Red Cross to install free smoke alarms in Pittsburg
Every eight minutes, the Red Cross responds to a disaster in the U.S., the majority of which are home fires. Tragically, seven people die in home fires each day, most in homes that lack working smoke alarms.
The Red Cross is rallying hundreds of volunteers to install free smoke alarms during its Sound the Alarm home fire safety events.
From 1-5 p.m. on May 19, the Red Cross will partner with the Pittsburg Fire Department to install free smoke alarms in Pittsburg. To request a smoke alarm, call 2-1-1 or visit GetASmokeAlarm.org. To volunteer to help with installation, email Dicie.Nicklaus4@redcross.org.
“Home fires are the biggest disaster threat we face,” said Dicie Nicklaus, Red Cross Disaster Program Manager for South Central and Southeast Kansas.
“We want to make sure everyone can get out of their home safely should they experience a fire. Smoke alarm cut the risk of death or injury in half.”
Home fires represent a significant threat to our communities, which is why the Red Cross launched the nationwide Home Fire Campaign and rallied an army of volunteers, donors, and partners to canvass high-risk neighborhoods, install free smoke alarms, replace batteries in existing alarms and help families create escape plans.
Sound the Alarm events are part of the Home Fire Campaign, which the Red Cross launched in 2014 to reduce fire deaths and injuries. So far, it has reached more than 1.7 million people and saved more than 500 lives nationwide.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission.
For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.