Red Cross, others, partner on fire alarms

VW independent/submitted information

HAVILAND — The American Red Cross, along with the Scott and Grover Hill fire departments and team members from Haviland Drainage Products, will be going door-to-door as part of its Sound the Alarm, Save a Life Campaign to teach people how to be prepared for home fires and install free smoke alarms where needed.  Support for this program is generously provided by Haviland Drainage Products.

Seven times each day, someone in this country dies in a home fire. Countless others suffer injuries. To combat these tragic statistics, the Red Cross has launched a nationwide campaign to reduce the number of deaths and injuries due to home fires by 25 percent by 2020.

The Sound the Alarm Campaign is happening all over the country and involves Red Cross workers joining with local fire departments, businesses, and community groups to visit neighborhoods at high risk for fires. Those visits include educating people about fire safety through door-to-door visits and installation of free smoke alarms in some of these neighborhoods. Through this campaign, the Red Cross along with its community partners have installed over 1.3 million smoke alarms and saved 444 lives.

“We’re excited to join with the Scott & Grover Hill Fire Departments and Haviland Drainage Products to install smoke alarms,” said Executive Director Derek Stemen of the West Central Ohio Chapter. “We also will be teaching people how to be safe from a home fire.”

The groups will be installing smoke alarms on Friday, July 20, from 1-4 p.m., in Scott, Haviland, and Grover Hill. During this time, they will also teach people about what to do in case a fire breaks out in their home.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, visit the Red Cross website at redcross.org, or on Twitter at @RedCross.