Tulsa Receives Free Smoke Detectors During Red Cross' Sound The Alarm Event

The American Red Cross says 24 people have died this year in house fires in Oklahoma. They're working to cut down on those numbers with a 16-day national campaign to put 100,000 free smoke alarms in homes around the country, and they are starting in Tulsa

Saturday, April 27th 2019, 6:32 pm

By: News On 6


The American Red Cross says 24 people have died this year in house fires in Oklahoma.

They're working to cut down on those numbers with a 16-day national campaign to put 100,000 free smoke alarms in homes around the country, and they are starting in Tulsa.

Last year the Tulsa Fire Department, American Red Cross and volunteers teamed up to install 410 smoke alarms across the Tulsa community. This year their goal is much bigger. They want to install anywhere from 600 to 1,000 thousand smoke detectors.

Kristina Sims was waiting patiently by her door when she saw volunteers walking through Tulsa neighborhoods offering smoke alarms. With several kids inside she knew she needed to be proactive.

"Kids are the ones that really need someone to protect them so if they are in a room by themselves and there is not a smoke alarm it can really have [a] deadly effect," said Sims.

The team put four new smoke alarms inside Kristina's home, all for free.

She says she will sleep better tonight knowing she's protected.

"I am very thankful because I think it is very important to have smoke alarms in your house. I think that is the first step to preventing a fatal fire," said Sims.

This year the American Red Cross is installing smoke alarms in one hundred cities.

Volunteers canvass high-risk neighborhoods to install the smoke alarms, replace batteries in existing ones and help families create an escape plan.

"Today we are here to help the community protect themselves and saves lives," said Rick Umstead, American Red Cross Volunteer.

The American Red Cross says every day, seven people die in house fires.

The campaign launched in 2014 to cut down on the number of deaths and injuries.

"It is getting bigger and bigger each year. There's a huge need in the area," said Umstead.

This won't be the only stop in the state of Oklahoma. Next weekend crews will be spread out across Oklahoma City neighborhoods to install smoke alarms.

 

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