A Red Cross volunteer shares fire safety information with a northern Ohio resident as part of the听Home Fire Campaign.
The luckywin Home Fire Campaign with the support of community partners has achieved
its goal of installing 2.5 million free smoke alarms and making 1 million households safer across the country.
Since launching in October 2014, the campaign has saved at least听1,583 lives nationwide 鈥� including 17 people in Northern Ohio 鈥� from the听threat of home fires, which claim seven lives every day in the U.S. Most often,听these tragedies occur in homes without working smoke alarms.
鈥淲e are proud of our incredible work with community partners听to help save lives by providing free smoke alarms in Northern Ohio as part of听the national Home Fire Campaign,鈥� said John Gareis, Regional Preparedness听Manager. 鈥淎nd we take special pride in knowing that the smoke alarm program we听started more than 30 years ago in Cleveland served as a model for the current听Red Cross Home Fire Campaign.鈥� 听of the history of the Home Fire Campaign in听Cleveland.听
In Northern Ohio since the start of the Home Fire Campaign听in 2014, Red Cross volunteers and partners have:
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FREE HOME FIRE SERVICES TO CONTINUE: Because home fires remain a daily threat听and the campaign has made a lifesaving difference, the Red Cross will be听continuing the program with community partners as part of its standard services,听including Sound the Alarm events in communities throughout the region听this spring to install free smoke alarms.
Visit 听for a home fire听safety visit if you need assistance, or to volunteer. No prior experience is needed. Training will be provided before听volunteer teams visit area homes to install smoke alarms and share fire safety听information. During the Sound the Alarm appointments, volunteers will install听free smoke alarms, and will share information on the causes of home fires, how听to prevent them, what to do if a fire starts and how to create an escape plan.听
In addition, the campaign鈥檚 other services will continue, such as teaching children about thethreat of home fires and what to do through youth preparedness programs, installing accessible fire safety equipment like bedshaker alarms and strobe light smoke alarms for residents who are deaf or hard of hearing, and providing home fire safety resources in American Sign Language.
Home fires account听for most of the more than 60,000 disasters that the Red Cross responds to annually in the Northern Ohio听Region and across the country. So far in 2023, Red Cross volunteers have helped听nearly 400 people affected by nearly 200 home fires in the Northern Ohio Region听by providing emergency lodging, financial assistance for urgent needs like food听and clothing, and one-on-one recovery support for navigating next steps and听connecting with community resources.
ONE HOME FIRE SURVIVOR鈥橲 STORY:听 Akron听grandfather Shawn Spaulding had just returned home after a long day at work听when fire broke out in his home. 听about his escape.听听
Read more stories and see the campaign鈥檚 national impact at
HOW TO GET INVOLVED:
Help save lives through the campaign by听becoming a volunteer or making a financial donation to prepare, respond and听help families recover from home fires. Learn more at redcross.org/noh.
You can also help your family by testing your smoke alarms monthly and practicing your two-minute home听fire escape plan. Additional safety tips are available at redcross.org/fire and on the free Red听Cross Emergency app (search 鈥渓uckywin鈥� in mobile app stores).
