Register for a free smoke alarm installation on May 21 as part of Red Cross Sound the Alarm

(Portland, OR) May 11, 2022— Red Cross Cascades Region provided cots, blankets, and comfort kits to 4-alarm fire at a care facility in Southeast Portland overnight, just ahead of upcoming free smoke alarm event in the same area. 

People living in the Lents neighborhood of Southeast Portland have an opportunity to make their homes safer with a free smoke alarm installation from Red Cross Cascades and Portland Fire & Rescue on May 21, 2022.

“Our goal is to save lives,” said Rebecca Marshall, Disaster Officer, Red Cross Cascades Region. “On average, we respond to nearly 700 disasters, like home fires, annually. That’s why we want to make sure everyone has working smoke alarms, which can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half.”

Residents who need assistance can visit soundthealarm.org to schedule an appointment for a free smoke alarm installation during the Red Cross Sound the Alarm event on May 21, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. During the 20-minute home visits, Red Cross volunteers and members of Portland Fire & Rescue will also share information on the causes of home fires, how to prevent them, what to do if a fire starts and how to create an escape plan.

“Most people don’t realize they only have two minutes to escape a home fire — and that smoke alarms need to be replaced every 10 years,” Rebecca Marshall said. “Taking action with this knowledge can be the difference between survival and tragedy.”

PORTLAND JOINS NATIONAL SOUND THE ALARM EFFORT This Sound the Alarm event is part of a national Red Cross initiative in May to install 50,000 free smoke alarms with partners in more than 50 at-risk communities across the country. Sound the Alarm events are a critical part of the national Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which has helped save 1,243 lives nationally since launching in October 2014. In the Cascades Region, which includes Oregon and Southwest Washington, nearly 40,000 smoke alarms have been installed and more than 12,000 homes made safer as part of the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign and Sound the Alarm Events.

This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from regional partners.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

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