Two minutes may be all you have to escape a home fire — the nation’s most frequent disaster

During Fire Prevention Week, practice your escape plan and test your smoke alarms;

residents in need can contact Red Cross LA to request a free smoke alarm installation

May 5, 2018.
Augusta, Georgia.
Smoke alarm installations at a Sound the Alarm event.
Pictured: American Red Cross volunteer holds smoke alarm.

An American Red Cross volunteer shows a family one of the free smoke alarms her team will be installing as part of a "Sound the Alarm" event in Augusta, Georgia.

"Sound the Alarm" is a national home fire awareness campaign. As part of the effort to save more lives, teams of Red Cross and community volunteers go door-to door, installing the smoke alarms in private homes across the country. The goal is to install smoke alarms in as many homes as possible, and to educate families about how to prevent, and escape from, a home fire.

All smoke alarms, installations, Escape Plans and safety information are provided at no cost to residents by the American Red Cross and its corporate and community partners.

Photo by Sean Rayford for the American Red Cross.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 7, 2022 — This Fire Prevention Week (October 9-15), the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region urges everyone to practice their two-minute home fire escape plan and test their smoke alarms to stay safe from the nation’s most frequent disaster.

Two minutes is the amount of time that fire experts say you may have to safely escape a home fire before it’s too late. These crises account for most of the 60,000-plus disasters that the Red Cross responds to each year across the U.S. — where home fire responses are 30% higher during cold months than warmer times of year.

“As the threat of home fires increases with colder temperatures, Fire Prevention Week is a great time to sit down with your loved ones to plan how to stay safe,” said Guillermo Sanchez, Regional Preparedness Manager. “Take some time this week to practice your two-minute home fire escape drill and test your smoke alarms to help keep your family safe.”

HOW TO PRACTICE YOUR TWO-MINUTE DRILL Practice your plan with everyone in your household; also teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like and what to do in an emergency. Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including a printable escape plan and safety tips for cooking and home heating — the leading causes of home fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association, which is sponsoring Fire Prevention Week with the theme, “Fire Won’t Wait. Plan Your Escape.”

Include at least two ways to exit every room in your home in your escape plan.
Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone knows to meet.
Place smoke alarms on each level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas. Test alarms monthly and change the batteries at least once a year, if your model requires it.
Check the manufacturer’s date of your smoke alarms. If they’re 10 years or older, they likely need to be replaced because components such batteries can become less reliable. Follow your alarm’s manufacturer instructions.
Tailor your escape plan to everyone’s needs in your household. If you or a loved one is deaf or hard of hearing, install strobe light and bed-shaker alarms to help alert you to a fire. Visit redcross.org/ASL-disaster-resources for more information, including resources in American Sign Language.

IF YOU NEED HELP If you cannot afford to purchase smoke alarms or are physically unable to install one, the Red Cross may be able to help. Angelenos who need assistance can visit redcross.org/LAHomeFire or call 310-445-9914 to schedule an appointment for a free smoke alarm installation. During the 20-minute home visits, Red Cross volunteers will also share information on the causes of home fires, how to prevent them, what to do if a fire starts and how to create an escape plan.

HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN SAVE LIVES Since October 2014, the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign with community partners has saved at least 1,390 lives by educating families about fire safety, helping them create escape plans and installing free smoke alarms in high-risk areas across the country. Locally in Los Angeles, Red Cross volunteers and partners have installed 54,500 alarms and helped make 18,100 households safer. To learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved, visit redcross.org/homefires.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/la or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossLA.