ARC, VWFD work on smoke alarm project

VW independent/submitted information

The American Red Cross along with the Van Wert Fire Department and team members of Cooper Farms will be going door-to-door as part of its “Sound the Alarm, Save a Life” campaign to teach people how to be prepared for home fires and install smoke alarms where needed.

Seven times a day someone in this country dies in a home fire. Countless others suffer injuries. To combat these tragic statistics, the Red Cross has launched a nationwide campaign to reduce the number of deaths and injuries due to home fires by 25 percent by 2020.

The Sound the Alarm campaign is happening all over the country and involves Red Cross workers joining with local fire departments, businesses, and community groups to visit neighborhoods at high risk for fires. Those visits include educating people about fire safety through door-to-door visits and installation of free smoke alarms in some of these neighborhoods.

Through this campaign, the Red Cross, along with its community partners, have installed more than 1.3 million smoke alarms and saved 418 lives.

“We’re excited to join with the Van Wert Fire Department and Cooper Farms to install smoke alarms,” said Derek Stemen, executive director of the West Central Ohio Chapter. “We also will be teaching people how to be safe from a home fire.”

The Van Wert Fire Department and Cooper Farms will be joining the Red Cross this Friday, May 18, from 1-4 p.m. to install smoke alarms in homes in the First Ward of Van Wert. During this time, they will also teach people about what to do in case a fire breaks out in their home.

“”Van Wert Fire Department is proud to partner with the American Red Cross on this exciting project,” said Fire Chief Jon Jones. “I am confident that our combined efforts will help make our community safer.”