Red Cross installs 2.5 million free smoke alarms nationwide

The American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, with the support of community partners, has achieved its goal of installing 2.5 million free smoke alarms and making 1 million households safer across the country.

Since launching in October 2014, the campaign has saved at least 1,583 lives nationwide — including 27 people in Louisiana — from the threat of home fires, which claim seven lives every day in the U.S. Most often, these tragedies occur in homes without working smoke alarms.

Here in Louisiana, Red Cross volunteers and partners have installed more than 42,000 free smoke alarms, including 18,000 in Greater New Orleans. In addition, by providing education on home fire safety and assistance in creating an escape plan, volunteers have made 22,000 households safer in Louisiana and 9,300 in Greater New Orleans.

“We are proud of our incredible work with community partners to help save lives by providing free smoke alarms throughout Louisiana as part of the national Home Fire Campaign,” said Shawn Schulze, CEO of Louisiana Red Cross. “This amazing effort has been made possible by every volunteer, donor and supporter who teamed up to care for vulnerable families in our communities.”

Home fires remain a daily threat, accounting for most of the 60,000+ disasters that the Red Cross responds to annually across the country. In fact, Louisiana Red Cross volunteers respond to more than four home fires per day on average, providing emergency lodging, financial assistance for urgent needs like food and clothing, and one-on-one recovery support for navigating next steps and connecting with community resources.

As part of its signature events to Sound the Alarm. Save a Life., volunteers installed more than 600 smoke alarms and made nearly 300 homes safer across communities large and small last month in Louisiana. The program continues with neighborhood installation events tentatively planned in March and April.

Visit www.soundthealarm.org/louisiana to register as a volunteer, request a free smoke alarm and home fire safety presentation at any time, or if you know of an at-risk neighborhood in need.