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Virginia Beach Fire, Red Cross participate in ‘Sound the Alarm’ smoke detector campaign

Posted at 10:11 AM, May 04, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-04 14:13:04-04

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The Virginia Beach Fire Department and the Coastal Chapter of the American Red Cross are partnering together to “Sound the Alarm” on fire safety.

According to a statement by the VBFD, three out of five home fire deaths happen in properties without a working smoke alarm. Research conducted by the National Fire Protection Association shows the risk of dying in a residential fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms.

The VBFD and the Red Cross assembled more than 200 Hampton Roads volunteers Saturday morning to help with the “Sound the Alarm” campaign, part of a national effort. The group worked to install smoke alarms and replace batteries in existing smoke alarms in the Lake Edward section of the city.

The VBFD said that “Sound the Alarm” accounts for a large portion of the 800 estimated smoke alarms the department gives out every year.

“Sound the Alarm” aims to install 100,000 free smoke alarms in at-risk neighborhoods.