SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4 Utah) – More than 100 American Red Cross volunteers hit the streets this past month to install smoke alarms and conduct home fire safety education sessions along the Wasatch Front. Two events were held in West Jordan and Rose Park with nearly two hundred homes being serviced by the American Red Cross.

This is all part of the Red Cross’ national Sound the Alarm campaign, geared toward installing free smoke alarms and helping educate residents and families about fire prevention.

The Red Cross says that every second counts when there a home fire. To help protect your household, fire prevention officials suggest you test your smoke alarms each month and practice a fire escape plan until everyone can get out safely in less than two minutes. Prevention and safety recommendations include:

• The sooner an alarm alerts you to a fire, the sooner you can get out. This is critical because fire experts say you may have less than two minutes to escape a burning home before it’s too late.
• Place smoke alarms on each level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas.
• In addition to testing your alarms once a month, change the batteries at least once a year, if your model requires it.
• Also check the manufacturer’s date of your smoke alarms. If they’re 10 years or older, they likely need to be replaced because components such as batteries can become less reliable. Follow your alarm’s manufacturer instructions.

Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including a home fire escape plan to create and practice with your household.

Red Cross volunteers and community partners met one-on-one with families in at-risk communities to share home fire safety information and install free smoke alarms where it’s safe to do so.

Volunteers cover during the visits the following:
• Create your home fire escape plan, including at least two ways to exit every room in your home.
• Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone knows to meet.
• Take time to discuss the plan with everyone in your household and practice it at least twice a year.
• While practicing your escape plan, teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like. Talk about fire safety and what to do in an emergency.

If you are interested in smoke alarms in your home, sign up to receive up to 3 FREE smoke alarms, visit soundthealarm.org/Utah.

Donations support the life-saving services for all those in need. Help families prepare for, respond to and recover from home fires by giving at SoundTheAlarm.org or texting the word ALARM to 90999 to make a $15 donation.