Teams will visit the communities of Campo Rico and Estate Whim on St. Croix, Smith Bay on St. Thomas

TAMPA, Fla. – January 18, 2024 – The American Red Cross, V.I. Fire Service and community partners are teaming up again this month for Sound the Alarm home fire safety events on St. Croix and St. Thomas. This effort is part of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, launched in 2014 to help reduce home fire-related deaths and injuries.

Home fires are this country’s deadliest and most frequent type of disaster. In calendar year 2023, the U.S. Home Fire Administration recorded 2,161 home fire fatalities in the U.S.

At Sound the Alarm events, Red Cross volunteers, local fire departments and community partners go door-to-door in neighborhoods vulnerable to 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.

Details for the two events are listed below:

St. Croix

Service area:  Campo Rico and Estate Whim
Staging location:  Island Baptist Church, 105 CA Est Whim (besides Good Hope Townhouses)
Event time:  8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Volunteer:  Click here to sign-up to volunteer
Register your home:  To request free smoke alarms in advance, please call 340-778-5104.

St. Thomas

Service area:  Smith Bay
Staging area:  Last Lap Bar & Grill - Smith Bay
Time:  8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Volunteer:  Click here to sign-up to volunteer
Register your home:  To request free smoke alarms in advance, please call 340-774-0375.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE  With the support of our community partners and dedicated volunteers, the campaign has installed 2.7 million free smoke alarms nationwide and helped to make 1.1 million homes safer. Through 2023, the campaign is credited with helping save at least 2,012 lives, about one-third of which were children.

WHEN FIRES HAPPEN  After a home fire, Red Cross volunteers work with fire departments to connect with families for needs like emergency lodging, financial assistance and emotional support. Our services are free and available for all those in need.

WAYS TO HELP  Visit redcross.org/USVI to become a volunteer make a donation to support our lifesaving work.

WITH APPRECIATION This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations to the Home Fire Program from regional partners: Circle K, Lockheed Martin and Wells Fargo.

The American Red Cross of Central Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands serves 19 Florida counties through five chapters: Florida’s Space Coast (Daytona Beach), Greater Orlando, Mid-Florida (Winter Haven), Southwest Florida (Sarasota) and Tampa Bay; and the Virgin Islands territories of St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John and Water Island. For more information, visit redcross.org. Also find us on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

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 follow us on social media.

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