The American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign works to reduce the risk of death and injury from home fires by installing free smoke alarms.
Sound the Alarm is a signature event that happens every year to highlight the work of the Home Fire Campaign. Each chapter within the Eastern New York Region has at least one event with a specially selected location.
Ana Candelli, a Disaster Resiliency Corps Member, spoke with Courtney Shatraw, the Regional Preparedness Manager, who works behind the scenes to plan and prepare all the Sound the Alarm events.
(L-R) Disaster Preparedness Manager Cortney Shatraw, volunteer Bailey Robinson, and AmeriCorps Members Ana Candelli, Seth Labarge and Katherine Olmstead
What is Sound the Alarm?
“Sound the Alarm is a month-long event focusing on specific communities to install 10-year lithium battery smoke alarms and provide fire prevention and education. However, while we do have our special event, Sound the Alarm, a person or a community can request the Red Cross to install smoke alarms year-round.”
This year our Sound the Alarm events will take place between April 27- May 27. The selected cities are:
Ogdensburg April 27
Brewster April 27
Syracuse May 4
Gloversville May 11
Schenectady May 18
What happens during Sound the Alarm? Describe a typical day.
“Sound the Alarm is such an amazing event, it’s almost hard to describe with words. Everyone sits down and enjoys breakfast while being provided with the necessary education to be able to install smoke alarms and teach fire prevention education, including how to make an evacuation plan.
“People are organized into teams before heading out into the communities. Each team will be made up of two to four members and will have all the materials (buckets with alarms, drills, screw drivers, screws, paperwork, and most importantly a smile) needed to accomplish this outstanding event.”
Photo: 2023 Sound the Alarm – Troy, NY
Why is Sound the Alarm important?
“Many people do not realize that smoke alarms have an expiration date or that the location they may currently have alarms in could reduce their effectiveness. For example, we never install alarms in kitchens, due to this being the first place an alarm is taken down and often never returned. We do not install alarms outside of bathrooms or in laundry rooms due to the steam and humidity. The education provided during Sound the Alarm is equally as important and, some would say, even more important than the alarm itself.
“The Eastern New York region has documented over 110 lives saved due to us coming out into homes, installing alarms, and providing fire prevention education. So many of our conversations with those impacted by fires after we visited them report that taking the time to plan a fire evacuation plan is what saved their lives. I always try to emphasize to our teams that the time we spend at the residents’ homes talking about how to prevent a fire and how to get out in two minutes or less is just as powerful as the alarm. The time we spend with the residents can make a lifesaving difference.”
Why was Ogdensburg selected as a location?
“A couple of years ago, there was a large apartment complex that had caught on fire. Due to the residents being displaced, the Red Cross opened a shelter. Our teams of volunteers were thrilled when they learned we would be returning to Ogdensburg close to the original fire site to make homes safer.”
What goes on behind the scenes of Sound the Alarm?
It’s months of planning and putting volunteers and the community together to be ready for an event. We start our initial planning in November each year for events with simple questions, ‘Where do we want to go this year and why?’ From there we set up a committee to support logistics (supplies/materials), public affairs (spread the word), planning (appointments mapped out), and tons of volunteers to accomplish this mission. I want to stress that Sound the Alarm is a team sport meaning that all Red Cross departments from Services to Armed Forces, Biomedical (blood services), and wrapping all lines of Humanitarian Services come together for these one- day Sound the Alarm events. Every line of service in Red Cross lives the motto of, ‘Sleeves Up, Hearts Open, All In!’ “
How many homes are expected to receive smoke alarms?
“Our goal is to serve 155 homes across our Sound the Alarm time.”
Why should people install smoke alarms?
“We teach the two, two, two rule in the Red Cross. When a fire happens, you don’t have much time, in fact you have two minutes or less to get out. Without fire alarms, your ability to have that whole two minutes is reduced greatly.
“Fires move faster than we think. We educate about have two ways out of each room. This goes hand in hand with our fire evacuation planning we do with each home. We even provide a Home Fire Escape Plan to go on the fridge.
Finally for each family you want to have two meeting locations. It’s already stressful enough if a fire happens, everyone should have some peace of mind that their family will be all in the same place.”
If people want smoke alarm, who should they contact?
They can contact our Preparedness team any time via phone 518-694-5121 or by email Preparedness.ENY@redcross.org .
If people want to volunteer, who should they contact?
Contact Volunteer Services at 518-387-9441 or joineny@redcross.org or visit our website.
Official Blog of the American Red Cross Eastern New York Region 
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