‘Sound the Alarm’ Home Fire Safety Campaign with American Red Cross

Home fires claim seven lives every day, but YOU can help change that!

This spring, American Red Cross & the South Shore YMCA are teaming up to spread awareness of home fires through the Sound the Alarm campaign, helping the American Red Cross to educate 100,000 people nationwide about home fire safety while seeking volunteer instructors to be trained to provide this much needed educational awareness effort.

• Families will join this awareness effort from the comfort of their home and help prepare the Quincy community against home fires.
• Sound the Alarm will assist in creating an escape plan to practice a 2-minute drill, so families can safely escape a home fire.
• American Red Cross will provide all the training needed for volunteer instructors and connect virtually with families who are ready to learn about the importance of home fire safety.
• American Red Cross Sound the Alarm volunteer instructors will be scheduled for 4 calls throughout the shift and making a difference by helping to make homes safer.

For more information please visit: Sound the Alarm | American Red Cross

How You Can Help Keep Your Family Safe

Just 2 simple steps can help prepare your family to escape from a home fire.

1. Practice a 2-Minute Fire Drill

• Use this worksheet to draw your home’s floor plan and plot your escape routes.
• Practice your 2-minute drill (from home to a safe meeting place) at least twice a year.
• Everyone in your household should know two ways to escape from each room in your home.
• In a real fire, remember to get out, stay out and call 911. Never go back inside for people, pets or things.

2. Test Your Smoke Alarms Monthly

• Test your smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button.
• You should hear three beeps, letting you know the alarm is working.
• Don’t hear the beeps? Then it’s time to change the batteries if your model requires them.
• If your smoke alarm is 10 years old, it’s time to get a new alarm because the sensor becomes less sensitive over time.
• LEARN MORE ABOUT SMOKE ALARMS