The American Red Cross will be holding a “Sound the Alarm” event in Allentown on Saturday, April 27, part of the nationwide Red Cross effort to help reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by home fires.
Some 100 Red Cross volunteers and local partners, including members of the Allentown Fire Department administration, Local 302 of the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) and the Allentown Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps (AVMRC) will mobilize at West End Fire Station at 2145 Turner Street at 9:00am. From there they will be canvassing neighborhoods, installing free smoke alarms, replacing batteries in existing alarms and helping families create escape plans.
Free smoke alarm installations by the volunteer teams will take place until 2:00pm installing 10-year lithium battery powered smoke alarms. Previous efforts in the city have resulted in the installation of 250-new smoke alarms.
“I cannot stress enough the importance of having functional smoke detectors in homes,” said Allentown Fire Chief James Wehr. “And I want to thank the Red Cross for partnering with the Allentown Fire Department and the City of Allentown for assisting with this effort in making the citizens of Allentown feel safer in their homes. Smoke detectors are a proven life saver that are easy to install and maintain.”
The Red Cross responds to nearly 64,000 disasters a year, the majority of which are home fires. Working smoke alarms in a home cut the risk of death by half, and having an escape plan further improves the odds of survival. The Red Cross wants to end these tragedies and save lives, that’s why the Home Fire Campaign was launched in 2014.
According to the Red Cross, across the country, the Campaign is making a difference. As of mid-April, the Red Cross and its partners across the country have saved more than 400 lives. The Red Cross has installed some 1,500 smoke alarms in the Lehigh Valley-Bucks County region in the last year.
Information provided to TVL by:
Mike Moore
Communications Manager
Mayor’s Office
435 Hamilton Street
Allentown, PA 18101
Mike.Moore@allentownpa.gov
http://www.AllentownPA.gov
