More than 200 volunteers made 750 homes safer during national Sound the Alarm effort

The American Red Cross DFW partnered with local fire departments and community groups to install more than 1,750 free smoke alarms in homes across the Metroplex as part of this month’s national Sound the Alarm home fire safety effort.

“The American Red Cross DFW thanks everyone who supported our Sound the Alarm initiative to help neighbors protect themselves against home fires,” said Keith Rhodes, CEO, American Red Cross North Texas. “Home fires take seven lives each day in the U.S., but thanks to generous supporters and volunteers, we’re increasing the odds of survival for families by providing free smoke alarms and teaching them how to stay safe from these everyday crises.”

During 10 Sound the Alarm events across DFW, from April 26-May11, more than 200 volunteers helped make more than 750 households safer by installing free smoke alarms and helping families create home fire escape plans. Efforts were also supported by fire departments from Cedar Hill, Dallas, Fort Worth, Garland, Lancaster, Mesquite and Sansom Park. Local Sound the Alarm events were part of a national two-week push in which Red Cross volunteers installed more than 120,000 free smoke alarms in 100 high-risk communities across the country. Visit www.SoundtheAlarm.org for more information.

Sound the Alarm is part of the Home Fire Campaign, which the Red Cross launched in 2014 to reduce deaths and injuries from home fires, the nation’s most frequent disaster. The Red Cross DFW responds to an average of eight home fires daily, ensuring that the immediate needs of those impacted are met and helping them on the road to recovery.

In five years, the national campaign has reached more than 1.8 million people and helped save at least 582 lives in which fires have started following the installation of free smoke alarms.

Since July 1, 2018 (FY20), the Red Cross North Texas and our partners have installed nearly 6,000 free smoke alarms and made more than 2,400 households safer from the threat of home fires. To learn more visit soundthealarm.org/northtexas.

This work is made possible thanks to the generous support from national partners Airbnb; Delta; Nissan; and Farmers Insurance; and local partners Bj Coffman; Lehigh Hanson; State Farm; Capital One Bank; Celanese; Jane and Willis Rector; Holly McCoy; Alcon Foundation; DART; NBC 5; Telemundo; Jim and Teresa Hubbard; Gwen and Lel Echols; Beverly and Larry Heflin; Apartment Association of Greater Dallas; Bob and Paula Brockway; Lue Stroud; Lou and Nick Martin; Julie and Glenn Davidson; Priscilla and Joe Martin; and Kaye and Leland Hodges.