Red Cross, Sisters-Camp Sherman FD to install free smoke alarms

The American Red Cross and Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Department are partnering to save lives by installing smoke alarms in homes that need them in Sisters. On Saturday, s tarting at 8:30 a.m., Red Cross volunteers and fire department representatives will go door-to-door in Sisters to install free smoke alarms and deliver fire safety information.

The Red Cross installs free smoke alarms in homes that need them and has installed more than 13,000 smoke alarms in Oregon and Southwest Washington since 2014. Five lives have been saved in this area as a result of Red Cross installed smoke alarms.

“Providing a working smoke alarm in every home is the single most important action we can take to prevent the loss of life in our community,” said Roger Johnson, Sisters-Camp Sherman fire chief. “Even though most homes have a smoke alarm, half of all fire fatalities occur in homes without a working smoke alarm. Partnering with the American Red Cross was a natural fit for our agency.

“This campaign is critical because we at the Red Cross see people affected by home fires every day, multiple times each day,” said Cyndi Dahl, executive director for the Central and Eastern Oregon Chapter of the American Red Cross. “We hope that by helping people prepare now with smoke alarms and fire escape plans, we can prevent the most devastating loss a fire can cause — the loss of life. We’re grateful to the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District for partnering with us for this important endeavor.”

Join us to install smoke alarms and save lives! If you would like to participate in this event, call (541) 749-4144 to RSVP for the event.

WHAT: Red Cross Smoke Alarm Installation Event

WHERE: Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Department

WHEN: Saturday, May 27 , 2017

TIME: 8:30 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.

GET AN ALARM: Homes with working smoke alarms reduce the risk of death and injury by home fire by 50%. If you would like to sign up to get free smoke alarms installed in your home, please reach out through the following:

1. Call: 541 — 749 — 4144

2. Online: http://www.redcross.org/CascadesHomeFire

3. E-mail: preparedness@redcross.org

MAKE A PLAN
You may only have two minutes to escape when a fire occurs, but most people mistakenly believe they have more than twice as long to get out. The Red Cross recommends that households develop a fire escape plan and practice it at least twice a year with everyone who lives in the home. People should know two ways to escape from every room and designate a safe place to meet outside the home in case of a fire. Discuss the plan with everyone in the household and practice until every member of your household — including children — can escape in less than two minutes

RED CROSS HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN
Seven times a day someone in this country dies in a fire. The Red Cross has been working to reduce that number through its Home Fire Campaign, a multi-year effort to reduce the number of home fire deaths and injuries by 25 percent. Launched in October of 2014, the Red Cross and thousands of campaign partners have helped save numerous lives through the effort, as well as installing more than a quarter million smoke alarms in homes all across the country.

HOW TO HELP
Join the Red Cross effort to save lives, reduce injuries and cut down on needless losses from home fires by making a financial donation by visiting redcross.org or calling 1-800 RED CROSS. A gift to Home Fires enables the Red Cross to provide critical services to people impacted by home fires along with the lifesaving tools and information to support prevention efforts.