The communities where the Red Cross sends its volunteers are ones considered to be at higher risks for fires than others. The Washington City Fire Department donated the ones offered by the volunteers canvassing neighborhoods, Dunsdon said.

The smoke alarms provided through the Red Cross’ fire preparedness campaign come through donations. “Smoke detectors save lives,” Dunsdon said.

Having a working smoke alarm can cut the risk of dying in a house fire by 50 percent, according to the Red Cross. As people can have as little as two minutes to escape a home once a fire starts, having a working smoke alarm that provides a timely alert can can save lives. While installing new smoke alarms in the homes, Dunsdon said, “We give (the homeowner) a little fire education, a little safety education, talk about their evacuation plan, their risk to other environmental hazards likes floods and earthquakes… It really benefits the homeowner, it benefits the community, and the fire department loves us for it.”Īccording to the Red Cross, the vast majority of Americans don’t have a fire evacuation plan and many don’t have smoke alarms in their homes. Red Cross volunteers asking a King’s Row Estates resident if he needs new smoke alarms, Washington City, Utah, | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. The campaign’s goal is to reduce home fire fatalities by 25 percent by not only offering residents new, 10-year smoke alarms, but also providing a little fire and safety education at the same time. The volunteers are out as a part of the American Red Cross’ national Home Fire Preparedness Campaign. “ At the end of the day, (the smoke alarms) don’t cost the homeowner anything,” said Paul Dunsdon, disaster program manager for the American Red Cross’ Central and Southern Utah chapter. Some residents passed on the offer, while others welcomed the volunteers and allowed them to check their existing smoke alarms and install new ones, or set appointments for the volunteers to do so. WASHINGTON CITY – Going door-to-door to the homes in the King’s Row Estates community Saturday morning, two teams of volunteers clad in American Red Cross vests offered free smoke alarm serving and installation.

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