INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – One hundred-years of building resilient communities, has been the cornerstone of the American Red Cross, and since the start of the Home Fire Campaign in 2014, the Red Cross in Indiana has installed 13,121 free smoke alarms and saved six lives. As the Red Cross continues to build more resilient communities through the testing and installation of smoke alarms across the state, the help of volunteers, corporations and community organizations is critical to ensure every home has working smoke alarms and an emergency escape plan.
The Red Cross urges the community to call your local chapter or 1-888-684-1441 to make an appointment to test existing smoke alarms and/or install free alarms in your home.
“In this country, seven people lose their lives every day from a home fire,” said Britton Riley, Regional Planner, Readiness and Situational Awareness Manager for the Red Cross. “Home fires can be a deadly threat because they happen so quickly. We urge everyone to become aware of what they should do to prevent a fire in their home.”
The American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign is a multi-year effort to reduce the number of home fire deaths and injuries by 25 percent. People of all ages are vulnerable to home fires. During the course of this campaign, the Red Cross in Indiana saved the lives of three children, a 73-year-old grandmother and two adults through the installation of new smoke alarms.
TWO MINUTES TO ESCAPE
It is estimated that you may have only two minutes to get out after a fire starts in your home. As part of the campaign, the Red Cross is also asking every household to join us in taking two simple steps that can save lives: checking existing smoke alarms and practicing fire drills at home. Every family should develop a fire escape plan, and practice it.
GET INVOLVED
Individuals, corporations or community organizations interested in volunteering in their community, can reach out to their local Red Cross chapter, call 1-888-684-1441 or visit redcross.org.
They can also help by making a donation today to Red Cross Disaster Relief by visiting redcross.org,calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations to Disaster Relief will be used to prepare for, respond to, and help people recover from disasters big and small. Learn more about how Disaster Relief donations have helped people affected by previous disasters including home fires.
The Indiana Region serves 87 Indiana counties consisting of six Red Cross chapters: Central Indiana (Indianapolis headquarters), Northern Indiana (South Bend headquarters), Northeast Indiana (Fort Wayne headquarters), Northwest (Merrillville headquarters), Southern Indiana (Evansville headquarters) and West Central Indiana (Terre Haute headquarters). For more information on the Indiana Region: www.redcross.org/local/in. Follow the Indiana Region on Twitter at: @INRedCross, on Instagram at: @indianaredcross or www.facebook.com/INRedCross.