According to a new national survey by the American Red Cross, many people overestimate their ability to react to a home fire, and as a result they miss critical, life-saving steps that could keep their loved ones safe.
In fact, 40 percent of people believe they are more likely to win the lottery or get struck by lightning than to experience a home fire.
Yet, home fires are the most common disaster people face in this country – the majority of the nearly 64,000 disasters the Red Cross responds to every year. And every day, seven people in this country die from a home fire and another 36 are hurt.
To help save lives, this spring the Red Cross will Sound the Alarm through a series of home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events in more than 100 high-risk communities in the United States. In just 16 days – April 28 to May 13 – volunteers and partners will install 100,000 free smoke alarms across the country. www.soundthealarm.org
