FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Red Cross of WNY to Sound the Alarm in Jamestown
Chautauqua Co. community experienced second highest number of home fires per capita last year in NYS
BUFFALO, March 7, 2024 — The American Red Cross of Western New announced that it has partnered with Mayor Kim Ecklund and the City of Jamestown to launch the organization’s annual Sound the Alarm campaign – part of a national effort to install 50,000 free smoke alarms over the course of the fiscal year in more than 50 signature communities nationwide. Recent Red Cross data shows that Chautauqua County and the Jamestown community were disproportionately affected by home fires last year. In terms of risk of injury or death by home fire, Chautauqua County ranked second highest per capita in New York State.
To help end home fires and make homes safer, a day of action on Saturday, March 23 will focus on the City of Jamestown. Red Cross volunteers, staff and partner organizations will visit homes by appointment in Jamestown and surrounding areas to install up to four free smoke alarms and provide lifesaving home fire safety education, including a two-minute escape plan for families to practice. Residents are encouraged to visit SoundtheAlarm.org/WNY to make an installation appointment for March 23.
Sound the Alarm is an integral part of the American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, designed to prevent deaths and injuries from home fires, which account for most of the more than 60,000 disasters that the organization responds to each year. The impact of home fires is staggering:
- Home fires claim seven lives on average every day, most often in homes without working smoke alarms.
- Each day on average, 30 people suffer injuries from home fires.
- In a typical year, home fires kill more people than all natural disasters combined in the U.S.
- More than $7 billion in property damage occurs every year due to home fires.
- Nearly 170 times a day, the Red Cross helps a family affected by a home fire or other disaster
“Last year, Red Cross volunteers responded to 335 disasters in our eight-county chapter last year – the majority of which were home fires,” said Nick Bond, Regional CEO, American Red Cross of Western New York. “Based on the data, Jamestown and Chautauqua County are disproportionately vulnerable and we want to harness the power of our volunteers, as well as the generosity of our donors to ensure that homes in this community – and all those we serve, are made safer. We are grateful to Mayor Ecklund and the entire Jamestown community for their support in helping us to reach this lifesaving goal.”
Mayor Kim Ecklund said, “Jamestown residents, the time to act is now! Prioritize safety by securing your home and loved ones with a free smoke alarm and installation from the Red Cross of Western New York. It’s a lifesaving choice. Let’s show our appreciation by taking advantage of this opportunity. Sign up today. We extend our sincere gratitude to the Red Cross of Western New York for their invaluable investment in Jamestown’s safety and well-being.”
Research indicates that a working smoke alarm can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half. Fire experts agree that you may have as little as two minutes to escape a burning home before it’s too late to get out.
Bond noted that the Red Cross has an aggressive goal of installing 750 free smoke alarms in homes across the region’s 27-county footprint. Volunteers on the March 23 day of action have an installation goal of 350 alarms in the Jamestown community, but additional volunteers are still needed to help meet that goal.
“Over the next few days and weeks, the Red Cross and its partners will embark on an aggressive canvassing campaign not only to educate the community on this valuable resource, but to encourage others to volunteer on March 23,” Bond explained.
Volunteers work in groups to install alarms and provide safety education, including a two-minute escape plan for families. A minimum of 100 volunteers are needed. Training will be provided by the Red Cross.
Interested volunteers for the March 23 day of action can register by visiting SoundtheAlarm.org/WNY.
Since its launch in 2014, the Sound the Alarm campaign has helped to save countless lives in Western New York and beyond. In that time, local volunteers have reached more than 16,000 homes, installed more than 30,000 smoke alarms and saved 53 lives.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE Help protect your family against home fires by taking two simple steps: Practice your two-minute escape drill and test your smoke alarms monthly. Visit www.SoundtheAlarm.org/WNY for more information and to pledge to prepare your family against home fires.
- Create an escape plan with at least two ways to exit every room in your home. Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone knows to meet.
- Practice your escape plan until everyone in your household can get out in less than two minutes.
- Place smoke alarms on each level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas. Change the batteries at least once a year if your model requires it.
- Check the manufacturer’s date of your smoke alarms. If they’re 10 years or older, they likely need to be replaced. Follow your alarm’s manufacturer instructions.
This work is made possible thanks to generous financial donations from regional partners: National Grid, DiMino’s Lewiston Tops, M&T Bank, Linde, Alera Group (Relph Benefit Advisors), Boulter Industrial Contractors, ESL Federal Credit Union, Bond, Schoeneck & King, Harter, Secrest & Emery, Monroe Piping & Sheet Metal, Schuler-Haas Electric, Dryden Mutual, Rich Products and Phillips Lytle.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
