2.3 million free smoke alarms have been installed, making more than 982,000 families safer, and more than 1.8 million youth have been trained in emergency preparedness.

WITH APPRECIATION This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from regional partners: Lockheed Martin, Suburban Propane, TECO and Wells Fargo.

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

*statistic compiled by the U.S. Home Fire Administration

The American Red Cross of the U.S. Virgin Islands has offices in St. Croix and St. Thomas (serving St. Thomas, St. John and the Water Island districts). Call us at 340-778-5104 (St. Croix) or 340-774-0375 (St. Thomas). For more information, please visit redcross.org/USVI or facebook.com/RedCrossUSVI.

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 Twitter at @RedCross.

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