On a cloudy and misty day during Red Cross Month, more than 40 Red Cross volunteers, 50 MIRA USA volunteers, Dover firefighters and other volunteer partners, went door to door in Dover’s 4^th Ward to help make homes safer by installing free smoke alarms and educating families about fire safety.

Through their efforts, volunteers installed 263 smoke alarms in 153 homes, touching the lives of 512 people.

When volunteer Rolando Vega and his team, which included three MIRA USA volunteers, another Red Crosser and a volunteer from Atlantic Health Systems, knocked on the door of a Myrtle Street two-story home, the mom who answered let him inside to check if the family’s smoke alarms were working. Discovering that there was only one smoke alarm and it was not working, the team got to work installing a new alarm and assessing where other smoke alarms were needed. Overall, the home needed five smoke alarms. As Rolando and the team stepped over several pairs of small children’s shoes lined up in the home’s foyer, it was a strong reminder of the importance of the work they were doing.

_{“I’m really glad we knocked on that door,” Rolando said while heading to the next home.}

During the course of the day, teams also educated families on the importance of creating and practicing a two-minute home fire escape plan and also discussed other fire safety steps. It was especially helpful that MIRA USA volunteers participated, allowing for added manpower, but also for each team to have Spanish-speaking translators in a community with a large Spanish-speaking population.

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Sara Huisking, executive director of the American Red Cross New Jersey Region thanked all of the volunteers for their service.

“We could not do this incredibly important work without our community partners. I want to thank the Dover Fire Department and MIRA USA for being instrumental to our success today, and for sharing in our commitment to making homes safer,” said Huisking.

Families who were not home were left a packet of fire safety information and a telephone number to call, allowing them to make an appointment to have free smoke alarms installed later by the fire department, thanks to the Home Fire Campaign.

As part of the Home Fire Campaign, the Red Cross encourages everyone to take two simple steps that can save lives: Create and practice your home fire escape plan and check your existing smoke alarms. Replace them if they are not working.

Visit redcross.org/PrepareNJ to learn more ways to keep you and your loved ones safe from home fires.