Red Cross volunteers ‘Sound the Alarm' in Baton Rouge to prevent deadly house fires
On Saturday, Red Cross volunteers, community leaders, and local officials fanned out across Baton Rouge as part of the Sound the Alarm campaign, which is a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing home fire deaths by installing free smoke alarms and educating families about fire safety.
'Baton Rouge, over the years, we have seen many house fires take the lives of families,' said Councilwoman Twahna P. Harris, who represents District 7 and joined volunteers in canvassing neighborhoods.
Armed with drills and alarms, teams went door to door installing smoke detectors and sharing fire safety information with residents, both adults and children.
'It's so important not only our adults be educated, but our children as well—having a safety plan in place for if a fire was to ever occur in your home,' Harris added.
The campaign emphasizes prevention, equipping households with early-warning systems and emergency escape plans. According to the American Red Cross, having a working smoke alarm can double a person's chance of surviving a home fire.
'When a home fire takes place, you have two minutes max to get out,' said Micah Nicholas, the executive director of the Capitol-West chapter of the American Red Cross. 'A working smoke alarm alerts a family with enough time to get out and make sure that they're safe.'
Since its launch, the Sound the Alarm campaign has helped save more than 2,000 lives across the country. Saturday's outreach focused on neighborhoods in North Baton Rouge, where access to fire prevention resources can be limited.
'It's about, once again, bringing the community together—to fellowship, to build social cohesion in a community like North Baton Rouge,' Nicholas said.
For the Red Cross and its partners, the mission is clear: show up, educate, and instill hope—one home at a time. Louisiana residents who would like to request a free smoke alarm installation or volunteer can visit redcross.org/louisiana.
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