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RED CROSS AND PERTH AMBOY TEAM UP TO INSTALL FREE SMOKE ALARMS WITH THE HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN
PERTH AMBOY, NJ, September 20, 2022 — Volunteers with the American Red Cross New Jersey Region and Perth Amboy Fire Department will join together on Saturday, September 24, 2022, to install free smoke alarms for Perth Amboy families vulnerable to home fires.
“Working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half,” said the Honorable Helmin J. Caba, Mayor of Perth Amboy.
“This Sound the Alarm event will help ensure our residents have working smoke alarms and know how to stay safe."
The Red Cross and partners will be out in the Gateway neighborhood of Perth Amboy from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM on September 24, teaching fire safety and helping families create home fire escape plans. Services are free for all those in need.
RED CROSS CAMPAIGN TO #ENDHOMEFIRES Sound the Alarm events are part of the Home Fire Campaign, which the Red Cross launched in 2014 to reduce fire deaths and injuries. So far, it has reached more than 2.6 million people and saved 1,366 lives nationwide. In New Jersey, Red Cross and partners have:
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Installed more than 48,000 free smoke alarms,
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Made more than 23,000 households safer,
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Saved 20 lives in New Jersey.
We are grateful for the support from our partners and the generous donations that make these services available to make families safer, “said Rosie Taravella, CEO of American Red Cross New Jersey Region. “Everyone can get involved by taking simple steps to make their own homes safer.”
SIMPLE STEPS TO SAVE LIVES As part of the Home Fire Campaign, the Red Cross calls on everyone to take two simple steps to save lives: practice fire drills at home and check their existing smoke alarms.
There are several things families and individuals can do to increase their chances of surviving a fire:
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Create a home fire escape plan that includes at least two ways to escape each room and a meeting spot to reunite after escaping.
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Practice the plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes.
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If someone doesn’t have smoke alarms, install them. At a minimum, put one on every level of the home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Local building codes vary, and there may be additional requirements where someone lives.
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If someone does have alarms, test them today. If they don’t work, replace them.
People can visit redcross.org/fire to learn more about how to protect themselves and their loved ones from fire, access free fire safety resources, and learn more about the Home Fire Campaign.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN RED CROSS:
The American Red Cross shelters feed and provide 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 call us on Twitter at @RedCross.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN RED CROSS IN NEW JERSEY:
The American Red Cross provides programs and services to a population of 9.2 million in New Jersey. The Red Cross trains and mobilizes more than 4,200 volunteers who support the delivery of services throughout the state. In New Jersey last year, the Red Cross responded to 1,012 local disasters, mostly home fires, helping 2,137 displaced families; collected 84,836 blood donations and 9,726 platelets
donations from generous donors through blood drives and Red Cross Blood Donation Centers; provided more than 7,271 military family case services with emergency messages, helping families find assistance and get counseling and referrals; and trained 87,945 people with life-saving skills in preparedness, CPR, AED use, first aid, and aquatics. For more information, please visit redcross.org/NJ and follow us on Twitter @NJRedCross.org.
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Copy of the press release here