American Red Cross Installing Smoke Alarms For Free In Providence

PROVIDENCE, RI — The American Red Cross will partner with Providence to offer city residents free smoke alarm installations during its Sound the Alarm home fire safety event on April 30.

"Proactively ensuring the safety of our residents remains my number one priority, and working alongside the American Red Cross allows us to bring life-saving resources directly into homes across Providence," Mayor Brett Smiley said. "We are pleased to partner with the American Red Cross in this effort to ensure that families in Providence have the tools they need to stay safe. We encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity."

Residents who need assistance can register for a home fire safety visit on April 30. Those interested in learning more or registering can visit the Sound the Alarm website or call 877-287-3327 (option three). Volunteers will also share information on the causes of home fires, how to prevent them, what to do if a fire starts and how to create an escape plan.

"Early warning from a smoke alarm can make all the difference in a fire emergency," Executive Director for the American Red Cross in Rhode Island Susan Roberts said. "Together with the city of Providence, we’re working to bring this essential protection to residents who need it most."

According to a Red Cross spokesperson, the Sound the Alarm campaign and events like it are a critical part of its fire prevention strategy, which has helped save at least 2,320 lives since October 2014. Locally during this time, the Red Cross and partners have installed more than 9,500 free smoke alarms and helped make nearly 3,400 households safer in Rhode Island.

The program is funded through financial donations from partners Stanley Black & Decker, The Hartford, Edgewell Personal Care, Amica Insurance, Robinson+Cole, Hartford Healthcare, Rhode Island Energy, NSSF, ESPN, and PKF O’Connor Davies.

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