Red Cross offering smoke alarms to Hope residents

Press release

The Red Cross of Southern Indiana will be helping Hope residents install free smoke alarms from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today as part of its Sound the Alarm program.

Sound the Alarm is a nationwide Red Cross effort to help reduce the number of deaths and injuries from home fires.

The Red Cross will be partnering with Toyota Material Handling USA, Inc., Hope Volunteer Fire Department and community volunteers, who will be canvassing in the Town of Hope starting with Goshen Meadows neighborhood.

Today's event will be divided into two shifts; with the first shift from 8 a.m. to noon and the second shift from 1 to 5 p.m. 

According to the Red Cross, home fires are the nation's biggest disaster threat, killing seven people in this country every day.  

“The Hope Fire Department is excited to be partnering with the Red Cross and Toyota, to participate in the smoke alarm installation blitz,” said Adam Mathis, first assistant chief. “We are grateful for the opportunity to give further back to the community.”

As of April 12th, the Red Cross and our partners across the country have saved at least 416 through the Home Fire Campaign; reached 1,042,964 through youth preparedness programs, and installed 1,173,150 free smoke alarms. Here in Indiana, the Red Cross has saved at least 11 lives through the Home Fire Campaign; reached more than 35,000 youth through the Pillowcase Project, and installed more than 33,000 smoke alarms.

Home fires represent a significant threat to our communities, which is why the Red Cross launched the nationwide Home Fire Campaign and rallied an
army of volunteers, donors, and partners to canvass high-risk neighborhoods, install free smoke alarms, replace batteries in existing alarms and help families create escape plans.

“Toyota is committed to supporting the efforts of the American Red Cross and the Home Fire Campaign,” said Jeff Rufener, president of Toyota Material Handling USA, Inc., “Our associates are eager to help the residents of Hope feel safer in their homes by installing free smoke alarms. We are proud of our newly formed partnership between Toyota and the American Red Cross.”

About the Red Cross:

The Red Cross responds to nearly 64,000 disasters a year, the majority of which are home fires.  The Indiana Region serves 87 Indiana counties consisting of six Red Cross chapters: Central Indiana (Indianapolis headquarters), Northern Indiana (South Bend headquarters), Northeast Indiana (Fort Wayne headquarters), Northwest (Merrillville headquarters), Southern Indiana (Evansville headquarters) and West Central Indiana (Terre Haute headquarters). For more information on the Indiana Region: www.redcross.org/local/in. Follow the Indiana Region on Twitter at: @INRedCross, on
Instagram at: @indianaredcross or www.facebook.com/INRedCross.