American Red Cross is looking to save lives

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI)- A sounding alarm saves lives.

That’s why the American Red Cross was out in Tupelo neighborhoods Saturday to make sure residents had working smoke alarms.

Red Cross volunteers gathered at the Lee Acres Storm shelter on Filmore Street to receive their marching orders. They were part of the nationwide Red Cross initiative called Sound the Alarm.

“Tupelo is a signature city in our national event that’s been going on the last three weeks. And it’s to install over 100-thousand smoke alarms at homes to save lives and reduce injury through home fires. And today Tupelo our goal is 420 smoke alarms,” said John Brown.

Before setting out, they received instructions from their team leaders.

“Tell your documentor how many were there. How many you tested and were working and how many you installed.”

Brown said having working smoke alarms gives residents an early enough warning to mean the difference between life and death.

“Fires happen at odd times, it’s not just when you’re sitting up, and fire just happens. But in the middle of the night if a fire happens and that’s our number one response at Red Cross is fires. I know you see us at tornadoes, but our number one response is home fires. And at night in the middle of the night if you have a fire you have two minutes to get out of that home. Well it’s important to have working smoke alarms in your home to give you all that two minutes you need to get out,” said John Brown.

The teams then fanned out and went to homes, where during earlier canvassing of neighborhoods agreed to have smoke alarms installed. The teams made sure residents knew how to test their alarms.

“You got two buttons, the top one top tests, TNT, so push that button hold it, and it’s going to beep. If you need to quiet it, say I put one in your kitchen for. Not right on your stove but near it, because most fires start in the kitchen. So let’s say you get a little smoke from the stove, and you need to quiet it and you know that’s the only cause and you feel safe. You have to tap the kid on the bottom and him to hush. The top for test. The bottom for hush.”

The Red Cross said unlike smoke alarms of the past, these models have batteries that last ten years without needing to be replaced. They recommend you test your units during the two times you change your clocks during the year.

The Red Cross reminds you that you can get a smoke alarm installed in your home anytime, just by giving their office a call.

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