That’s why the American Red Cross is rallying volunteers to install free smoke alarms nationwide, as part of our Sound the Alarm events.
This year we’ll install free smoke alarms, create escape plans and share fire safety information.
Join us for a rewarding day at a Sound the Alarm event near you. Make an even greater impact and donate to help families prepare for, respond to and recover from home fires.
Sign up for a home fire safety visit, including a FREE smoke alarm installation for your household, from your local Red Cross.
Use our worksheet to draw your home’s floor plan and plot your escape routes.
Test your smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button.
Every day, seven people die in home fires, most often in homes without working smoke alarms. That’s why the American Red Cross launched our Home Fire Campaign in 2014 to save lives.
Sound the Alarm is a critical part of the campaign. Through our home visits, we’ve installed more than 2.5 million free smoke alarms and made more than 1 million households safer across the country.
Every day, seven people die in home fires, most often in homes without working smoke alarms. That’s why the American Red Cross launched our Home Fire Campaign in 2014 to save lives.
Sound the Alarm is a critical part of the campaign. Through our home visits, we’ve installed more than 2.4 million free smoke alarms and prepared more than 2.5 million people for home fires.
2,420 lives saved
3,119,627 smoke alarms installed
1,290,938 households made safer
3,371,241 people served through home visits
Thank You to Our 2025 National Sponsors
Thank You to Our 2025 Regional Sponsors
You can find information about all upcoming smoke alarm installation events in your local area by visiting our volunteer event search tool and entering your zip code.
We want to make sure that you’re prepared to make our communities safer – and that you have a great volunteer experience.
That's why we developed short, streamlined training videos to help you get ready for your Sound the Alarm experience:
The in-home visit team training essentials videos are grouped together in a playlist for easy viewing.
Dress comfortably – you will be on your feet walking outdoors most of the day. Be sure to listen to the weather forecast because our event will happen rain or shine!
Your Sound the Alarm event will be a fun day of preparing families against home fires and making your community safer. Together we will canvass neighborhoods and knock on doors to ensure homes have working smoke alarms. We will also educate families about home fire safety, build evacuation plans with them and document our services.
When you arrive at the event location, follow the signs to check in. When everyone has arrived, there may be a short rally which gives us an opportunity to provide simple training and tips, as well as to celebrate you for generously volunteering your time!
You'll meet your installation team members (if you don't already know them) and receive supplies such as smoke alarms, a drill, educational materials, and a map of your route for the day. Then it's time to head out!
Most of your day will be spent visiting homes, installing smoke alarms, and providing home fire safety education to residents. You may be given scheduled appointments at particular homes on your route, or you may be knocking on doors to offer to install free smoke alarms, or a combination of both. In either case, you will be providing a valuable service to your community and helping to save lives.
Absolutely! We prefer everyone to register ahead of time so we are prepared to provide an excellent volunteer experience. If you don’t have time to register ahead, that’s okay, we will have forms available onsite.
Youth under 18 may volunteer at Sound the Alarm events but we do require parental consent. Please print out and have your parent/guardian fill out the Parental Consent form. Bring it with you to the registration table on the day of the event. Youth can serve in the documenter and educator positions on installation teams.
After you register for Sound the Alarm, you will receive event location information, training videos and contact information for your local Red Cross. Please note that some information may not be available until the final week prior to the event. If you need additional information at this time, please connect with your local chapter.
Sound the Alarm events will take place as scheduled, even if there is bad weather. Please check the weather report before your event so you can be prepared. If you must cancel, please let us know.
We are sorry you are unable to attend. Please let your local chapter know or email SoundtheAlarmVols@redcross.org.
Connect with your local Red Cross for additional information about your event, our home fire campaign or other volunteer opportunities. Search for your local chapter or reference contact information within your email confirmation.
The Red Cross now offers videos and resources to help meet the fire safety needs of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community.
Prepare, respond and help families recover from home fires.
