GREENFIELD — A home fire safety event in Greenfield helped make 120 Monterey County homes safer last month as part of the American Red Cross Sound the Alarm initiative, which brings free smoke alarms and fire prevention education to at-risk communities.
The April 25 event in Greenfield was part of a broader regional effort in which Red Cross volunteers, donors and partners installed more than 1,090 smoke alarms free of charge across nine counties in the Greater Bay Area during April. Officials said 450 homes were made safer for local families through the overall Sound the Alarm program during the signature period.
In Monterey County alone, volunteers installed 184 smoke alarms and helped prepare and protect 431 residents, according to the Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region.
Before heading into neighborhoods, volunteers gathered at the Greenfield Fire Department for staging and training. After completing home visits, they returned to the station and were treated to lunch in recognition of their work.
“Learning just this week that the program helped save one more life in our region is a powerful testament to its impact,” said Justin Mueller, chief executive officer for the American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region. “Having the opportunity to attend multiple Sound the Alarm events this signature period reinforced just how meaningful this work is. I saw firsthand the dedication of our volunteers, the impact of strong community partnerships and the difference these efforts make for families across our region. I am incredibly proud of our teams and am grateful to everyone who helped bring this lifesaving mission to life.”
During home visits, volunteers also educated residents on common causes of house fires, what to do in an emergency and how to develop and practice escape plans.
The Sound the Alarm effort is part of the American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which has helped save at least 2,640 lives nationwide since launching in October 2014, including 34 in the Greater Bay Area, according to the organization.
Across the Northern California Coastal Region, the Red Cross and its partners have installed more than 62,900 smoke alarms and made 23,000 households safer across 15 counties.
The campaign is supported by national partners State Farm and FEMA, along with regional supporters including Pacific Gas and Electric Co., HALTER Project, Arista, Chevron, the Robert and Virginia Stanton Endowment through the Community Foundation for Monterey County, Michael and Gloria Ipson, Pacific Service Credit Union and the boards of the American Red Cross Bay Area and Silicon Valley chapters.
To learn more or make a donation to the Red Cross, visit SoundTheAlarm.org.
