Seven people die in home fires every day in the U.S. but working smoke alarms can cut the risk of death in half. That’s why — in recognition of Fire Prevention Week (October 8-14) — volunteers with the Red Cross of South Florida will be installing free home smoke alarms throughout the month of in South Florida.
We’ll meet with families to install alarms in their homes, replace batteries in existing alarms and help them create 2-minute fire escape plans. All services are free to people in need. Since last October, Sound the Alarm volunteers have installed 2,240 smoke alarms in South Florida, making 1,255 homes safer. Sound the Alarm events are part of the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which has helped save 1,928 lives across the country since launching in 2014.
Howard Primous, a Red Cross volunteer in the Palm Beach Gardens area since 2015, has seen firsthand the value of the smoke alarms he and other team members have placed in homes.
“They can potentially save lives,” said Primous, who also responds to local fire calls and other emergencies as a member of our Disaster Action Team. He recalled a home fire he recently responded to in Belle Glades where the home suffered major damage, “We arrived on the scene at 3 a.m. A family of six with an infant was sitting in the dark on the side of the road. Their house was destroyed, and the mosquitoes were thick in the very hot and muggy air. We gave them lots of bottled water, comfort kits that also included smoke soap, and financial assistance to cover their short-term needs. They were able to leave the area and find somewhere to safely stay.”
Families in need are counting on our community’s support to help stay safe. Please join the Red Cross to Sound the Alarm about home fire safety — and save lives.
GET HELP
— APPOINTMENTS: If you need assistance, visit redcross.org/SFLsmokealarm for a free smoke alarm installation.
HOW TO HELP
— VOLUNTEER: Join us for a rewarding day at a Sound the Alarm event in your city. Visit redcross.org/SFLVolunteer to register. No prior experience is needed — training will be provided.
— DONATE: Thanks to donations, our services are free and available for all those in need. Help families prepare for, respond to and recover from home fires by giving at SoundTheAlarm.org or texting the word HOMEFIRE to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
For more information on the Sound the Alarm campaign, or to set up an interview with Howard Primous or one of our other dedicated volunteers, contact: Tiffany Gonzalez, Communications Director, tiffany.gonzalez@redcross.org.