Never too late

By David Ullman, Red Cross writer

When a fire started in the home of Caleb and Tabrizia Phillips, it went unnoticed and could have resulted in a tragedy for the Phillips and their two young children. 

“Our water heater caught fire, and our smoke alarms didn't go off,” remembered Tabrizia. “It almost burned our house down. It was terrifying.”

So, although the family had smoke alarms, they were unaware that the sensitivity of the devices’ internal sensors had dulled over time.

Red Crosser Caroline King with Ezra Phillips

Through their doctor, the Phillips learned that the American Red Cross had a program to install free smoke alarms in people’s homes. As part of this Home Fire Campaign, the Red Cross hosts Sound the Alarm events, daylong installation events in at-risk communities where teams of Red Cross volunteers install free smoke alarms in homes where they’re needed.  

“I think it’s a great program,” shared Tabrizia. “There are a lot of people around here who are living paycheck to paycheck. To be able to have new smoke alarms installed lessens the stress created by the concern over the safety of their families.”

Installing the new alarms is a simple, quick operation performed by a team of two or three trained Red Cross volunteers. While one volunteer installs and tests the smoke alarms, the other volunteer works with the homeowner to create an evacuation plan and review critical home fire safety tips. 

“It was really easy,” Tabrizia said. “They scheduled the installation a week or so beforehand. Today they called me when they were 10 minutes away. When they arrived, they explained what was going happen and then got to work.  They were nonjudgmental and really fast. The whole process was easy.”

Unlike smoke alarms that are powered by replaceable batteries or are hardwired into the home electrical system, the alarms installed by the Red Cross are sealed independent units, capable of operating for up to 10 years.

Tabrizia Phillips during Red Cross installation

Red Cross Community Disaster Program Manager Lyndsey Morin travelled from Vermont to Maine to participate in the community installation, where she discovered that one of her assigned homes had received Red Cross alarms in the past.

“One client was actually a repeat customer. Her alarms were put in in 2017, which is why she called to get new alarms installed,” Lyndsey explained. “She remembered that they were supposed to last about 10 years. I love when people contact us because they remembered what they heard in the training.”

To help protect your family year round, test your smoke alarms monthly and practice your home fire escape plan until everyone can escape in less than two minutes — the amount of time you may have to get out of a burning home before it’s too late.

If you cannot afford to purchase smoke alarms or are physically unable to install one, the Red Cross may be able to help. Contact us at 1-800-464-6692 or visit redcross.org/EndHomeFiresNNE.