As people turn their clocks back this weekend for the end of daylight-saving time, the American Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming asks everyone to also test their smoke alarms.
“Home fires are our community’s most frequent disaster, and we ask everyone to ‘turn and test’ this weekend to help protect your family,” said Gino Greco, CEO, Colorado and Wyoming Region. “Just this year so far, Red Cross volunteers responded to more than 800 home fires in Colorado and Wyoming to help people recover. You can help stay safe by testing your smoke alarms and practicing your escape plan with everyone in your household.”
TURN AND TEST FOR FIRE SAFETY The threat of home fires — which are most often caused by cooking and heating equipment — increases with the holidays and cold weather. As daylight saving time ends, please follow the steps below to prepare your household. For more information, visit redcross.org/homefires or download the free Red Cross Emergency App (search “American Red Cross” in app stores).
- Install smoke alarms on every level of your home. Place them inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas.
- Test smoke alarms and replace batteries if needed. Test smoke alarms monthly, and change the batteries at least once a year, if your model requires it. It’s also a great time to check carbon monoxide alarms.
- Practice your home fire escape plan. Include at least two ways to get out of every room. Select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone can meet. Practice your plan until everyone can escape in two minutes or less.
HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN SAVES LIVES Since 2014, the Red Cross has been working with partners to install free smoke alarms in high-risk communities and help families create escape plans through its national Home Fire Campaign — which so far has saved at least 642 lives across the country. In the Colorado and Wyoming region, the Red Cross and local partners have:
- Installed more than 24,500 free smoke alarms.
- Reached nearly 20,000 children through youth preparedness programs.
- Made 12,400 households safer from the threat of home fires.