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Sound the Alarm

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Join the American Red Cross to Sound the Alarm. Save a Life.

(Para español, visite ActivaTuAlarma.org)  

SAFETY FIRST! As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the Red Cross is adapting Sound the Alarm activities to protect the people we serve and our volunteers. Sound the Alarm may look different this year but our lifesaving mission to make families and communities safer from home fire continues. 

In a Home Fire, Can Your Family Safely Escape in Just 2 Minutes?

Home fires claim seven lives every day, but you can help change that. 

Join our national movement and pledge to keep your family safe by taking 2 simple steps: Practice your 2-minute escape drill and test your smoke alarms monthly. 

American Red Cross volunteers help us Sound the Alarm in at-risk communities by: 
  • Educating people nationwide about home fire safety. 
  • Helping families create an escape plan to practice their 2-minute drill.
  • Partnering with fire departments to install smoke alarms by appointment where it’s safe to do so.

This story was filmed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

How You Can Help Keep Your Family Safe

Just 2 simple steps can help prepare your family to escape from a home fire.

1. Practice a 2-Minute Fire Drill 

Use our worksheet to draw your home’s floor plan and plot your escape routes. 

  • Practice your 2-minute drill (from home to a safe meeting place) at least twice a year.
  • Everyone in your household should know two ways to escape from each room in your home. 
  • In a real fire, remember to get out, stay out and call 911. Never go back inside for people, pets or things. 

2.Test Your Smoke Alarms Monthly

Test your smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button. 

  • You should hear three beeps, letting you know the alarm is working. 
  • Don't hear the beeps? Then it's time to change the batteries, if your model requires them.
  • If your smoke alarm is 10 years old, it's time to get a new alarm because the sensor becomes less sensitive over time. 

How You Can Get Involved

Help the Red Cross Sound the Alarm about home fire safety through education, volunteering and providing financial support.
Free Education to Help Your Family Prepare for Home Fire

Interested in learning more about how to prepare your home and family against a home fire? Sign up for a virtual home fire safety presentation from your local Red Cross. If needed, you will also be put on our list to receive a FREE smoke alarm installation for your household when it is safe to do so. 

Availability depends on your location. More activities are being added all the time, so please check back soon if we don't have an opportunity for you today. 
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    Volunteer

    Volunteer to help families affected by home fires. *Not available in all locations.

    Fundraise

    Help families prepare for, respond to and recover from home fires.

    Donate

    Donate to support Home Fire Relief and help save lives. 

    Thank You to Our 2021 National Partners

    sound the alarm sponsor
    National preparedness month images

    Special Thanks to Our Regional Partners Supporting at $100k+

    Louise Washington Charitable Trust
    Motorola Solutions Foundation
    National Grid
    Pacific Gas & Electric Company

    About the Home Fire Campaign

    Every day, seven people die in home fires, most often in homes without working smoke alarms. That’s why the American Red Cross launched our Home Fire Campaign in 2014 to save lives.

    Sound the Alarm is a critical part of the campaign. Through our home visits, we’ve installed more than 2.1 million free smoke alarms and prepared more than 2.3 million people for home fires. 

    Family icon

    937 lives saved

    Smoke alarm icon

    2,231,949 smoke alarms installed

    House icon

    944,856 households made safer

    Child reading book icon

    1,694,279 youth reached through campaign

    Why Is Home Fire Preparedness so Important?

    Chloe Melas shares her family's home fire story - and why she thinks everyone should learn how to escape from a home fire.

    Sound the Alarm FAQs

    I signed up to have smoke alarms installed in my home. Will I still get help?

    Your safety is our top priority. That’s why we postponed our in-home visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you signed up for the Red Cross to install free smoke alarms in your home, we will contact you to reschedule when we resume our in-home visits or if we are able to offer in-home installations in partnership with your local fire department.

    Can someone help me with my Facebook fundraiser?

    Please visit our Fundraising Toolkit page for help in creating your Facebook fundraiser. We also have stories, photos and social media messages you can customize to get the word out and make your fundraiser a success!

    Who can I contact with other questions?

    Connect with your local Red Cross for additional information about our Home Fire Campaign or other volunteer opportunities. Search for your local chapter here.

    Learn More and Get Involved

    Donate Now to Support Home Fire Relief

    Prepare, respond and help families recover from home fires.

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