Red Cross Looking For Volunteers To Install Fire Alarms

PROVIDENCE, RI — The American Red Cross Rhode Island is looking for volunteers from the community to help install 1,000 smoke detectors to local families in need. The Sound the Alarm home fire safety initiative is aimed at saving lives in house fires by providing free smoke detectors and raising money to help victims. Across the country, seven people on average die each day from house fires.

"Neighbors vulnerable to home fires need your support today to prevent needless tragedies," said Susan Roberts, the executive director of American Red Cross Rhode Island. "You can help families by ensuring they have working smoke alarms and know how to stay safe from these everyday disasters. Please join us to volunteer and raise funds to support our free, lifesaving services."

Across the country, the organization is looking to amass 30,000 volunteers to install the 100,000 smoke alarms, free of charge, on Saturday, May 11. Here in Rhode Island, 1,000 smoke detectors will be installed in home across the greater Providence area. To accomplish this goal, 350 local volunteers are needed. To register as a volunteer or sign up for a home fire safety evaluation, visit the Red Cross's website.

Sound the Alarm events will take place across the country from April 27 to May 12. Since the program's national launch in 2014, the local branch of the Red Cross has installed more than 5,300 smoke detectors in Rhode Island homes, made 1,800 homes more safe and reached out to more than 1,000 children through youth fire safety programs.