American Red Cross & Firefighters to Install Free Smoke Alarms

From the American Red Cross: Nationwide, it happens 7 times a day. More often than not, the tragic loss of life could have been prevented had the home been equipped with functional smoke alarms. In fact, 60 percent of all fire-related fatalities occur in homes without a functional smoke alarm, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

As part of the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign, the American Red Cross, the Aberdeen Fire Department, the Halls Cross Roads Elementary School and what we expect to be upwards of 100 plus volunteers will be assisting us in installing up to 1,000 free smoke alarms in Aberdeen for the American Red Cross MLK National Day of Service. Additional partners for this event include Maryland Gold Star Mothers, Harford County Fire Departments, Service members from Aberdeen Proving Ground, the Aberdeen Lions Club, Mountain Christian Church disaster team and Second Saturday Serve Volunteers, Habitat for Humanity of Susquehanna, and more.

“Installing smoke alarms cuts the risk of someone dying from a home fire in half, so we’re joining with groups from across our community to install smoke alarms,” said Scott Salemme, Regional Chief Executive Officer “We also will be teaching people how to be safe should a fire occur in their home.”

When: Saturday, January 14, 2017 and Monday, January 16, 2017 (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.)

Where: Meet at Hall’s Cross Roads Elementary School, 203 East Bel Air Avenue, Aberdeen, MD at 8:45am

Who: Volunteers from and around Aberdeen and partner organizations.

The general public and organizations are STILL encouraged to volunteer for this event!!

How: Training on site Sat. & Mon. mornings - Register to help by visiting here or phone Bobbi Livingston at 410.624.2040

Simple Steps to Save Lives

There are several things families and individuals can do to increase their chances of surviving a fire:

• If someone doesn’t have smoke alarms, install them. At a minimum, put one on every level of the home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.
• If someone does have alarms, test them today. If they don’t work, replace them.
• Make sure that everyone in the family knows how to get out of every room and how to get out of the home in less than two minutes. Practice that plan. What’s the household’s escape time?

Residents needing smoke alarms may contact the American Red Cross at 410-624-2000. More information is available through here.

Red Cross Apps - People can learn how to help prevent a home fire and what to do if one occurs by downloading the Red Cross Emergency App. Children can have fun and learn how to prevent a home fire and other emergencies in the Monster Guard: Prepare for Emergencies App. The First Aid App provides expert advice including what to do for burns, broken bones and breathing and cardiac emergencies. The apps can be downloaded for free in app stores or here.

What People Can Do: People can visit here to find out more about how to protect themselves and their loved homes from fire.

JOIN GIVING DAY People can also take part in the annual Red Cross Giving Day on April 21, a 24-hour fundraising campaign to help people in communities across the country in need of emergency support. Your gift can provide hope and urgent relief to people who need it most. If you would like to help, you can find out more here.

CORPORATIONS HELP Generous donations from Nationwide, Duracell and The Wawa Foundation are supporting the American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign to reduce home fire deaths and injuries by 25 percent.

About the American Red Cross:

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 here or visit us on Twitter.

Click here to see this event on the Patch Calendar.

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