Help the Red Cross Install FREE Smoke Alarms

Volunteer to Sound the Alarm and Save a Life

Last Updated September 8, 2026

What if just a few hours of your time could help save a life? ❤️ Through the American Red Cross, volunteers can make a real difference by helping families prepare for and stay safer from home fires.

This meaningful Red Cross volunteer opportunity puts community members right where they can have an impact — supporting home fire safety and prevention efforts that help protect neighbors and families. Keep reading to learn how the program works, why it matters, and how you can volunteer to help make your community safer.

About "Sound the Alarm" Events by the American Red Cross

Each year, the Red Cross responds to over 60,000 disasters — and most of these are home fires. Home fires cause billions of dollars in property damage each year, in addition to many preventable deaths. Every day, seven people in the U.S. die due to a home fire and another 36 are injured. Because having working smoke alarms installed cuts the risk of death in a home fire by an astonishing 50%, the Red Cross is calling on volunteers to help install free smoke alarms during its Sound the Alarm events.

Sound the Alarm is part of an initiative begun by the Red Cross in 2014 called the Home Fire Campaign — already credited with saving over 2,000 lives. Red Cross volunteers spread out across high-risk neighborhoods to install free smoke alarms, replace batteries in existing alarms, and help families create fire escape plans. The program has installed more than 2.7 million smoke alarms and made more than 1.1 million homes safer since the beginning of the campaign.

How to Get Involved

You can be a part of this impactful effort by volunteering to help install smoke alarms. Here are a few ways to get involved:

• Volunteer at a Sound the Alarm event. Visit the Red Cross Sound the Alarm page to find events near you and sign up to volunteer. No special skills are required — just a willingness to help.
• Make a financial contribution. If you're unable to volunteer in person, a donation to the Red Cross supports the Home Fire Campaign and its life-saving work. Donations are tax-deductible.
• Spread the word. Share information about Sound the Alarm events on social media, through your neighborhood group, or at your school or workplace. Awareness saves lives.
• Organize a group volunteer effort. Get your team, class, faith group, or neighborhood association together to volunteer at the same event. Use free online SignUps to coordinate sign-ups and make group registration easier.

Home Fire Safety Tips for Your Family

While you're supporting the Red Cross's efforts, here are some steps you can take right now to protect your own family from home fires:

• Test your smoke alarms monthly and replace batteries at least once a year (or use 10-year sealed battery alarms).
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms, and outside sleeping areas.
• Create a home fire escape plan with at least two exits from each room and a designated meeting spot outside.
• Practice your escape plan at least twice a year with everyone in your household, including children.
• Never leave cooking unattended — cooking fires are the leading cause of home fire injuries.
• Keep dryer lint filters clean and inspect dryer venting regularly to prevent dryer fires.

About the American Red Cross

The Red Cross shelters, feeds, and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the public to perform its mission.

Join the Red Cross today to Sound the Alarm about fire safety — and help make your community a safer place for everyone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the Red Cross Sound the Alarm program?
 A: Sound the Alarm is a Red Cross volunteer initiative that sends volunteers into high-risk neighborhoods to install free smoke alarms, replace batteries, and help families create fire escape plans. It's part of the Home Fire Campaign, which has helped save over 2,000 lives since it launched in 2014.

Q: How can I volunteer for a Red Cross smoke alarm installation event?
 A: Visit the Red Cross Sound the Alarm website at redcross.org/sound-the-alarm to find events near you and register to volunteer. No special skills are required. Groups and organizations can also coordinate bulk registration using SignUp's free online tools.

Q: How much does a working smoke alarm reduce the risk of dying in a home fire?
 A: Having a working smoke alarm installed in a home cuts the risk of death in a home fire by 50%, according to the American Red Cross. That's why getting alarms into homes that don't have them — or where batteries are dead — is so critical.