Karen Dudley: Help sound the alarm for home fire safety in Laconia

To The Daily Sun,

The nation’s most frequent disaster is one that rarely makes national headlines — home fires. Yet these represent most of the disasters that the American Red Cross responds to every eight minutes in the United States. In New Hampshire alone, New Hampshire Chapter volunteers responded to 41 of these devastating crises since Jan. 1.

What’s more, home fires claim seven lives a day in our country — but a working smoke alarm can cut the risk of death by half.

To help keep families safe, the Red Cross New Hampshire Chapter is partnering with the Laconia Fire Department on May 7 to install 188 free smoke alarms for vulnerable households in Laconia, as part of a national Sound the Alarm effort to install 50,000 free smoke alarms in at-risk neighborhoods across the country.

Sound the Alarm events like these are truly lifesaving — and at the heart of our national Home Fire Campaign, which has helped save at least 1,243 lives.

If you live in Laconia and need assistance, visit RedCross.org/EndHomeFiresNNE to schedule an appointment for a free smoke alarm installation during this event. During a 20-minute home visit, volunteers will also share information on the causes of home fires, how to prevent them, what to do if a fire starts and how to create an escape plan.

Because of generous donations, all services are free for those in need. Help by donating to the Red Cross at SoundTheAlarm.org to help people prepare for, respond to and recover from home fires.

Karen Dudley

Moultonborough