MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The American Red Cross wants to make sure families stay safe, so they are going door-to-door installing free smoke alarms.
The group is targeting an area within a five-mile radius of the Ed Rice Community Center Saturday, March 11, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“We call it Sound the Alarm and it’s an initiative to install free smoke alarms, and provide home fire safety, education to families for free,” said Sarah Breazeal, Executive Director of the American Red Cross - Mid-South.
“When people lose everything that they have in a fire and they don’t have a smoke detector it breaks my heart,” said volunteer Tena Wheat-Crump.
The American Red Cross said Frayser is one community in which it frequently responds to help following house fires.
“Memphis has the fourth highest number of home fires in the nation. That’s why being able to do this work, not only to respond to the home fires but being able to prevent the home fires is critical for the entire community,” said Breazeal.
Just this month, five people, including two children, died following a house fire in Frayser.
“You actually only have about two minutes to escape if your home catches fire. So it’s critical that individuals and families are thinking about what is the quickest way to get out of the house in case something happens. And so are volunteers and the fire department are going door-to-door to help them create those plans,” said Breazeal.
They said house fires claim seven lives a day on average in the U.S. But having a working smoke alarm can cut that average in half.
“I’m advocating for safety. We at the Red Cross need volunteers and let me tell you, it will give you such a good feeling,” said Wheat-Crump.
They do not need more volunteers for this Saturday, but they do need more volunteers for future events. To volunteer or learn about the smoke detector program, visit https://www.redcross.org/.