CHICAGO, IL (Nov. 9)— The American Red Cross announced today that one million smoke alarms have been installed and 285 lives have been saved due to the efforts of the volunteers and community partners who have participated in the organization’s Home Fire Campaign.

“Since 2014, Red Cross volunteers in Chicago, northern Illinois and across the country have been working with local fire departments and community partners to reduce home fire tragedies in at-risk communities,” said Celena Roldán, Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois. “We are grateful to everyone who has supported our Home Fire Campaign and helped us reach our one-millionth free smoke alarm milestone and save lives.” 

With the support of 4,400 partner organizations, the Red Cross has helped to make more than one million people safer through home visits to install free smoke alarms, assist families with developing fire escape plans and provide home fire safety education. Since 2014, the Campaign has also reached nearly 895,000 kids through youth preparedness programs, helped to create more than 340,000 home fire escape plans, and replaced more than 51,000 smoke alarm batteries.

American Red Cross CEO and President Gail McGovern was recently featured on the Wendy Williams show talking about the lifesaving importance of smoke alarms. Tomorrow, Greater New York Regional Executive Josh Lockwood will be featured on Good Morning America along with a representative of the Fire Department of New York to continue celebrating this milestone achievement.

This spring, the Red Cross will Sound the Alarm through a nationwide series of home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events from April 28 to May 13, 2018. Working with volunteers and partner organizations, the Red Cross plans to install 100,000 free smoke alarms across more than 100 major cities. Volunteers and financial contributions are needed.

Join this Red Cross effort today by volunteering to install smoke alarms in your community, making a financial contribution, or taking steps to protect your own family from home fires. Together, we can Sound the Alarm about fire safety and help save lives. Visit SoundTheAlarm.org for more information.

This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from national partners: Almost Family, Delta Air Lines and International Paper. The Red Cross has also received funding from FEMA through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.

About the American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois:

The American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois serves 9.5 million people in 21 counties including Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Jo Daviess, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Putnam, Stephenson, Whiteside, Will and Winnebago. 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 us at redcross.org/il/chicago or visit us on Twitter @ChicagoRedCross.

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